Party Themes and Ideas for Boys
Planning a party for a boy in your life? Whether it’s a preschooler, toddler, or older child, a boy’s party can be fun to plan and experience. Here are some ideas for boy-friendly party themes.
1. Dogs and Puppies
Many little boys like dogs and puppies. This theme could work for toddlers, preschoolers, or grade-schoolers. Here are some ideas for this theme.
* For younger kids, have face painting to make them look like puppies or dogs. Dog ears that can be attached to their heads are also fun.
* Favors could be bobble-head dog figures, bone-shaped crayons, or small stuffed puppies.
* A bone-shaped cake would set the theme or a sheet cake decorated in spots or with pictures of dogs. You can also make “puppy chow” with cereal. For fun, serve food in clean dog bowls.
* Games for a puppy dog theme might include pin-the-tail-on-the-puppy, a dog piÒata, or even a visit from a real dog of your own or someone you know.
2. Trains
Boys often go through a “train stage.” You can build the theme around characters, such as Thomas the Tank Engine, or just do a generic train theme. Here are some ideas.
* A train cake can be bought or made; since they’re basically rectangles, you can get imaginative and create a multi-car train cake. Try using a cake cone covered with icing for the smokestack.
* Train-shaped favors could include pencil sharpeners, stickers, or small toys.
* Games could involve a train-themed obstacle course with a kid-sized train tunnel. You could also do a train-themed variation of duck-duck-goose (how about chugga-chugga-choo?).
* Trains lend themselves to crafts. Party guests can make their own trains out of cardboard or construction paper.
3. Pirates
Costumes can be a fun way for guests to celebrate the pirate theme! Other ideas for a pirate party could include:
* Make your own swordcraft using cardboard and aluminum foil.
* A treasure hunt could take the form of a pirate-themed scavenger hunt. Makeup maps and age-appropriate, cryptic directions to help guests find the treasure.
* Chocolate gold coins, eye patches, and/or stuffed parrots make fun favors.
* A treasure-chest cake is not too hard to make and creates a visual impact.
4. Water
If the time of year is right, water makes a great party theme for boys. An indoor pool party can be fun, too, if it’s not hot outside.
* Water guns, age-appropriate scuba gear, thong sandals, and/or water masks and goggles can be given as favors.
* A water fight with balloons and the water guns can be great fun. Other games and fun could include playing in a sprinkler, a yard-sized water slide, or if you’re lucky enough to live near a creek, a wading party complete with looking under rocks. Get creative and hook up a sprinkler and garden hose by your swing set or slide.
* A water-themed cake could be done using a sheet cake, or use a flat sheet of blue Jell-O and decorate it with candy shells, sugar “sand,” and so forth.
