Selection of last minute birthday party ideas for kids. Deciding on a location, coordinating food and games can all be undertaken at the last-minute. It will all be stress free with these great ideas.
No-one will even know that you didn’t have much time to coordinate the party because it will be absolutely amazing filled with birthday fun.
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Planning a kids birthday party is something that will either excite you or fill you with dread. For our kids, it’s one of the most exciting events of the year.
But life happens. We get caught up with work, and other responsibilities and before we know it, the birthday is upon us.
Maybe you had made plans which have now fallen through. Maybe your child has suddenly decided they would like an entirely different kind of party than what you originally thought
There are all sorts of reasons that you might need to plan a last minute birthday party.
The thought of a birthday party needing to occur in a week or two, or even a few days time is enough to fill most parent’s with dread.
But there is good news here.
It is totally possible to hold a kids birthday party and have that amazing birthday celebration that they are excited about.
Be assured, there is NO NEED TO PANIC!
Take a deep breath. Let’s talk through some of the last minute birthday party ideas for kids that will be totally amazing. It will end up being the perfect way to celebrate your child’s special day.
Do I Need To Choose A Birthday Party Theme?
The first thing that you need to think about is the type of party that you want to have.
It is possible to choose a party theme at the last minute. In saying that, birthday party themes don’t have to be ultra specific.
To narrow it down, the first thing you need to consider is whether you want to have the party at your own home, or an alternative location.
We will talk about both options here!
A last minute birthday party is possible in both scenarios. Think about your preference (and your child’s preference) before you make a decision.
But at this late stage, once you have made a decision, stick to it and roll with it.
Birthday Party In Your Own Home
The simplest way to coordinate a last minute birthday party home is to completely scrap the theme!
Yes I said it. You DON”T need to have a theme!
Just have a party. Choose your child’s favorite colors and decorate with those. There are then plenty of party games that can be coordinated at the last minute. These games can be used in a themed or non themed party.
However IF your child REALLY really want’s to have a themed party, then this is still possible without you completely going grey!
But keep it SIMPLE!
Let’s say for example you wanted to throw a dinosaur themed party. A great way to do this is by simply choosing colors such as green, brown and orange.
Generic party supplies can be picked up pretty much everywhere including the local dollar store. So you really don’t need to be fretting about hunting down the perfect party supplies that have dinosaurs all over them.
The theme can be obtained with the simple use of colors and then just a few simple other elements. I’m sure your son would have a few dinosaurs in his bedroom that can be used for decoration on the food table.
Add a dinosaur pinata, some plastic dinosaurs in the kids favor bags and hey presto. You have yourself a dinosaur themed birthday party.
Use this scenario for any themed birthday party as the best way to keep it simple.
But remember, you don’t have to coordinate a theme. A basic and simple party is still totally awesome and the kids will have so much fun.
If however you would like to check out some themed kids birthday parties, take a look at these birthday parties for boys and also birthday parties for girls. But remember to keep it simple to avoid the unnecessary stress!
There are also many other last minute party ideas that you can hold at home that don’t have to revolve around a “theme”.
The party you choose will also depend upon the age group of the kids. There are lots of ideas for both younger and older children.
Some ideas include:
Sleepover Party – Have the birthday child pick a handful of friends and invite them over for a sleepover. Ask them to bring a sleeping bag and pillow, then coordinate an area in your home to set them up. Provide some easy food, and a movie. Perhaps some pamper activities such as face masks and foot spa’s. Or even play some board games. Either way they will definitely have a great time.
Gaming Party – Again have your child pick a few friends and invite them over to play some video games. It’s easy, its fun and it takes very little preparation. Provide some simple food and the kids will be occupied for hours.
Pool Party – If your child has a birthday in the warmer weather and you have a pool in your yard, then a pool party could be a really great option. This is especially great for older kids and teens. The party generally takes care of itself and all you really need to do is provide supervision and food!
Birthday Party At An Alternative Location
If the thought of trying to coordinate a last minute party in your own home seems too stressful, then there are plenty of other options available.
There are many places that offer birthday party packages. These places coordinate everything for you with a private party room and a party host. The food, activities and best of all, the clearing up at the end of the party is all taken care of.
Whilst some birthday party places can get booked up quickly, there are always places that have spots available. Plus you might be lucky with a last minute cancellation.
A few phone calls will quickly let you know what’s available.
But all is not lost if you have left it too late to book a venue with a birthday party package. There are still a lot of other options available to you. These options also wont come with the extra cost of having the private party room and host.
The starting point is to make a few phone calls to see what is available and what your options are. It is a good idea to involve the birthday child in this process to ensure that it is a party that will be excited about.
Here are some of the best places that you can just simply book for a small group without the fuss of the birthday party room.
These locations all have food options available. Plus if you contact them in advance they may still even allow you to bring a birthday cake plus some balloons.
Indoor playgrounds – Whilst indoor playgrounds have designated party areas, they will often accommodate gatherings in their general seating area. Some will still even reserve you a seating spot. This is an easy way to coordinate a last-minute birthday party for younger children.
Bowling Alley – It’s very common for bowling alleys to take lane bookings for groups. The advantage of not going on one of their birthday packages is that you can choose the time that you want. Plus you can take advantage of disco or glow bowling that wouldn’t otherwise be available in the birthday party package.
Swimming – Attend a general swimming session with your child and their friends. It would be advisable for parents to stay to help with supervision of the kids in the pool. This is especially important if it’s a younger group or you have a number of kids in attendance.
Roller Disco – Roller skating has public sessions available which you can book group tickets for.
Ice Skating – Attend a public session and simply book tickets in advance.
Go-Karting – Public sessions won’t allow too many people at one time. It would be advisable to ring in advance and undertake a group booking.
Movies – A trip to the movies is a great idea for kids. All you need to do is buy the tickets. If you want the gathering to last a little longer, grab an ice cream or hamburger after the movie.
All of these ideas can be coordinated at the last minute. They will all provide a wonderful birthday party for your child.
If you don’t want to attend an actual venue for your party, then choose a local playground or park. You could even coordinate to meet at the beach.
Just remember if you choose an outdoor venue such as this, you will need to undertake a little bit of preparation. You will need to think about the transportation of food, decor items, tables and chairs you need to the venue.
Birthday Party Invitations
So you have decided where and when you will be holding the party. Now you simply need to create a guest list and invite them to the party.
Remember, this is a last minute birthday party, so don’t stress too much about the party invitations.
A phone call or a text inviting your kids friends will suffice.
Provided that your friend’s parents have all the details they need for the party, they won’t be too bothered whether they receive an actual invitation or not.
So take off the stress of coordinating birthday party invitations and move onto the things that matter.
Last Minute Birthday Party Decorations
The good news here is that there are SO many party decorations that can be purchased at your local dollar store, party stores and even supermarkets.
Forget a theme, keep it simple and the decorations will look amazing.
There are often a lot of party decoration packages that can be purchased that already contain everything you need.
Otherwise grab balloons, streamers, garlands, party hats and colored plates, napkins and tablecloths and you are all set.
If you would like to coordinate a party backdrop, this is quick and easy to do with colored plastic tablecloths. Simply set it up the day or the day before your party. Then use as a backdrop behind a food table or as a photo booth.
Party printables are also fantastic for last minute party styling.
You can grab a set of printables in almost any theme. The printables can be printed from home the day before the party if you need!
The printables can then be simply added to your food to provide an instant and super easy themed decor.
No-one will know that this was a last minute idea.
Choose Easy Pre-Prepared Birthday Party Food
Despite what you may think, a kids birthday party really doesn’t need to have a massive amount of food.
Pick a time that doesn’t cover traditional meal times and parents will generally feed their kids before they come to the party, or plan to once they get home.
Not having to prepare a huge amount of food takes off a lot of pressure.
The best thing to do here is keep it super simple. Kids are really pretty easy to please, so keep the food options basic and they will be happy. Delicious food doesn’t have to be fancy food.
Bags of chips, lollies, popcorn, cookies, pre-made cupcakes and fairy bread are great.
If you want to offer more food then consider buying box’s of party pies, pasties and sausage rolls. They are quick to heat up in the oven and will be enjoyed by a crowd of kids.
Another easy option for food is to provide hot dogs or pizza. It’s simple, filling and enjoyable.
If you want to make things even easier then a lot of local supermarkets offer kids party platters. They can prepare sandwiches, wraps, cheese and meat platters, fruit and dessert platters all specially for kids.
All you need to then do is pick them up and place them on the table. It couldn’t be easier than that, and you wont receive any complaints from the kids!
Don’t forget the birthday cake!
Again, don’t worry about baking one or ordering one weeks in advance. Supermarkets all have general cakes that can be purchased which can easily be turned into a birthday cake. They can easily be decorated by sprinkling some candy over the top or around the base.
If you want to theme the cake, then simply place a plastic figure on the top.
Otherwise simply place a “happy birthday” cake topper on the top.
If you want to go a bit fancier than a supermarket cake, then head to a local bakery. You generally only need to give a couple of days notice to order something.
These options are easy, cost effective and totally practical for a last minute party.
Simple Party Games
It’s that same old story again, but the simple things are the best. There are SO many kids party games that can be enjoyed for kids of all ages and the games are all super easy to coordinate too.
Think of some classic games like musical chairs, musical statues, egg and spoon race, the sack race or relay races.
If you have a little more time to prepare then you could set up an obstacle course or a scavenger hunt.
All of these games can be played in your own home yard or at a local park.
The games are all very simple to coordinate and the kids always have a good time with them.
Child Friendly Music
Al parties need to have some kind of music. Music helps to create the party atmosphere and you will often find kids simply dancing along when their favorite tune comes on.
You could spend a few hours putting together a suitable playlist for your child’s birthday party or you could simply head to Spotify and use one of their pre-arranged children’s party play list.
Quick And Easy Party Favors
Kids typically come home with a party favor bag. Again this doesn’t need to take a lot of thinking about or putting yourself under a lot of pressure to complete.
Kids would be happy with a bag of popcorn, some candy, a bouncy ball and some stickers.
All of these things can be purchased when undertaking your weekly grocery shop. Simply add them into your basket and put the bags together one night in front of the television.
Even better would be to get your child to make them up for you. They would have great delight in doing this.
As you can see, there are SO many last minute birthday party ideas for kids. Each of these ideas will absolutely blow them away.
So whatever the reason for your last minute planning, you child can still enjoy a wonderful party with these last-minute ideas.
A party can be pulled together with very little time and no-one will know that it wasn’t your original intention.
Whether it be at the local park, your own home or at a venue, a party planned at the last minute can be just as amazing as one that has had weeks or months of preparation.
It will be fun, it will be memorable and it will be one that your child and their friends will absolutely love.
So hopefully this will ease the stress and you can be confident that YOU CAN put together that party that your child is so excited about. You will have the best birthday party with your friends and family.
Need some more party ideas? Check out all our other party ideas, games and themes. You will have a ton of inspiration to keep everyone entertained.
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