14 Ideas for the Best 4-Year-Old Birthday Parties

Holy moly, you’ve got a 4-year-old in the house! Give yourself a pat on the back for doing all the things for another whole year. Toast to you and your partner! And then, when you’ve thoroughly congratulated yourselves, better get started planning that 4th-birthday party you promised. Birthday parties for 4-year-olds take parents into a whole new birthday territory — for the first time, kids are likely to have their own expectations and ideas about how to celebrate. And by the 4th birthday, kids remember the piñata they helped smash or the ice cream cake they devoured at the other parties. In addition to an awesome 4th-birthday party theme, but you’ll want to include party games and fun activities for 4-year-olds. Help make all of their dreams come true with these creative, easy, and affordable 4th birthday party ideas.

Kids represent the largest unvaccinated group in the U.S., which means that indoor gatherings still pose a risk and should be avoided. In April, however, the Centers for Disease Control revised their guidelines for outdoor gatherings, which are now deemed lower-risk for small groups, so long as masks are worn by unvaccinated kids and adults, and social distancing is maintained.

Outer Space

From planets to UFOs, an outer space party encompasses the perfect balance of the real and the mystical. For a good old fashioned solar system craft, kids can paint styrofoam spheres, (wood ones are more expensive but better for the environment). Other easy on-theme activities include solar system bingo and pin the mask on the astronaut. Space ship temporary tattoos and galaxy slime both serve as perfect activities or favors. As for food, star and moon cookie-cutters can transform almost any food to fit the theme, from fruit and veggies to cheese slices or finger sandwiches. And for dessert, serve Milky Ways, “Saturn rings,” and “meteorites,” or let guests try freeze-dried ice cream, aka astronaut food.

Under the Sea

For decor, stick to blue, white, and clear balloons, (or splurge for this mermaid tale balloon sculpture) and “seaweed” made of green streamers. You can decorate a table with seashells, or have guests decorate them for a take-home craft. They can also paint their own treasure chests, and fill it with treats like candy and stickers. For dessert, spruce up your average blue Jell-O with gummy sharks and Swedish fish, or serve this easy mermaid ice cream.

Rock and Roll

Have kids play with these inflatable instruments, or brace your ears for some karaoke. A red carpet will receive guests in style, and a station with accessories like wigs, temporary tattoos, feather boas, or body glitter will keep guests busy. This decor set includes pom-poms, streamers, paper fans, foil swirls, and photo booth decorations. Cupcakes baked in ice cream cones with silver sprinkles come to resemble microphones (recipe here). You could also go for a retro ’50s diner feel and serve burgers, fries, and ice cream.

Bugs

Magnifying glasses and jars are all you need for a bug scavenger hunt. More squeamish guests can go digging for gummy worms in a plate of whipped cream — no hands allowed! Plastic critters can decorate a table or fill goodie bags. These friendly bug balloons can be filled up with helium at your local party store. For dessert, top chocolate pudding (or a cake) with “dirt” (cookie crumbs) and gummy worms. If your kid is a fan of Jell-O, pour the liquid through upright straws for almost scary realistic edible worms.

Construction

Celebrate that your kid can find wonder in the most mundane of things. Set up relay races with construction cones, play limbo with caution tape, and set off an area for everyone to play with all of those trucks your kid has accumulated (bonus points if there’s colored sand or individually wrapped candies for the trucks to transport). Serve “dirt,” or chocolate pudding topped with cookie crumbs, and store snacks in upside down construction hats.

Paint Party

This palette and paintbrush set paired with mini canvases will make your guests feel extra professional. Don’t forget plenty of washable paint, and maybe some fun sponges. If there’s an artistically inclined adult available, you can even offer face painting. For functional decor, fill these decorative mini paint cans with candy.

Olympics

Host a series of Olympic Games, like a relay race involving a paper towel tube “torch,” a hula-hoop contest, or an egg on a spoon race. For snacks, make edible medals out of fruit roll-ups and Golden Oreos, or torches from ice cream cones filled with popcorn or cheese balls. Decorate with this international flag banner, and let hula hoops serve as the iconic Olympic rings (that won’t go to waste later.)

Fairy

You may want to provide fairy wings or flower crowns or have each guest decorate a fairy house.. To make cupcakes that resemble those red mushrooms you find in fairy tales, top them with red icing and inverted white chocolate chips (recipe here). Edible fairy wands can be made from sticking lollipop sticks into star-shaped cookies. This banner will pull the whole thing together.

Sports

Activities for a sports party are fairly straightforward, just adjust the rules of your kid’s favorite sports for their age group. They might play volleyball with a beachball and a strip of crepe paper for a low net, or soccer with a small field and cones set up as goals. You can also fall back on old birthday party classics, like hot potato, musical chairs and freeze dance, or set up carnival-style games like tossing sports balls into strategically placed buckets or through the rungs of a latter for a set number of points. These sports themed lanterns are perfect for hanging over the back yard as kids toss footballs back and forth. Yellow and red napkins double as “penalty flags,” and eye black will help everyone get in the game.

Dinosaur

Decorate with those plastic dinosaurs you have laying around (for once your kid can leave them out!) and a green or purple color scheme (this party set is cute and inexpensive). These dino footprints are a great way to direct guests around to the backyard or party room. Rebrand an Easter egg hunt as a Dino egg hunt. Challenge the kids to do as the paleontologists do and dig for fossils in a sandbox or container full or uncooked rice. And don’t forget to pin the tail on the dinosaur!

Luau

What’s cuter than a bunch of 4-year-olds in grass skirts? Let the kids play dress up with lei necklaces, headbands, and wristbands, and teach them a traditional hula dance with this kid-friendly tutorial. Any area can be transformed into a photo booth with these props, and luau-themed temporary tattoos provide an easy activity. For party favors, look no further than beach balls or kids’ sunglasses.

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles

Does your child get a kick out of pointing out planes in the sky or watching the cars pass? Have guests make paper airplanes (or decorate one of these) and play with that train set you’re always nagging to be put away. Almost any baked good can be made into a traffic light with red, yellow, and green M&Ms. Serve pinwheel pasta salad, “spare tire” chocolate donuts, and white balloons arranged in clusters resemble clouds

Lego

To keep your guests entertained, besides the obvious activity of playing Legos, you can have them search for Legos in the backyard (like an on-theme Easter egg hunt offer) or offer this Lego piñata. For free, simple decor, build a jumbo “4” out of all those legos your kid has hanging around, or spell their name. Or use spare ones for a game of “guess how many Legos are in the jar.” Lego-shaped candies are the easiest way to transform cupcakes or cookies to fit the theme.

Disney Princess Party

Invite everyone to come in their favorite dress-up, and have them decorate royal accessories like tiaras, swords, or wands. Activities could include target practice with this suction cup bow and arrow or building “snowmen” out of marshmallows, pretzel sticks, chocolate chips, and googly eyes. Inspired by Cinderella, “if the shoe fits” challenges players to put their shoes in a pile and then compete in a relay race to see which team can get all of their shoes back on first. Lastly, send your guests on a scavenger hunt for princess-themed items like Ariel’s fork, a tiara, a high-heel shoe, a candle à la Beauty and the Beast, and a mirror. Serve Cinderella’s pumpkins (clementines), Olaf’s nose (carrots) or arms (pretzels), Snow White’s not-so-poisoned apples, and Arielle’s fish friends (goldfish or Swedish fish).