11 Fantastic Summer Birthday Party Ideas Your Children Will Love

Does one of your children have a birthday coming up this summer? If they do, you’re probably looking forward to a party outdoors. In sunny and warm weather the children have a great opportunity to run around, be active, and get involved in their favourite pass times or something really special. So if you’re looking for inspiration, here are 11 fantastic summer birthday party ideas to give your child (or children) a celebration they will remember.

1. Have an activity-based garden party

Summer is the best time to make use of the back garden. Just invite the birthday child’s friends over, and there is plenty you can do to keep them all entertained for a couple of hours. If you’re looking for ideas, have a look at our post on free and fun garden activities for children. Maybe you have a paddling pool or a trampoline at home? Now is a great time to take them out and put them to good use. If not, why not hire a bouncy castle?

When you do hire or use any sort of equipment though, don’t forget to carry out all the necessary checks to ensure the children are safe. Check that the company you hire equipment from has public liability insurance in place, and ask to see the relevant paperwork. If not, you may need to purchase it yourself as a one-off, which should be fairly easy and affordable. While it’s unlikely that anything happens, you just don’t want to take the risk. So make sure all the equipment is in working order, firmly secured to the ground (in the case of a trampoline or bouncy castle), and you have enough adults supervising the children attending the party.

2. Have a themed party 

Does your child LOVE dinosaurs? Fairy tales? Magic? Then why not host the party of their dreams either in your back garden or in a local park? We offer a range of fantastic interactive parties that are just perfect for keeping children of all ages entertained.

• Our dinosaur-themed birthday parties are perfect for all the little dinosaur-lovers out there.
• If your child is into performance and music, they’ll love our Showtime Adventure Challenge.
• Fascinated with princes and princesses, fairy tales, and mighty knights? We’ve got you covered with the Fairy Tale Kingdom Adventure Challenge Birthday Party.
• Or maybe your birthday child is into spaceships, rockets, and aliens. In which case, we know they’ll be up for an intergalactic adventure they will never forget.

3. Have an arts and crafts party

Here’s another one you can host in your back garden. Set up a large table with supplies, a bit like a food buffet but with arts and crafts material. Give them glue, paper, cardboard, papier mache, glitter, and paint. The messier the better. Either let them come up with their own creative projects or give them directions and instructions to make something specific. This encourages their creativity and helps them build something with their hands.

Or if you really want to give them an afternoon to remember, why not provide each child with their own canvas, some paintbrushes, and some non-toxic, washable paint and let them unleash their inner artist? You can even let them paint with their fingers, sponges or other objects they can just dip into the paint. You know they’ll absolutely love it! Just tell the parents in advance to dress the children in clothes they don’t mind getting dirty or provide them with little aprons if you can. Imagine sending each child home with their own masterpiece!

4. Have a picnic or tea party

When the weather blesses us with warm, sunny days, the possibilities really are (nearly) endless. Why not grab a nice spot in a local park, set up a table and organise a great picnic or tea party for the children? You may need some assistance from a few willing adults to carry food and drinks to your selected spot, but the children will have an opportunity to run around freely and do something they don’t often get to do. Place a large plastic sheet, tablecloth or a few picnic blankets on the ground and have the children indulge in between a game of tag or rounders.

5. Have a sports day party

If the weather holds, why not organise a sports day? You can have an afternoon of fun activities, like rounders, hockey, football, or volleyball and give out little medals at the end. If you have a park near you with free facilities, like goals or tennis or volleyball nets and you get there early enough, the children will have a blast playing all these fun sports. Otherwise, you can always go for some traditional races – egg and spoon, three-legged, or sack races. The parents can get involved too if they want. They could even have their own leaderboard against the children! A word of warning though. Check in advance with the birthday child (and perhaps their close friends) if they’re okay for the parents to take part. The last thing you want are sad faces or tears because a child has lost to their parent!

6. Have a water play party

When the weather is hot, there’s really nothing better than running around in your swimming costume and getting wet with your friends. Whether it’s a sponge fight, a water gun fight or a water balloon fight, the name of the game is FUN! For more ideas on water-based activities and games you and your children can play in your back garden, have a look at this post. 

7. Have a water balloon pinata

While we’re on a water theme, why not invite the children over for a (wet) variation of the all-time favourite pinata? Instead of a donkey (or another shape) full of sweets, you can place a rope in between two tree branches and set up a long line of pre-filled water balloons. Give the children a plastic bat and let them have a go. Whoever breaks the most balloons wins a small prize at the end. Of course, you want the children to come prepared with their swimming costumes or a change of clothes, but you can be sure they will have a fun afternoon doing something they haven’t done before!

8. Have a swimming pool or canoeing party

Do you have an outdoor swimming pool close to you that hosts birthday parties? Or maybe a local company that organises canoeing get-togethers for groups of older children in a local river? If it’s age-appropriate, you could even host a raft-building party. Chances are that your costs for this type of party may be a bit higher, but the children are guaranteed to have a great day. They may even learn a new skill or discover a new passion! As always, make sure that you (or the company you’re hiring for the activity) have insurance in place, and don’t forget to carry out all the necessary safety and risk-assessment checks.

9. Have a kite-flying birthday party

When it comes to organising fun activities for the children in an outdoor space, you can really let your imagination (and inner child) run wild. If you’re the crafty type (or if not perhaps you can enlist the help of a willing parent or friend), why not organise a kite-making and kite-flying party? DIY kite instructions are easy to find on the internet – head over to YouTube or Pinterest and you’ll be spoilt for choice!

Based on the number of children attending the party, set up a table with enough supplies of sticks, ropes, glue, and paper for everyone to create their own kite. The youngest ones may need some help and support to make theirs, but once everyone’s finished with their creations, you all get to fly them! And hopefully, the children will get to take theirs home too. This is such a simple activity that we may have all enjoyed when we were little, but our children have probably never experienced it before!

10. Have a super-hero party

Super-hero parties never grow old. But when you have the added bonus of being able to host the birthday bash in a free outdoor space without having to hire a venue, you can keep costs down and let the children become their favourite super-heroes for a day. Ask them to come wearing a super-hero costume, or, if it’s too hot for that, why not provide them with light capes, masks, or cuffs? If you’re good with the sewing machine (or know someone who is) you could even make them yourself.

At the party, give your super-heroes a few ‘missions’. Maybe send them on a treasure hunt with clues. Or build your own obstacle course game! As always, keep an eye out for any safety aspects you may need to consider. And at the end, why not send them home with the capes, masks, or cuffs, instead of the more traditional plastic-filled party bags? For more ideas on plastic-free party bags, check out this post.

11. Have a fruit-picking party

And last but not least, why not take the children fruit picking? Find a local Pick Your Own farm that allows you to pick seasonal fruit. Strawberries are, for obvious reasons, always a favourite. Make sure you have enough adults to supervise the children and then set off with a basket each. You may need to agree on some ground rules at the beginning – for example, no child should wander off without an adult. Or you may need to remind the children that farms aren’t keen on you eating fruit before paying! Most Pick Your Own farms also have tables or a picnic area where you could gather together at the end, cut the cake, blow some candles, and eat the (deliciously fresh) fruit of your labour!

What about you? Can you think of any more summer party ideas that your children and their friends will love? If you’d like us to host your child’s next birthday party, just get in touch!