How to choose a party theme your child will love

Most parents come to us with a theme already chosen, and most of the time it is the parent’s favourite. The parties children remember are the ones built around what they care about this year, even if it changes by next year.

Ask your child three questions about two months before. What is your favourite animal or character right now? What colour should the party be? What would you like to do at the party? Write the answers down. A five-year-old who says dinosaurs, orange and digging has just planned the party.

Then narrow it. A theme needs a backdrop, a colour pair, one activity and one moment. For dinosaurs that might be a jungle backdrop in green and orange, a fossil dig in a sand tray, and a roar before the candles. Everything else, from plates to return gifts, simply follows the colours.

Avoid themes that depend on a single cartoon character, because the props are hard to find and quickly look dated in photos. Animals, space, the sea, castles, trains, colours and seasons all work for years and suit both boys and girls. If siblings share a party, give each child one element of their own. And if your child changes their mind three weeks out, tell us. We can usually change a theme up to ten days before at no cost.