It doesn’t matter how old your kid is. If you ask them what their favorite day of the year is, they’ll probably say it’s their birthday. Yes, Christmas is great, too, but it’s about the whole family. Their birthday is about them and them alone. The presents and the cake are always something to look forward to, but it’s the party that should be the most amazing part, and the one that will create the best memories. So, here are some party theme ideas for making their birthday party epic.

Minion-themed party

There probably isn’t a child that doesn’t like Gru’s little yellow helpers. From the way they talk, move around and sing, to the way they’re clumsy, Minions are utterly funny. Throw a Minion-themed birthday party by getting a Minion-shaped cake, a lot of Minion-like balloons and maybe even get a face-painting artist to turn the kids into Minions as well. Also, if you can’t find the proper balloons, get some yellow ones and several blue and black magic markers, so that the children can draw the Minions’ faces on the balloons themselves. Get some yellow hardhats and funny goggles, but also stock up on Minion-themed food, such as bananas, pineapple, popcorn and other types of yellow snacks.

Ice cream party

This one will definitely make all the children ecstatic, especially during the summer months. You can create an ice cream workshop by providing the children with some basic ingredients they can use to make their own ice cream, or simply get a whole bunch of vanilla ice cream they can add other flavors to. Don’t forget to prepare various chopped fruit, cookies, or chocolate chips, so that they can have a wide range of flavors to make. And if you really want to blow their minds, contact a premium ice cream store and have them send you an ice cream van for an hour or two.

A baking party

Make no mistake; these parties are definitely not for girls only. Both boys and girls love helping their moms in the kitchen, especially when it comes to dough and cake decoration, so this theme could turn out to be a lot of fun for all the kids. Of course, we’re not suggesting you let the kids anywhere near the stove, but you could get them a whole load of already baked cupcakes or cookies to decorate. Lay out frosting in different colors, various types of sprinkles and see what the kids will come up with. If you can provide them with aprons and chef hats, there’s no way they won’t have an incredible time.

A game party

Whether you want the children to compete with each other, or cooperate to solve a problem, there are some great games to turn your kid’s party into an active and attractive one. Some game suggestions include a match hunt, mystery bags, or a ping pong toss. For a match hunt, you will need matching pictures, which you can buy, or print from the internet, and then hide one half of them around the playing area. Divide the other half of the pictures among the players and have them look for the pictures that match those they were given. Mystery bags are simple brown paper bags with a mystery object inside. The children should touch the object without looking and try to guess what it is. The objects can vary from cotton balls, seashells or a bar of soap, to smaller fruit and vegetables, or even chess figures. For a ping pong toss, all you need are some ping pong balls and about 25 empty plastic cups. Place the cups on the floor in five rows of five cups, assign each cup a number of points (1-5) and have children toss the ping pong balls inside the cups, counting their points to see who the winner is. The prize can be cake time for all.

Arts and crafts party

Forget about the Sunday suits and dresses, let the children wear their everyday clothes and get messy with arts and crafts. They can do anything, from drawing and painting, to sculpting with clay or playdough. When it comes to playdough, you can even make your own and have the kids help you do it. Get several packages of balloons and let them make balloon animals, or give them paper in different colors, teaching them how to make origami flowers, animals or decorative boxes. The kids will have a blast and the party will surely be a success.

Whatever your budget is, and no matter how many children attend the party, these 4 ideas should help you make your child happy and proud of their birthday party. All it takes is some will and a little effort.