Children’s Birthday Party ideas

Make your child’s birthday unforgettable with creative themes and exciting activities. Plan the perfect party with our helpful tips and local entertainment options!

Children’s Birthday Party planning tips

Every great Children’s Birthday Party starts with a spark of inspiration. Discover fresh ideas and expert advice to help you plan with confidence and creativity.

Birthday Party Entertainment Ideas for Every Age

Whether the guest of honor is turning three or 93, birthdays are a reason to celebrate! Ordering the cake and balloons is easy, but choosing the perfect birthday entertainment can be a challenge. We have party entertainment ideas for everyone, from kiddos to adults, that can inspire you to plan something unforgettable.

Read more
Encanto Birthday Party Ideas for a Fiesta Magica

Do you have a little Encanto fan with a birthday coming up? Make their big day extra special with an Encanto-themed celebration! The Family Madrigal loves throwing an epic fiesta – as long as you don't talk about Bruno. So borrow some of their magic with these fun Encanto birthday party ideas.

Read more
5 Fun-Filled Fall Birthday Party Ideas

Celebrating a birthday in October or November means you get the perfect time of year to party! The scenery is beautiful, the weather is changing, and everyone is ready to break out their cardigans and lattes. We have some fall birthday party ideas to help you usher in your big day in true cozy fashion.

Read more
Children's Entertainment for Any Budget in 2026

Planning a children's party takes a bit of budgeting and thinking ahead if you want things to go smoothly. As you're thinking about your theme, your decor, and the cake, don't forget about the most fun part of the celebration! There are kids' party entertainment ideas for any budget, and we can help you find the perfect performer for your child's big day.

Read more

Find more ways to celebrate

Get other ideas for Birthdays and Anniversaries to inspire your current plans or save for future festivities.

How to Plan a Surprise Party (Without Getting Caught)

Pulling off a great surprise is a little like running a top-secret mission. There’s a strategy. There’s timing. There are a few carefully guarded secrets. But when everything falls into place, and the room erupts with a joyful “yell surprise!”, the payoff is pure magic.

If you’re wondering how to throw a surprise birthday party or celebration, consider this your undercover guide. Follow these steps, and you’ll be ready to pull off a party worthy of a standing ovation.

Start planning now!

Turn your party vision into reality with local talent and services.

The key to a successful children’s birthday party: keep them entertained!

Gathering a bunch of children together in one location can be an overwhelming proposition, as our little ones tend to bore quickly... not to mention their adeptness at becoming easily distracted, hungry, and rambunctious! The key to a successful kid’s event is to keep them occupied and engaged. You can do this by hiring great entertainment for kids! GigSalad has some great birthday party options for keeping your child and their friends thoroughly entertained and giving them a birthday they’ll remember for years to come.

Before hiring entertainment, first...

You’ll need to decide on theme and location. Which cartoons or toys is your child into? All major cartoon characters are now plastered all over tableware, balloons and party favors. You can also go with more generic theme, such as a princess party, pirate party, or superhero party. Once you decide on a theme, it should be easy to come across the appropriate party decor and most kids party decorations can be pretty inexpensive. Also, determining the location will be key when deciding your number of guests and types of party entertainment you will look for. Things to consider: Indoor or outdoor? Do you want to have it in your house or backyard, or should you find a venue or hall to rent that would be more appropriate?

Keeping it simple is okay!

There are a variety of entertainment ideas for kids whether you have a grandiose budget or not. Hiring an entertainer to perform for the children or mingle in the crowd can be affordable; it’s not (always) as expensive as you might think. For example, consider hiring a clown, magician, or perhaps a ventriloquist. Many clowns you can hire are also face painters and balloon artists, both of which will be a great hit at a kids party. Balloon twisters make for great entertainment for your child’s birthday party because they also provide balloon animals as keepsakes for the guests! Depending on the age group (and consequently their ability to sit still), you could also hire a musician to play kids music or a have a puppet show. Finding just the right entertainment is key!

Entertainment on a grander scale.

If you have the budget and your location is a big enough, there are a lot of bigger, more extravagant kids birthday party ideas. If your party is going to be outdoors and you have lots of room you can have carnival games or set up inflatable rides or bounce houses! Most kids are animal lovers, so hire a petting zoo or bring in an animal show. Depending on the age range of the children attending the party, they could get a kick out of a scavenger hunt or a magician. Again, you’d have to have the correct venue for such an event, but if you do, these kids party ideas could be the perfect choice to make this the best birthday party ever!

Don’t forget the cake!

The only thing kids might like more than games and toys is sweets! So having a nice big cake is very important! You can bake a cake yourself, or have a cake designed at a bakery that matches your party theme perfectly. You may also get ice cream to go with the cake. One idea would be to set up a sundae bar and have the kids create their own ice cream dishes. If your party is going to be around a meal time, you may want to hire a caterer to provide fun finger food for the kids. You could also handle the cooking yourself and just provide something simple like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! Afterall, it’s a kids birthday party!

As a parent, another thing you’ll definitely not want to forget is pictures! If you want to experience all the little moments with your child and not worry about capturing them through a lens, then you may want to consider hiring a photographer for the party. Another fun idea for pictures would be to rent a photo booth so the kids can get their own pictures taken in silly poses with their friends and take them home with them as a keepsake for the party.

These are just a few of MANY wonderful kids birthday party ideas! Every child is unique, so make sure that the party you are planning is special to your little one. If you are too busy or feel that all this might be too much to take on, you can always hire a party planner to do it for you. However, with the right resources, you CAN do it yourself and have fun doing it. GigSalad is here to help you every step of the way as your one stop shop for all your children birthday party planning needs!

Featured booking options for Owatonna, MN events:

Featured

Velvet Sounds Karaoke & Entertainment

5.0 (1)
1 Verified booking

  • Prior Lake, MN
  • Karaoke DJ
  • $200 and up

Tim H. said “Michele did a great job at our staff party. It was a smaller group but she was very engaging and made sure we had a nice flow and helped us with the song choices and finding songs to sing. I would... ”
Featured

Untamed Magic

5.0 (5)
9 Verified bookings

  • Newport, MN
  • Children’s Party Magician
  • Contact for rates

Molly L. said “Untamed Magic came to Red Wing for our free, family-friendly community festival. The magic show was a huge hit - their stage presence is incredible and they were super engaging with our spectators.... ”

Mr. Oops Magic Show

4.87 (13)
Top Performer
14 Verified bookings

  • Burnsville, MN
  • Children’s Party Magician
  • $250 - $450

Caitlin H. said “Mr Oops had the kids laughing and put on a great show despite our windy and cold weather at our community picnic! He was on time, courteous and checked in a few times to make sure that everything... ”

The Royal Performance Company MN

4.50 (2)
2 Verified bookings

  • Bloomington, MN
  • Princess Party
  • $175 and up

Kyle B. said “Our kids and their friends loved the princess. Everyone was prompt and prepared, it was a great experience. ”

Explore all of your options!

With over 500 categories of performers and services, you’re sure to find something amazing for your event.