Organizing the Best Theme Party Ever: Ideas and Tricks

Themed parties: what they are and why you will love them

Themed parties are celebrations that feature decorations, activities, food and drink, attire, music, and more based on a specific topic.

One way to make your party stand out from the crowd is by implementing creative themed party ideas. Your unique party theme ideas for adults or kids set the tone for your entire event—beginning at the onset of the party planning process.

Party theme ideas can span a wide-ranging spectrum of possibilities. Choosing the perfect theme for your party requires careful consideration.

Here are some basic factors to think about as you begin the theme selection process:

• Occasion—what (or who) you’re celebrating
• Guests—Who they are and what common interests they may share
• Budget
• Location or venue
• Season or weather

Whatever celebration theme ideas you ultimately go with, we encourage you to clearly communicate the theme to your guests in the invitations and all related messaging. Make sure the party theme is not too vague and is an area of interest that your guests will have some knowledge of.

While brainstorming, choosing, and executing ideas for party themes can be challenging. That's why we created this guide, making it easier for you with a diverse selection of party planning theme ideas for your unique celebration.

Ideas for the best theme party for adults

Clever celebration theme ideas take entertaining to the next level and help create a memorable experience for your guests. We’re here to help you achieve your goals with a list of fun and innovative party theme ideas for adults, to ignite creativity in your party planning process.

Forever Young

Think grown-up versions of your favorite childhood activities — an adult-sized ball pit, a bouncy castle, a slide, confetti, bubbles, and of course, sweets and snacks galore.

Hamptons Garden Party

Inject some summertime chic and preppy fun into your party with a Hamptons-style garden party—complete with turf lawn, tennis whites, V-necks sweaters and sneakers, and a plethora of pastels.

Southern BBQ

Throw an old-school BBQ with Southern classics like fried chicken, cornbread, and baked beans alongside summer and state fair classics like Frisbee or Cornhole.

Arts & Crafts

Get your guests involved in an art project at your next party by creating a giant interactive canvas wall. Give your guests the tools and inspiration to write, draw, or graffiti your wall live at the party.

Reality TV Bash

With so many reality shows crowding our television schedules these days, there’s plenty to choose from when it comes to hosting a viewing party for a big reality show finale or premier. Make sure your décor, food/drinks, and suggested attire is inspired by the show for extra Instagram points.

Ideas for the best theme party for kids

Themed party ideas for kids always makes the planning process more enjoyable—and attending them more engaging for your guests. Parties of all shapes and sizes are more memorable when you choose a theme that resonates with the kids you’re entertaining.

There are plenty of ideas for party themes to choose from that boys and girls will be elated to immerse themselves in. Here are some of our favorites:

Animals

This is a fun and diverse theme party that resonates with both boys and girls. You can build your party around a specific animal, such as a puppy or horse party, or a group of related animals like farm animals.

Beach

This party theme is perfect for summer parties for both boys and girls-for any occasion. If you’re too far from the coast, you can throw a beach party in your backyard with themed decorations, a Jimmy Buffet playlist, beach picnic food and games that are synonymous with the sand and sea.

Circus

This theme party is ideal for young boys and girls that require a higher level of entertainment. Your circus party can feature an animal rental (think small pony rides), circus games, circus-themed food and decorations. If you want to take your party to the next level, you can incorporate carnival theme party ideas. Additional activities such as game and prize booths and a photo booth with backdrops will add to the fun.

Movie+TV

A Disney, Marvel/DC, or Star Wars theme party will be a huge hit for your young guests. Create specific TV or movie character-themed games, decorations, party favors, and food and drinks. There’s a Hollywood-sized world of themed party ideas you can feature with these larger-than-life entertainment franchises.

Art

A theme party that promotes creativity in any way is going to be a winner for kids and their parents. Encourage your young guests to paint, draw, or write with individual canvases or even a larger, interactive one along a wall. You can provide different brushes, writing tools, and aprons for kids to wear.

Ideas for the best birthday theme parties

Unlike most celebrations, a birthday party focuses on one special person. Whether it's a child, parent, spouse, or anyone else important to you, a birthday party presents a golden opportunity to celebrate their life and show them just how much they mean to you.

Creative birthday party theme ideas are the first—and one of the most important—steps in your party planning workflow, which will help you deliver a monumental experience for the guest of honor.

We’re here to help with a quick list of birthday party theme ideas that will provide inspiration for the big day of celebrating life.

Decade Party

A theme featuring the decade your guest of honor grew up in is sure to be a huge hit. Encourage your guests to wear the clothing from that era, which will provide some good laughs and entertaining stories. Feature iconic food and beverages that helped define the decade. Decorate with relics from the party scene you knew and loved when growing up. Proudly play the radio hits from back in the day to get people really feeling the nostalgia.

Outdoor Games

Teaming up your friends and family for some friendly competition is always a good time. Games help to further engage people and serve as a nice change of pace to the usual long stretches of sitting or standing when eating and drinking at social events. Getting the blood and oxygen flowing will add more energy and interaction to the atmosphere. And it’s easy to borrow or rent equipment for fun games like kickball, bocce ball, or volleyball in the backyard or the park.

Wine Tasting

A wine tasting party theme is sure to please your guests, whether or not they’re wine enthusiasts. The rapid growth of wineries and bottlers ensures there is a type (and taste) for most attendees. If Moscato or Rose aren’t sweet enough, you can always include a selection of seltzers for people. Level up the party with artisan cheeses and fancy crackers to accompany your wine bar.

Outdoor Movie

An outdoor movie screening is a classic party theme that everyone appreciates. We all missed out on going to the movie theater over the last two years, so there are plenty of “straight to home” movies to choose from, which your guests will enjoy watching with their friends and family again. Maximize the experience by renting a movie popcorn and soda fountain machine.

Slideshow

A slideshow themed party is guaranteed to provide plenty of laughs, commentary, and emotion from your guests. Finding your favorite photos of the guest of honor (as well as those that are embarrassing) is an enjoyable activity that brings back lots of memories. And who doesn’t love serving as the creator of an immersive walk down memory lane? You can also build on the theme by renting an interactive photo booth for guests to make new memories, as well.