Best Kids Birthday Party Ideas in 2026

Whether your child is turning four or fourteen, a party that incorporates their current favourite hobby, movie, character, or game will create core birthday memories they can look back on. After all, to be known is to be loved! And we all want our kids to feel loved, cherished, and spoiled on their big day. 

As the leading kids’ party entertainers in Australia, we know what a birthday party needs to get everyone (including the parents) excited and engaged. Below are some of our most popular kids’ birthday party ideas for 2026 that turn a standard Saturday party into an unforgettable day.

Princess Party 

Princess-themed parties are a timeless favourite, and for good reason. Your little one gets the chance to dress up as her favourite royal heroine alongside friends and family. 

Add a little magic to the princess party by having a princess entertainer show up – and watch as your birthday girl and her guests get starry-eyed when they meet Queen Elsa and the other Disney princesses. A princess party works for indoor or backyard celebrations and suits small, intimate groups just as well as larger ones.

Superhero Party

Superhero parties are always a hit with kids who love action. Superhero-themed parties work best when costumes are involved – kids love donning the capes and masks of their favourite characters to step into the role of a hero for the day. 

Get creative with a superhero party by turning the entire event into one big “mission”. If the venue has an outdoor space, you can set up an obstacle course with mini-games of your choice. You can also leave the activities to a professional superhero entertainer – after all, having the friendly neighbourhood Spiderman (or Captain America, Flash, Batman, or the entire Avengers cast!) host the party is sure to be a huge hit.

Science Party

The early introduction of STEM topics in kindergarten and school can spark an interest in kids to learn about science. If your child has shown an interest in science and technology, host a science party for their birthday. Ideal for inquisitive young minds, science parties can include sub-themes, like space and astronomy, archaeology (think dinosaur excavation activities), and chemistry. 

Hands-on party activities like making a “volcano” with baking soda and vinegar are a blast for children and can be easily prepared with ordinary household ingredients. Slime parties are making a comeback too!

Dance Party

A dance party for your kid’s birthday is easy to pull off – all you need is a playlist of their favourite songs and a dance floor that’s big enough. From uplifting pop-anthems like ‘Golden’ (from KPop Demon Hunters) to disco and funk beats, all the party needs to get going is the right mix.

Our recommendation to put a spin on the party is to organise a mini talent show à la Australia’s Got Talent, along with a professional dance party kids entertainer. That way, every guest can have a moment to show off their moves in the spotlight!

Host a Treasure Hunt Party

A treasure hunt party suits kids who love imagination, role-play, and a little mystery mixed in – think of it like a mini-escape room for the little ones with gifts for everyone at the end! Treasure hunt birthday parties are easy enough to pull off with a little creativity, and can keep the kids entertained for hours. 

In our experience, a treasure hunt party works best when there’s a theme. For example, our pirate kids party entertainers can transform the activity into a search for buried presents – complete with role-play action sequences and a map that leads to the treasure!

Gaming Party 

With gaming being one of the most popular hobbies for kids, a real-life gaming birthday party is definitely one to consider. To create the best gaming-themed party, you’ll need to do a little research to stuff it full of references to their favourite characters and items. Or better yet, leave the planning to experts like us – we’ve planned dozens of video game parties after popular games like Minecraft, Fortnite, and Roblox. 

Watch your birthday boy or girl’s face light up when they recognise the gaming-themed party you’ve put together. While there’s certainly an option to have a segment during the party for videogames, you can also bring the game to life through themed activities, challenges, and interactive storytelling to give the kids a break from the screen.

Movie Themed Party

Bring your child’s favourite movie characters to life with a movie-themed party. Recent box office hits like Wicked, Minecraft, and Zootopia 2 are full of material to pull from for party decorations, snack ideas, and entertainment. In fact, we’ve seen an increasing demand for our Wizard of Oz party entertainers in line with the release of the film’s sequel. 

Older movies that your child has recently obsessed over also make for great party themes – popular movie themed parties like Iron Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Barbie come to mind. You can also draw inspiration from upcoming films like the live-action version of Moana and Toy Story 5 in mid-2026.

Star Wars Party

Bring beloved characters from a galaxy far, far away to a Star Wars party in your backyard! As one of the most iconic movie sagas, the Star Wars universe is big enough to deserve its own spot on this list. 

A Star Wars-themed birthday party is perfect for kids to meet Star Wars characters like Darth Vader, Rey, and The Mandalorian, performed by professional kids party entertainers who know their characters inside out. Expect lightsaber training sessions and plenty of party games that will have the kids raving about the celebration for weeks to come.

Lego Party 

Lego parties are one of our top-booked birthday parties in 2026. A Lego party provides buckets of colourful Lego pieces for kids and their friends to build their own creations, plus a life-sized Lego Man entertainer that hosts a variety of activities like friendly Lego building competitions and musical games. 

Just like the Lego box sets, every piece of the fun will come included in the Lego party package, from slap band prizes for the kids to the Lego pieces themselves.

Cartoon Characters Party

A cartoon character-themed birthday party is great for boys and girls who are in their early years. Surprise your little one with a special appearance from their favourite cartoon characters – whether it’s the pups from Paw Patrol, the heroes Owlette and Catboy from PJ Masks, or Peppa Pig! Cartoon character-themed parties are full of exciting activities and games that will keep the kids fully engaged from start to finish, including photo-taking sessions to take home.