11 Awesome Birthday Party Ideas for Boys at Home

Are you looking for fun birthday party ideas for boys at home? It’s always a struggle to come up with a birthday theme that your child will love and all his friends will enjoy attending. You want a birthday theme that is popular but also fits your child’s personality.

With two boys myself, I struggle twice a year to come up with great birthday party ideas. So, I created a list of the most popular birthday party ideas for boys and I want to share it with you. Your kids are going to love their birthday this year with these easy-to put together birthday themes. 

Even though this list was created with boys in mind, you will find most of the themes are great for girl birthday party ideas too! 

If you are socially distancing consider throwing a virtual birthday party with fun Zoom Games for Kids. It’s a great way to celebrate with faraway relatives too. Use these themes as your background for the Zoom Parties too. 

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11 Most Popular Birthday Party Ideas for Boys 

I’ve listed older kids’ birthday parties first and younger children’s parties second. Take a look and find a great birthday party theme for your kids.  

Find even more ideas for specific age groups in:

9 Year Old Birthday Party Ideas to Celebrate & Make the Day Special

10-Year-Old Birthday Parties That Rock!

55 Fun 11-Year-Old Birthday Party Ideas

12-Year-Old Birthday Party Ideas to Wow Tweens

50 Cool 13-Year-Old Birthday Party Ideas They’ll Love.

Fortnite Birthday Party Theme

The most popular game right now for elementary and middle school kids is Fortnite. If your kids are into Fortnite this is a party all the kids will want to come to.  

Fortnite Birthday Party Ideas 

Backyard Party

Do a Nerf War Party in the backyard or large indoor space and play capture the flag. Adjust it to a Fortnite theme by having the kids find hidden supplies and incorporating supply drops with replacement bullets. 

Fortnite Dance-Off

You can find Fortnite music and dances on YouTube. Play the music and let the kids show off their dance moves.

Supply Drop Goody Bags

Create Supply Drop goody bags by purchasing blue goody bags and adding the word Supply Drop to the outside.  I also used these bags filled with Nerf Bullets to throw out during the game as a Supply Drop.

Slurp Juice

Name Gatorade Bottles Slurp Juice just like in the game. You can label the cooler with the name Slurp Juice so you don’t have to add a label to each water bottle.   

Decorations

Turn the yard into a battlefield with spray-painted boxes and camouflage netting. The netting is easy to throw over backyard equipment, chairs, or sawhorses to create areas to hide behind. Plus it adds to the fun atmosphere of the party.

Find all the supplies you’ll need in our Favorite Fortnite Party Supply List. 

Gift Ideas

Get your Fortnite-loving kid the perfect gift this year. Find cool ideas in our list of the Best Gifts for Fortnite Players & Gamers.

Tip: Fortnite can also be turned into a virtual party with an online gaming party. Great way to include friends who live far away.

Get more great ideas on throwing the Ultimate Fornite Birthday Party. 

Nerf Gun Birthday Party Theme 

Boys love to run around with their Nerf guns and any excuse to have a big group playing together is going to be a great party.  Planning a Nerf War in your backyard is easier than you think.

Let the kids bring their own nerf guns or supply one as a party gift. Then spray paint a few boxes for bases and your set. 

Nerf Birthday Party Ideas 

Capture the Flag

Have each team hide a bandanna for the other team to find. The first team that finds the flag wins. But if you get shot by a nerf bullet you have to go back to your base and start over.  

Create nerf bases for the kids to hide behind with cardboard boxes you can spray paint to look camouflaged. If you don’t have time to paint spread a camo netting over the top to create an army base look. This can also be done for the Fortnite Birthday Party too! 

Nerf Targets

Make DIY Nerf Targets and Games for the kids to play around your yard. Have stations set up with different targets for the kids to rotate through in groups.

Nerf Goody Bag

Depending on what you want to spend on goody bags you could give each child a Nerf gun or ask them to bring one from home. We gave out one year the Nerf Gun Strike Elite as it was a cheaper price and works well.

I would give each child a pair of safety glasses and a cloth tool belt to wear while playing capture the flag.

The belt is great for holding their bullets and they only cost $1 at your local hardware store. Then use an orange paper bag for the good bag and fill it with candy and extra bullets to take home along with their glasses and a cloth belt.  

Gift Ideas

Use our list of the Coolest Nerf Guns to find the perfect gift.

For more easy Nerf Gun Party ideas How to Throw an Awesome Nerf Wars Birthday Party. 

Escape Room Party

If your looking for more of a mental challenge try an Escape Room Birthday party. It’s a super fun game and your kids will love the challenge of solving the puzzle of an Escape Room.

What You Need – Storyline, clues, and puzzles to solve. We like to use the Escape Room Geeks Printable sets. It has everything you need for the game already created for you. Just print it out and you’re ready to go.

How to Play – First, download and print out the storyline and clues to solve the puzzle.

Next, break the kids up into teams of 2-5 people. Then give each team a separate space to sit and solve the puzzle. Basically, you just don’t want them to hear what the other team is saying so they don’t cheat.

To start the game you can either read the storyline to all the kids or give each group the sheet to read themselves. After that give each group the set of clues to try and solve the puzzle and break out of the escape room.

The Escape Room Geek kits are created by age group so you can find one that will be easy enough for all ages at the party. The game will work for kids ages 5-13 years old.

If you have older tweens & teens try the Escape Room Kits from Lock Paper Scissors.

Use our escape room games review to find the best escape kits for your kids.

Check out our Ultimate Escape Room Birthday Parties to get more ideas for an escape laser maze, decorations, invitations, party favors, and more.

Game Trucks for Birthday Parties 

One of the newest crazes for birthday parties is to hire a game truck to come to your house. These trucks are filled with several screens and Xbox games for the kids to play.

This is a great idea for a kid that loves to play online games.  With the high price of many birthday party locations, hosting this at your house might be pretty similar in cost.

We have gone to a couple of these parties and they have been a huge hit with older elementary school-age kids.  

Game Truck Birthday Party Tips

Have the kids arrive 30 minutes early to do cake and pizza in your home or even set up tables outside. Then have parents pick them up straight from the game truck in your driveway.  

Google “game truck” in your local area to see if you have a company by you hosting these parties. 

Related Article – 20 Meaningful Birthday Traditions to Start This Year

Super Hero/Marvel Birthday Party Theme 

Do you have a child who loves Super Heroes? The great part about this Super Hero theme is there are so many different characters you can pick from or just make it a general theme.

All the kids coming will probably have a favorite Marvel character of their own, too.  

Super Hero Birthday Party Idea 

Super Hero Masks & Capes

Buy Super Hero masks and Super Hero capes for all the kids to wear. You can also add the superhero masks to a balloon for decorations (pictured above).  

Hero’s Obstacle Course

Create an obstacle course in your house or backyard for the heroes to climb through. Add something to the end they need to rescue like a treasure box. Make them feel like a real hero! The treasure box could be filled with candy as part of the goody bag gift. 

Super Hero Costumes

Ask the kids to dress up for the party by wearing their own superhero costumes. 

Super Hero Desserts

On your dessert table or where the kids will eat, use your child’s superhero figures to decorate the table and cake.  

Custom Super Hero T-Shirts

Create a Custom Super Hero T-shirt with your child’s name from a PBS TV show like Hero Elementary or Super Why

Lego Birthday Party Theme 

What kid doesn’t like to build with Legos? This party can be pretty easy to throw because there is so much to buy with this theme, you don’t have to create as much yourself. 

This is a pretty universal theme that should be fun for both girls and boys.  

Lego Birthday Party Ideas

Party Decorations

Decorate with Primary colors in your balloons, table cloth, and streamers. You will also find tons of themed plates, napkins, and goody bags with Lego pictures on Amazon and at Dollar Tree. 

Lego Cake Toppers

Add little Lego Men to the top of your cake as a quick decoration for Costco cakes or a cake you make yourself at home. If you add cupcakes use these cute stick Lego figure toppers.  

Lego Game

For a fun Lego game, buy a bin of classic Lego pieces and give the kids a 10-minute challenge to build something. Then let them show it off to everyone. You could give prizes for the best creation or let them destroy it and build it again. Bonus: Your child has more Legos to play with after the party.  

Lego Goody Bag

Depending on your budget, you could also buy small Lego sets or mini Lego party sets like animals or vehicles. If you buy a bigger set have the kids build it at the party for an activity. If you get the mini Lego party sets add them to your goody bags.

Another idea is this fun Lego candy we gave out at a party. The kids had a blast building with their candy and then eating the block. It was a huge hit. The one issue is the candy is very hard so it would not be suitable for a younger kids’ party.

Related Article – Fun & Cheap Birthday Party Decorations for Kids at Dollar Tree

Star Wars Birthday Party Theme

Are your kids obsessed with Star Wars like mine? With new movies and cartoons from Disney constantly coming out, I think this will be a popular theme for a while. You will find that there is a large range of ages that love Star Wars. 

Star Wars Birthday Party Ideas 

Have a Jedi Training Academy with stations around your house or backyard. 

Lightsaber Balloon Game

Have kids use Lightsabers to keep balloons up in the air. If you are worried they’ll get hit with the lightsabers use inflatable lightsabers.

Lightsaber Battle

Place a long thin board low to the ground and have kids’ Lightsaber battle on it while trying not to fall off. Again if worried kids will get hurt use the inflatable lightsabers.

Star Wars Obstacle Course

Create an obstacle course that you need to use the force to get through. Suggestion -White Helium balloons weighted to the floor can be storm troopers they need to get around.  

Blaster Targets

Make Star Wars Blaster stations by using Nerf guns and Nerf targets for the kids to shoot. For targets, use a cut-up a long pool noodle, toilet paper rolls, or Pringles can.  

Star Wars Decorations

For DIY decorations hang white balloons from the ceiling and put your kid’s stormtrooper masks or any star wars mask they have over the balloon. Take a look at the picture above to see how it will look. You can also find tons of pre-packaged Star Wars decorations for your walls & tables.

Chocolate Star Wars Molds

Create this cute cupcake topper with the chocolate molds I found on Amazon. It’s really easy to do and was a fun surprise. You could also put them in small bags and add the chocolate to your goody bags.

Sports Birthday Party Theme 

This could be a general sports theme or specific to your child’s favorite sport. You will find tons of plates, napkins, and party accessories for this theme which make it easy.

You could also add in your child’s favorite professional sports team and use their team’s colors. 

Sports Birthday Party Ideas 

Games to Play

I would pick 2-3 sports to play during the party. Kickball or soccer would be a great group game.

Football Challenge 

Use a large piece of cardboard or tarp and cut holes in it to use as a football throwing challenge. 

Dribbling Challenge

Put out cones on your driveway for the kids to dribble around and see who can make it through the course the fastest.

Baseball Targets

Set up targets made of pool noodles or aluminum cans to knock down by throwing baseballs. 

Water Balloon Baseball

In the summer, play water balloon baseball. Fill up water balloons and then pitch them to the kids to hit with a baseball bat. If kids hit the balloon they advance to first base if they don’t after 3 pitches they’re out.

Decorations

For the table decorations find small foam sports balls to use as a centerpiece or spread around the table. Then at the end of the party let the kids each pick one to take home.

A unique gift idea for a sport-loving kid is a cool Sports Subscription Box. A monthly box filled with items for their favorite sport. Pick your child’s age then pick between baseball, soccer, football, hockey, basketball or mixed sports.

They’ll be excited every month to receive these fun sports-themed boxes. 

Cars Movie Birthday Party Theme 

This is a great party for the little ones who love Cars Movie or just cars in general.  All the Cars Movie Characters have different personalities you can use for your party. If your child likes one character the best, use that one as your main theme.

Cars Movie Birthday Party Ideas 

Make a Race Track

Create a race track from cardboard boxes and let the kids race car movie cars. Use race track tape and either place the box on the stairs or prop up on a stool or box to create an angle.

Paint Cars

For a fun activity purchase small wooden race cars for the kids to paint and take home. It makes a great goody bag item too.

Cars Decorations

Use red and black as your color theme to match Lightning McQueen. Line the cake table with your child’s car movie cars for cheap table decorations. Then add cars themed plates and tablecloths.

Incredibles Birthday Party Theme 

Incredibles are back to being popular again. This theme can be really similar to the birthday party ideas used in the Super Hero Party Theme, just focus on the Incredibles characters to make it unique. 

Incredibles Birthday Party Ideas 

Incredibles Game Ideas

Use the different powers of the Incredibles characters to come up with games.  

Dash – Create an obstacle course and see if they are as fast as Dash.  

Mr. Incredible – Spray paint large pieces of foam gray to look like rocks. Have the kids see if they are as strong as Mr. Incredible by lifting them up.  

Mrs. Incredible – Purchase some of those long sticky hands and see who can get their hand to stretch out the furthest and hit a target like Mrs. Incredible. These would be great in a goody bag too. 

Jack-Jack – Put out playdough for the kids to mold and change shapes like how Jack-Jack does shapeshifting

Dress Up Like an Incredible

Have the kids dress up like the Incredibles with a face mask like the characters wear. It could go in the goody bag or let the kids wear them while they play the games.

Party Decorations

Decorate with balloons with a black face mask like the Incredibles wear (shown in the picture above). Use the colors red and black as your theme colors. 

Paw Patrol Birthday Party Theme 

This fun cartoon is a favorite of many little kids. Each character in the show has a different job to do and you can use this to make fun games for the party. Your child’s favorite character can help you decide on colors for the theme to match the character. 

Paw Patrol Birthday Party Ideas 

Rubble Game

Use your sandbox or sand table and fill it with little construction trucks for the kids to play. They can move boulders (rocks you add) with the construction trucks just like Rubble. 

Marshall Game

Give the kids firemen plastic hats and spray water guns at balloon targets like Marshall.  

Chase Game

Play Cops and Robbers game to be like Chase. Pick two kids to be cops and have the rest be robbers. The Police officers stand in the middle and the robbers line up on two sides. When you say go, the Robbers try to get to the other side without being tagged by the police officer. Last kid left wins.  

Snack Ideas

Make it a dog theme by buying new unused dog bowls and putting the kid’s snacks in them.  

Dress Up

Get the kids into the theme by having them wear a construction hat, fireman hat, or police badge.

Goody Bag Ideas

Kids will love these customized Paw Patrol Goody bag items with the birthday boy’s name.

This cute customizable Paw Patrol Backpack would make a great gift to go along with the theme too!

PJ Masks Birthday Party Theme 

Pj Mask is a popular cartoon for little kids and is a favorite of many children. All the characters are superheroes so you can reuse all the great themes from the superhero party. If your child has a favorite character focus on their superpowers for games or use the general superhero ideas.

PJ Mask Birthday Party Ideas 

Decorations

The color theme should be Red, Blue, and Green based on the three main characters. Use this for balloons, table cloths, and goody bag colors. Once again you can add a mask to balloons as a fun decoration.

Craft Idea

Instead of purchasing masks made for PJ Masks, you could buy blank white masks and have the kids decorate them as an activity.  

PJ Masks Game

Adjust the Cops and Robbers game from the Paw Patrol party to fit PJ Masks. The kids playing the cops can be Catboy, Owlette, and Gekko. While the robbers can be the show’s villains Romeo, Luna Girl, and Night Ninja. 

Nigh Ninja Obstacle Course

Have the kids be Night Ninja racing through an obstacle course you create in the yard.  

Sleepover Party

Turn your son’s birthday party into a cool Sleepover. I know it can sound overwhelming but you are already halfway there with a fun theme for the party.

Use that theme and plan the rest of the party with these fun things to do at a Sleepover for Kids. Easy slumber party games, ideas, and activities.

Birthday Party Checklist

Get organized with a free printable birthday party checklist. Everything you need to remember to do before the party is on the list! Birthday Party Checklist.

More Birthday Party Tips & Ideas

Find tons of Birthday ideas on our Birthday Party Page.

Virtual Birthday Party – If you can’t see your friends kids can still celebrate with these fun Virtual Birthday Party ideas. 

Minute to Win It Games – Keep the party going with fun Minute to Win it games they’ll find hilarious to play. 

15 Fun Balloon Party Games – Cheap and fun games with balloons that will fit all these different party themes.

Parties by Age Group –

9 Year Old Birthday Parties

10 Year Old Birthday Parties

11 Year Old Birthday Parties

12 Year Old Birthday Parties

13 Year Old Birthday Parties

Decoration Idea -Tie a bag of M&Ms or Skittles to a helium balloon to use as a weight. These can act as decorations and then give them to the kids on the way out as part of their goody bag. Perfect with the mask for the Super Hero theme parties.

Goody Bag Idea – Give the kids a gift card to the dollar store or 5 and Below. They will love picking something out themselves and it’s an easy giveaway for you.

Save money on Birthday Party Decorations and Supplies at Dollar Tree. Find out which party supplies you should be buying at Dollar Tree

Make birthdays feel special with Meaningful Birthday Traditions kids will cherish & remember more than a big birthday party. 

Birthday Cake – Buy a plain frosted cake from Costco or your local grocery store and add little figures on top of the cake to go with your theme.

Example – If they love Star Wars, add some little Star Wars lego figures that you have already in your house on top.  Don’t forget to clean them first.

Here’s a picture of a cake that I added plastic army figures to for a Fortnite Birthday Party.

Extra Activity Idea – Print up some coloring pages for your theme to have as a backup activity in case there are any lulls in the party. I find keeping the kids busy helps to make it a little less crazy.

Location Ideas – Want to host the party somewhere other than your house? See if your local park district has a room you can rent and host the party there instead.

Birthday Gift Ideas

Find all our birthday gift ideas on the Gift Ideas Page.

I find little kids are easier to find gifts for but I really struggle with tweens. It can be hard to find gifts for boys ages 9-12 years old. If you’re struggling to check out my 35 Cool Gift Ideas for Boys Age 9-12. You’re sure to find the perfect gift!

27 Building Sets, Toys & Kits for Kids Who Love to Build – Cool STEM sets your kids will have a blast building.

Best Gifts for Fortnite Players and Gamers – Cool gift for kids who like to game.

Birthday Interviews

Make sure you’ll remember all your kid’s favorite things each year with a Birthday Interview. Good questions to ask your kids on their birthday to capture that year of their life. It’s so much fun to hear your kid’s answers and to look back on them when they’re older.

Free Printable Birthday Interview Questions for Kids

So there you have it, 10 fun birthday party ideas for boys. I hope you were able to find a birthday theme you want to use for your child’s upcoming birthday. Let me know how your party went or any questions in the comments. 

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