The nice thing about planning a child’s birthday party is that, as a bunch, they’re pretty easy to please.  With cake, presents, and some room to run around, you hardly need more to make the party a success.  And yet, you probably want to make your child’s special day a bit more exciting.  While you don’t exactly have to hire a 5-star chef or an A-list band to impress a bunch of 10-year-olds, you definitely want to do something unexpected and fun to wow the kids and ensure that they have an immersive experience.  So here are just a few decorating ideas that can help to turn your home into a funhouse for the day.

 

Tea party

What little girl doesn’t love to dress up in frilly clothes, fancy hats, and gloves to sip tea and eat petit fours with all of her favorite dolls?  Extend that idea into your daughter’s birthday party with an invitation to afternoon tea.  All the girls can dress up and you can hand out tiaras at the door.  And when it comes to decorating, set up kid-sized tables complete with white linens, plenty of doilies, some fabulous mini tea sets, and plenty of tiered trays stacked with kid-friendly finger sandwiches (PB&J, no crust) and sweet treats.  As for the tea?  Try juice instead.

Costume party

Halloween may come but once a year, but that doesn’t mean your kids can’t have all the fun of this spooky holiday by planning a costumed event.  For girls you could opt for a masquerade ball of sorts, while boys might prefer some kind of monster madness theme.  Either way, you can decorate accordingly.  Start by pushing furnishings against the wall so kids have room to boogie, then set up a DJ station complete with colored lights and their favorite tunes to make the party modern.  Prep the space by covering the floor with bubble wrap, setting up a net with balloons to drop during the festivities (or use a slew of helium-filled balloons trailing a sea of ribbons that the kids can grab and yank), and get yourself some party poppers to shoot confetti at the kids. 

Pirate party

Thanks in large part to Johnny Depp’s signature swagger as Captain Jack, pirates are back in a big way these days.  So consider throwing a pirate party that includes a treasure hunt and start by teaching the kids some pirate lingo (Avast ye, salty landlubbers…arr!).  Then rent yourself a pirate-ship bounce house for the backyard, set up treasure chests full of candy coins and Mardi Gras beads (double duty décor and party favors), and hoist the colors high with a few traditional pirate flags.

Candyland

Katy Perry can’t be the only one cavorting in this enchanting land of sweets, so transform your home into the candy-colored confection that widened the eyes of Hansel and Gretel (sans witch).  Lay down a colored-paper path through the house, dub each kid a character from the game, and then have them act as their own game pieces to play.  Of course, you’ll have to recreate locations from the board, such as the Peppermint Forest, the Chocolate Swamp, and King Kandy’s castle.  But you can get creative with cardboard boxes and paint, and throw in a few real treats for fun.

A day at the circus

What child doesn’t love a day at the circus?  While a magician London or Las Vegas-based can no doubt provide a few moments of entertainment, they can’t compare to the thrills of the big top.  So set up a striped tent and hire yourself some entertainers (exotic animal shows, acrobats, and so on).  Complete the feeling with carnival games, popcorn and peanuts, and a steady stream of circus music.

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