Birthday party ideas by age
3-year-old birthday party ideas
24 themes · 13 games · 7 kinds of entertainment
Three is the first party a child really joins in with: old enough for a circle game and a song, young enough that being out of a game can end the afternoon.
3rd birthday themes4-year-old birthday party ideas
33 themes · 26 games · 9 kinds of entertainment
Four is when rules start to stick: a four-year-old can wait for a turn and follow a game to its end, though losing one still stings.
4th birthday themes5-year-old birthday party ideas
35 themes · 40 games · 11 kinds of entertainment
Five is the classic party age: old enough to hold a rule in mind for a whole game, young enough that a plain chase is still thrilling.
5th birthday themes6-year-old birthday party ideas
37 themes · 44 games · 12 kinds of entertainment
Six is when a party can have real rules: teams, scores and a winner, as long as nobody is out of the game for long.
6th birthday themes7-year-old birthday party ideas
37 themes · 47 games · 12 kinds of entertainment
Seven is when children start to play to win, and want a game long enough to have a strategy.
7th birthday themes8-year-old birthday party ideas
33 themes · 46 games · 12 kinds of entertainment
Eight is where competition stops needing to be softened: a team that is losing wants to try harder, not quit.
8th birthday themes9-year-old birthday party ideas
19 themes · 44 games · 11 kinds of entertainment
Nine sits on the edge of the tween years: too old for anything that feels babyish, still young enough to throw themselves into a good game.
10-year-old birthday party ideas
10 themes · 41 games · 10 kinds of entertainment
Ten-year-olds quit games that feel young, and they do it fast; the fix is usually the harder version of a game they already know.
Which entertainment suits which age
Each kind of act on Yombu states its own age range. Read across to see what fits the birthday child, and down to see how wide an act’s range runs.
| Entertainment | Age 3 | Age 4 | Age 5 | Age 6 | Age 7 | Age 8 | Age 9 | Age 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balloon ArtSuits ages 2–12 | Suits age 3 | Suits age 4 | Suits age 5 | Suits age 6 | Suits age 7 | Suits age 8 | Suits age 9 | Suits age 10 |
| Face PaintingSuits ages 3 and up | Suits age 3 | Suits age 4 | Suits age 5 | Suits age 6 | Suits age 7 | Suits age 8 | Suits age 9 | Suits age 10 |
| Magic ShowsSuits ages 4–12 | Not listed for age 3 | Suits age 4 | Suits age 5 | Suits age 6 | Suits age 7 | Suits age 8 | Suits age 9 | Suits age 10 |
| Party CharactersSuits ages 2–9 | Suits age 3 | Suits age 4 | Suits age 5 | Suits age 6 | Suits age 7 | Suits age 8 | Suits age 9 | Not listed for age 10 |
| Mobile Petting ZoosSuits all ages; toddlers love it | Suits age 3 | Suits age 4 | Suits age 5 | Suits age 6 | Suits age 7 | Suits age 8 | Suits age 9 | Suits age 10 |
| Pony RidesSuits young riders under the pony's weight limit | Suits age 3 | Suits age 4 | Suits age 5 | Suits age 6 | Suits age 7 | Suits age 8 | Suits age 9 | Suits age 10 |
| Kids Party DJsSuits ages 5–12 | Not listed for age 3 | Not listed for age 4 | Suits age 5 | Suits age 6 | Suits age 7 | Suits age 8 | Suits age 9 | Suits age 10 |
| Foam PartiesSuits ages 5 and up | Not listed for age 3 | Not listed for age 4 | Suits age 5 | Suits age 6 | Suits age 7 | Suits age 8 | Suits age 9 | Suits age 10 |
| Science PartiesSuits ages 6–11 | Not listed for age 3 | Not listed for age 4 | Not listed for age 5 | Suits age 6 | Suits age 7 | Suits age 8 | Suits age 9 | Suits age 10 |
| Caricature ArtistsSuits all ages | Suits age 3 | Suits age 4 | Suits age 5 | Suits age 6 | Suits age 7 | Suits age 8 | Suits age 9 | Suits age 10 |
| ClownsSuits ages 4 and up | Not listed for age 3 | Suits age 4 | Suits age 5 | Suits age 6 | Suits age 7 | Suits age 8 | Suits age 9 | Suits age 10 |
| Santa VisitsSuits ages 2–8, the believing years | Suits age 3 | Suits age 4 | Suits age 5 | Suits age 6 | Suits age 7 | Suits age 8 | Not listed for age 9 | Not listed for age 10 |
More ways to plan
Party games by age, with every game’s full rules: party games for toddlers, party games for 4-year-olds, party games for 5-year-olds, party games for 6-year-olds, party games for 7-year-olds, party games for 8-year-olds, party games for 9-year-olds and party games for 10-year-olds
Planning by theme or by occasion instead? party themes, printable invitations, every party game and entertainment by occasion
Younger than three? first birthday entertainment and toddler party entertainment
Questions parents ask
- Which birthday party themes suit which ages?
- Most themes span several years, so one theme often fits two or three birthdays in a row. Of Yombu’s 38 birthday theme guides, 37 fit six-year-olds and seven-year-olds, the widest choice of any age, and 10 still fit at ten.
- Which party entertainers suit which ages?
- Each kind of act lists its own range. On Yombu that is balloon art 2–12, face painting 3 and up, magic shows 4–12, party characters 2–9, kids party DJs 5–12, foam parties 5 and up, science parties 6–11 and clowns 4 and up, while mobile petting zoos and caricature artists suit all ages.
- Do you have ideas for a first birthday?
- Not as an age guide yet: these guides start at three, the youngest age with enough fitting themes and games to fill one. For the entertainment side, our first-birthday page covers acts gentle enough for a one-year-old and fun for the older guests.
