Remember those nursery rhymes that you read to your little one? They make wonderful inspiration for party themes. Choose one and run with it or incorporate several of your favorites into the party theme. You can use the characters and rhymes on the invitation, in the supplies, and to come up with some party games.
Play up the "13" theme by throwing a superstition party. Decorate the party room with representations of common superstitions and have the guests try to figure out the superstitious belief behind each one. Decorating ideas can include black cats, small plastic ladders, salt shakers, plastic horseshoes, four-leaf clovers, mirrors, rabbit's feet, small open umbrellas and many more! Even the birthday cake can become part of the theme, since the inability to blow out all of the candles at once is considered to be bad luck! So, go ahead and invite all the teens to a fun birthday party!
Renaissance fair decorations can be made with simple, rustic materials. Get some old boards at a scrap yard and nail them together to make signs or nail on posts. Paint things on them, such as a happy birthday message to the child, a sign for the refreshment area (Welcome to the Knight's Tavern), or directing guests to different activities. If indoors, get some long reams of discount fabric in lively colors or plush textures and hang them from the walls to mimic a lavish castle. Get some old cardboard boxes and cut square-shaped tabs along the top like a castle. Spray paint them gray, or cover them with glue and silver glitter. Set them around the area like castles. You can also just make 2-dimensional cardboard shaped castles and hang them on the wall. Set up tables in different areas for games, crafts, food and beverages, so that guest can walk around and do different things, like in a real fair.
Active teenage boys may prefer an outdoor activity over an indoor party. If this is the case, book a party at a paintball course. This theme is perfect for teens who can handle the fast paced fun of paintball. Many paintball courses offer complete birthday packages, including equipment rental and instruction. Bring some of your own camouflage decorations, and have party guests decorate their own t-shirts or arm bands for their paintball teams before the game.
An adult birthday party theme idea for a person who would prefer a simple, yet elegant party, is a tea party. This idea can be particularly popular for an all ladies event. At the party, serve several types of tea out of decorative teapots, so that the guests can choose their favorite. Also serve scones or fancy cookies, small sandwiches, and bite-sized desserts. On the birthday invite, ask the guests to dress up. This will help make the party festive.
