Fancy Dress Party Ideas for Kids

Lisa Forde

Throwing a fancy dress party is so much fun - and is super easy, too! Here are some of our favourite ideas to help you throw an amazing fancy dress party.

Set a fancy dress party theme

First, set a theme. Consider what your child and their friends are interested in, and what's popular, too. Some of our favourite fancy dress themes include:

Princess Perhaps the most popular kids birthday theme, children love dressing up as princesses!

Beach Party For summer parties, a beach fancy dress theme is so much fun. Hand out flower leis at the party to make everyone smile!

Letter Party For a letter party, every guest should come dressed in a costume that represents the first letter of their name, e.g. Sam as a singer, and Liam as a lobster! This is so much fun for every guest, and will make for a lot of entertainment. Alternatively, have every guest come dressed in a costume that represents the birthday boy/girl's name.

Pirate We love pirate parties! They're so exciting for both boys and girls, and you can get so creative.

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Wondering how to throw a pirate party? Click here.

Get creative

If you are unsure on a theme, let the children get creative, and tell their parents that they can come in any fancy dress costume they like. This will end up with the best fancy dress costumes, and is way less stress for you, too!

Costume Ideas

If your little one is attending a fancy dress party, they may be unsure of what to dress up as. There are so many things to choose from!

Here are a few ideas:

Cowboy/cowgirl
Princess/Prince/Knight
Pirate
Unicorn
Animals
Dinosaur/Dragon
Alien/Spaceman
Angel/Devil
Pokemon
Mario/Luigi
Little Red Riding Hood

It's completely up to them to decide - why not get creative and make an outfit with them? It will make for an interesting afternoon of crafting.

Invitations

Invite guests to your fancy dress party with personalised invitations.

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With six different characters in fancy dress costumes, these fun invitations are a great way to announce a party! There is also a wide range of matching stationery available, including thank you cards.

Party Games

The joy of traditional fancy dress parties is that they are so varied! You can really play any games you want - whether that's your classic musical chairs and pass the parcel, or something you've created yourself. Here are some of our favourite ideas:

Face-painting If every child is dressed up, its the perfect excuse to get creative with face paints!

Competition Give out prizes for the best fancy dress costumes - from the funniest to the most detailed. Make sure that all of the children get a prize so they don't feel left out.

Catwalk Pick up a few fancy dress accessories before your party to host an amazing fashion catwalk! You'll need some fancy dress glasses, noses, funny costumes, and maybe a couple of wigs.

Party Favours

It is easy to match your party favours to your theme. Sweet cones For a simple party favour, you can't go wrong with sweet cones. Fill up these bags with all of your favourite sweets, and add a personalised sticker to thank guests for attending.

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You can match the sweets to your theme, e.g. pink sweets for a princess party, and green sweets for a dinosaur party! Party bags If you want to get more creative, then stick to traditional party bags. Fill with party gifts that match your theme, and send the kids home with a delicious piece of birthday cake, too!

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