Backyard birthday party ideas offer an affordable way to throw a birthday bash for your child.
Having your party at home lets you have full control over the activities, food, and other aspects of the celebration.
An outdoor party keeps the mess out of the house and gives you more space for larger activities. You can customize how you set up the activities based on the size and arrangement of your backyard.
Keep reading this guide to learn about nine awesome backyard birthday party ideas!
1. Carnival
Recreate the fun of a carnival atmosphere in your backyard.
You can create your own carnival games with tables to create the booths. Examples include ball toss, ring toss, duck pond, bean bag toss, and fishing games.
Many party rental places also have carnival games that you can rent. This includes the total game setup for an easy option.
If you want to take it up a notch, you can rent a few carnival rides for your backyard. Rides tend to take a lot of space and power. Check the space requirements, and verify that the rental includes a generator to power it properly without blowing your home’s power.
Add carnival-style food to complement the theme. Hot dogs and popcorn are easy to make for large groups. You can rent a commercial-style popcorn popper to make larger batches.
Rent a snow cone maker or cotton candy maker for sweet carnival-themed treats for your guests.
2. Water Park
If you’re planning a summer party, keep guests cool by throwing a water park party.
This option is a flexible option that can fit any party budget.
If you’re on a tight budget, set up sprinklers and kiddie pools around the backyard. Fill water balloons and grab water guns to let the kids have free play fun, or organize water games with those things.
For a bigger bang, check out water slide rentals to create an inflatable backyard water park. They’re available in a range of sizes to fit your backyard space. You can also find themed water slides to fit your party.
3. Inflatables
If you don’t want to mess with water, opt for regular inflatables. Bounce houses provide hours of fun for all ages.
Other inflatables add more activities. Inflatable slides are a popular option. You can also find inflatables with climbing walls and other climbing options.
Verify that you have enough space in your yard to hold the selected inflatable. Consider overhead power lines, tree branches, and other structures that could get in the way.
You’ll also need to make sure that your home’s electrical system can handle the power requirements.
4. Obstacle Course
An obstacle course keeps your guests active and burning off energy. The backyard is the perfect place for this because you can set up a variety of obstacles. Kids have plenty of space to run around in the yard.
You can create your own obstacles with things you have at home. Start with things you already have in the backyard. You can have the kids climb up the ladder and go down the slide on your playset for example.
Add in other obstacles based on things you already have. You can set up cones as obstacles kids have to run around or jump over.
You can also add other obstacles, such as a balance beam. Turn on a sprinkler that goes back and forth so kids have to run past it without getting wet.
You can also rent inflatable obstacle courses if you don’t want to create your own course. An inflatable course is also a potentially safer option since the inflatable base cushions any falls.
5. Drive-In Movie
Bring back the fun of the drive-in movie for your next party. If you don’t have a large screen, you can rent an inflatable screen. Even a large white sheet or the side of a building can work as a movie screen.
For younger kids, create the drive-in feel with boxes transformed into cars. Each child gets a box that they can decorate like a car. They sit in their boxes while watching the movie.
For older kids and adults, you can set up cushions or lawn chairs.
6. Camping
Transform your backyard into a campground for a fun party idea. Set up tents in a circle to create the campground area.
If you have a backyard fire pit, use it to start a campfire. You can roast hot dogs and make s’mores over the fire for an easy party menu.
Have the party guests spend the night in the backyard campground. Or just have fund during the day playing in the tents and enjoying the camping theme.
7. Farm Fun
Surprise your farm-loving birthday child by creating a backyard farm party.
Find a local petting zoo that brings animals to your home to create an interactive option. Some offer pony rides as a fun party activity.
You can also plan farm-themed activities. Examples include a stick pony relay race and an egg and spoon race.
Hay bales work well as seating for the party. Turn a large appliance box into a barn by painting the exterior for a fun prop.
8. Game Night
Traditional game night activities work on a larger scale in the backyard for party fun.
Look for larger versions of classic games, such as giant Connect Four, Jenga, or chess. You can often buy the larger versions.
Some are easy to make on your own. You can cut pieces of wood into large Jenga pieces for example.
You can also add fun twists to existing games.
If you have Twister, make large batches of whipped cream or slime tinted to the colors on the board. Cover the circles with corresponding colors of cream or slime. When kids play, they get extra messy, and it’s more challenging to stay upright.
9. Garden Party
Take advantage of the flowers and landscaping in your backyard with a garden party. Your landscaped areas create a beautiful setting for a tea party in the garden.
Plan garden-themed activities to keep guests entertained. Painting flower pots and planting flowers is a suitable option for all ages. Have different flowers or seeds available for kids to choose from.
Enjoy Backyard Birthday Party Ideas
With so many backyard birthday party ideas available, there’s one that fits your child’s interests. Customize the party options to fit the available backyard space to make the party perfect.
Browse our archives for more great ideas.