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Here’s Our Exclusive Report on 2024’s Top Kids’ Birthday Party Trends (Because We Don’t Gatekeep!)

Kids at a car-themed birthday party.

Every year, the bar gets raised higher and higher when it comes to kids’ birthday parties. But we're here to let you in on a secret: One of the easiest ways to ensure a seriously successful bash is to incorporate fresh, fun elements that’ll keep your guests and guest of honor thoroughly entertained. We’re talkin’ fun food, iconic photo ops, uber-cool favors—the whole nine yards! 

Don’t be intimidated! Wow-worthy parties are super attainable if you’re in the know. That’s why we spoke with three experts in the kids’ birthday party space, Luciano Barajas of His & Hers, Brett Galley of Hollywood Pop and Sabrina Maldonado of Stay Golden. And because we don’t gatekeep here at Evite, we’re spilling all the tea on the top kids’ birthday trends they’re predicting for 2024.

Perfectly Personalized Themes

Image of a Coachella-themed kids' birthday party.
Photo from Stay Golden

Clients are getting more and more creative with themes,” says Sabrina. “We’re seeing people combine their kid’s interests into the theme.” Themes can revolve around the birthday kid’s favorite movie, sport or activity, so long as it’s true to who they are!

In fact, character-themed parties are especially big for younger kids: “Barbie, Little Mermaid, Super Mario Brothers and superheroes are always very popular,” explains Brett. Luciano also agrees one character in particular will be huge next year: “Barbie may have been the icon of this year, but we have a feeling she will continue her reign in 2024.”

Photo from Amazon

As for teens, Brett notes anything Taylor Swift-themed is a total crowd-pleaser. And according to Luciano, there are a few other stand-out themes for older kids: “We are seeing a huge trend in TikTok-themed parties, glamping parties, spa parties and glow parties.” Sabrina agrees that teens are living it up with their themes: “Neon parties will still be huge and we’ll start seeing inflatable clubs being used. Spa parties with facials and manicures will still be a fun go-to for teens and interactive parties overall will be popular!”

Bold Decor with Plenty of Photo-Ops

Two girls at a Barbie-themed birthday party.
Photo from Stay Golden

“Kids’ parties are bringing back loud colors, keeping things young, playful and fun!” says Luciano.

Two ways to bring some of this pizzazz to any party? “Organic balloon decor and bespoke floral carts, all with personalized taglines and the guest of honor’s name,” explains Brett.

Sabrina notes, “The use of stages or platforms decked out to the fullest in floral moments and personal touches elevates any backdrop and brings any party theme to life.”

“Clients are curating experiences that include similar concepts you would see in today's weddings,” says Luciano. “We’re seeing more kids’ parties with extravagant seating charts, live entertainment and content creators to ensure everyone knows how much fun you had on Instagram and TikTok.” 

Hosting an Instagrammable event is especially important for older kids. “Teen parties in 2024 will be designed around fun photo experiences,” explains Sabrina. 

Bespoke Favors—to Wear or to Eat!

A wall of Crocs at a crocodile-themed birthday party.
Photo from His & Hers

When it comes to favors, guests are heading home with some seriously cool personalized swag and sweets. In 2024, Brett expects “personalized water bottles and snack bags, colorful sand pails with beach accessories, personalized sports jerseys, personalized donut walls” and so much more.

Personalized favors that double as an interactive activity are seriously popular. “For us,” explains Luciano, “the most common party favors have been live pop-up shops that include branded apparel, custom grab-and-go treats, candy walls and DIY crafts.” 

Big Guest Lists

A boy surrounded by his friends at a birthday party.
Photo from Hollywood Pop

“The size of kids’ parties will grow bigger in 2024,” says Sabrina. “I see clients inviting their child’s entire class to celebrate and extending invitations to siblings, too. I feel parties will continue to be amazing productions for large groups as we pull away from intimate get-togethers in general. More fun to be had!” Brett agrees parties are trending larger, explaining, “Many schools have requirements to invite the whole class or no one at all!”

This is especially true for milestone birthdays because, as Luciano explains, “Milestone parties are now the new micro-weddings!”

Interactive Food

A cupcake-decorating activity at a birthday party.
Photo from Stay Golden

According to Luciano, “Food and drinks are now a huge part of your kids' experience at your celebrations.” He explains, “We are seeing a rise in trends for food carts, food trucks and signature mocktails.”

Interactive food and dessert carts are huge amongst all the food trends!” agrees Sabrina. “Think sundae carts, shaped cotton candy made in front of awed guests, unique churros and pretzels, wood-fired pizza, delicious sliders and different flavored french fries.”

Luciano is expecting exciting eats to continue dominating the space, explaining, “From PYO (paint-your-own) cookies, to making-your-own crepe bars, to Dylan's Candy-inspired mocktails, food and beverages are getting more interesting!”

“Caterers are getting so creative and thinking outside of the box,” finishes Sabrina.

Crafty, DIY Moments

A paint-your-own firetruck activity at a birthday party.
Photo from Stay Golden

“Our clients are opting for fun craft giveaways and I love that kids are using their imagination more and more through these activities! Something kids can be entertained by at the party, take home and continue to enjoy is a trendy party favor that I hope never goes out of style!” explains Sabrina. “At the Hot Wheels party we styled, we had a paint-your-own car kit. At a teen pool party, we gave away baskets filled with friendship bracelets, lip balm, sunnies, and towels the partygoers could use by the pool and take home. Another idea I adore is a design-your-own sunnies craft—such a cute activity that lets kids show off their creative side!”

Whether it’s a gift for the birthday kiddo or a favor for the guests, Brett agrees that DIY crafts are all the rage right now, explaining, “Crafty and interactive gifts are always a plus.”

Photo from Stay Golden

Ready to start planning the trendiest party ever? Browse Amazon’s

kids’ birthday party supplies best sellers list to see what’s popular right now.

To find supplies for your themed kids’ birthday parties, head over to our Barbie-inspired Amazon shop and Mario-inspired Amazon shop. Find epic items for goodie bags on our party favors shop and great supplies on our kids’ birthday party supplies shop.

And, of course, the party can’t happen without the invite! Browse our collection of kids’ birthday party invitations and teen birthday party

invitations to find something your kiddo will adore. We even have Taylor Swift-inspired designs for all out Swifties out there!

For more party inspo, check out Luciano, Sabrina and Brett’s work!

His & Hers (Luciano) in San Francisco, CA and Los Angeles, CA: Instagram | Website

Stay Golden (Sabrina) in Los Angeles, CA: Instagram | Website

Hollywood Pop (Brett) in Greenwich, CT: Instagram | Website

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All of the products we feature are hand-selected by our editors! You see only what we love and what we think you'll love too. If you buy something through links on our site, Evite may earn a commission. Prices are subject to change.

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What makes Evite SignUp Sheets different from other signup tools?

Developed hand-in-hand with community organizers, PTA presidents, parents and teachers, Evite's signup sheets are designed to make organizing volunteers a breeze. Here are a few ways SignUp Sheets are different than other signup tools:

  • 100% free: SignUp Sheets are free to use.
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  • No extra login required: Seamlessly use your Evite account to create and manage your signup sheets, keeping all your events in one convenient location.
  • Automatic reminders and notifications: Stay on top of your event with automated reminders and notifications for you and your participants. Perfect for busy parents, teachers and anyone juggling multiple commitments.
  • Customization options: Tailor your signup sheets to your specific event, whether it's a school fundraiser, potluck, volunteer opportunity or team activity. Add custom tasks, time slots and requirements for smooth coordination.
  • User-friendly experience: Our intuitive interface makes creating and sharing signup sheets simple for everyone, regardless of tech experience.
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Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!

What is a signup sheet?

Signup sheets are the perfect way to streamline scheduling, volunteer recruitment, class parties, snack duty, potluck organization, parent-teacher conferences and more! You can think of them as your digital assistant for coordinating events and tasks and ensuring that your event is a success.

Evite SignUp Sheets offers parents, teachers and event planners customizable online forms that organizers and volunteers can access and update effortlessly. Volunteers can choose their preferred time slots, sign up for tasks or indicate what they'll bring to the event. It only takes organizers a few minutes to create a signup sheet and send it out with a shareable link, so they can get the word out via text, email or social media—whichever way they prefer! 

Long story short, signup sheets save everyone involved tons of time, avoid scheduling headaches and ensure everything runs smoothly before and during the event.

How do I create a signup sheet?

Creating a signup sheet has never been easier than with Evite! Here’s how to create a sheet that’s sure to make your event an absolute success:

  1. Go to Evite SignUp Sheets and choose the template that best fits your needs. Evite offers multiple signup sheet templates perfect for every occasion, including:
    • Signup sheets for one day events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a class party, potluck or end-of-season party.
    • Signup sheets for single or multiple day events (with time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing concession stand volunteers, fundraisers, parent-teacher conferences, meal train, post-game snack duty or during appreciation week.
  1. After selecting your sheet template, create a title for your signup sheet and add the date, the location, the time (if applicable), who the organizer is, the organizer’s phone number or email and an optional note describing the event to your volunteers. You can also change your signup sheet background and title image if you wish!
  1. Next, create slots for your signup sheet. If you aren’t logged into your account, you will need to do so at this point, but luckily, you can use your existing Evite account (no need to create yet another login!). What you’ll include here will depend on what your event needs, but you can include a list of what’s needed (along with optional descriptions), how many volunteers are needed, and dates and times.
  1. After creating your slots, you can then add a wish list from any retailer or include supply suggestions from Evite’s retailer partners. These are to help your volunteers find and purchase supplies quickly and easily.
  1. Finally, review your sheet, copy your shareable link and send it out to everyone on your list! Every time a volunteer signs up for a slot on your signup sheet, Evite will email you. We will also send reminders to you and your volunteers before your event so no one will forget about it, and we’ll even let volunteers know if you remove their slot or cancel your event sheet so you don’t have to!

What information should be included on a signup sheet?

When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:

  1. A title for your signup sheet. Tip: Aim to keep your signup sheet title concise but clear. You want volunteers to read it and have a general understanding of what your event is about, and also make it easy for them to look for later if they need to reference your sheet again. You have the option to include a more descriptive note in a different field about your event, so save the more in-depth details for that!
  1. When and where the event is taking place. 
  1. The organizer’s name and phone number.
  1. Slots for volunteers to choose from. Once you choose the SignUp Sheets template that fits the occasion, the slots you’ll need for your sheet will be right there and ready for you to add the relevant info, such as dates, times, items to bring and tasks to complete. 

When adding your slot information, clearly define what people are signing up for, especially for a what-to-bring list or role assignments. If you want someone to bring healthy snacks for kids to enjoy after a game, specify that. You want your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re bringing and to make it easy for them to know what’s expected of them. It will save them time and stress (and you, too!). That being said, if you make your ask too specific (for example, asking for a hard-to-source item or something expensive), you may not end up with a volunteer for it. So be clear about what you expect, but also be reasonable!

Aside from providing the basic signup information, you can also add optional descriptions to both your entire signup sheet and individual slots. While not required, they can help guide your volunteers further and provide more information. You can add information about allergies, preferences and general info about the event. You can also add a wish list to make it easier for your volunteers to bring exactly what you need!

What are the benefits of using a signup sheet template?

Signup sheet templates offer a ton of advantages for both organizers and volunteers and with Evite SignUp Sheets, you'll enjoy even more benefits than other digital and paper signup sheets! Some benefits our signup sheet templates offer include:

  • A 100% free experience (no subscriptions required!).
  • Shareable links for quick and easy sharing.
  • No need to create another login—you can use your existing Evite account.
  • The option to add a wish list to help your volunteers out.
  • Automatic reminders—we’ll remind everyone on your behalf.
  • An easy-to-use experience with eye-catching guided templates.
  • Clean, modern designs with no pop-up ads.

With Evite SignUp Sheets, you can enjoy organizing and coordinating all your events with ease. Signup sheets streamline the signup process for everyone involved, ensuring that everything will go to plan on the day of your event while saving you precious time in the process.

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