Ideas for the Best Nine Year Old Birthday Party Ever

Nine year olds are at a delightful age of knowing what they want and being able to behave somewhat predictably. They have more of an interest in team games and strategic games that require rational thinking most of the time.   

Generally, the boys stick with the boys and girls with the girls, but combining the two genders under a theme helps to navigate the gender differences.

Helpful things to remember about throwing a birthday party for a nine year old

• Nine year olds do well with rules and regulations
• They have a good sense of fair play and enjoy strategy games
• Most nine year olds are happy to attend a party on their own, but it is always good to have their parents’ phone numbers
• Nine year olds may prefer hanging out with a select group of friends somewhere cool other than at a big party somewhere

What should be celebrated at this age

This is the last year of single figures. It’s the beginning of his independence; as such, this is the biggest thing that ought to be celebrated. Your child is growing up and is beginning to discover the world outside of the previous beliefs and ideas he once lived by.

If you ask her what she would like for her birthday party don’t be surprised to hear that all she wants is to spend time with her select group of friends somewhere she considers hip.

Things to bear in mind

• If you decide to have a party at home, your nine year old will appreciate the effort you put in. It’s a great way to spend quality time together doing something you’re both excited about. 
• They will enjoy being involved in the planning and will be vocal particular about the guests you invite. 
• They have made special friendships at this stage so don’t be shocked at some of the things they say about people you suggest they invite.
• A party theme with planned activities will be especially popular. The décor and theme elements will help bring everything together.

Here are some nine-year-old party theme suggestions.

Master chef

Décor

The idea behind the master chef is simple – it’s about having her friends follow a recipe to see who can come up with the tastiest dish. Set up your kitchen as a cooking station and have them take turns making something very simple. Provide as much direction as possible. Keep the décor simple. As the kids take their turns cooking, keep the tables, cooktops, and other utensils as clean and neat as possible. Don’t forget to create a judges table for the ensuing competition and encourage everyone to come with an apron and chef’s hat if they have one. 

Party food

Here’s an opportunity to have some gourmet style food. Serve double-decker sandwiches and hamburgers with extra trimmings. Fancy skewers with fruit or savory items like kebabs are great. Make other snack foods like popcorn and rice crisps available for munching.

Cake

A tiered cake will give this party the pop you extra oomph.  

Activities

Choose a master chef style activity. There are several options for this that don’t actually involve any real cooking. Cupcake decorating is an easy option. You can get creative by cutting off the top of the cupcake and telling the children they have to create a different topping idea using the cut-off piece of the cake. This would be more like a cake sculpture. Another master chef activity would be a competition to make up an ice-cream desert. Layers of ice cream, jelly and fruit to create a parfait dessert. Serve this in a glass to show the layers of the desert.

Entertainment

Entertainment should revolve around cooking. Fun races like egg and spoon races are great options. Use boiled eggs instead of raw eggs. Pancake races, which involve tossing pancakes while on the run, are fun too. A group of really interested chefs may enjoy a demonstration of cake decorating or making a simple pasta dish that everyone can enjoy afterward. A game of charades using words from the décor like prep, whisk or cake will make good action words for the other children to guess.

Hawaiian party

Décor

It is tropical and exotic. Decorate with brightly colored flowers and cut-out palm trees. Set out beach chairs if you have some and depending on the weather, bring out some swimming costumes and towels. Make leis and hula skirts. The table can be decorated with artificial flowers all bright and colorful. Pin-up the letters “Aloha” at the entrance to the party area.

Party food

Serve lots of tropical fruit. Scoop out a melon and serve a fruit salad from the scooped out a melon. Burgers and kebabs make great beach food. Crisps and dips, as well as nuts (check for peanut allergies) are a good option at your Hawaiian party. Have ice cream served in cones as well as popsicles. Serve the food on paper plates.

Cake

A square cake decorated with the word “ALOHA” and some cocktail umbrellas would make an interesting birthday cake. You could also decorate the cake using iced flowers in bright colors. Place then all over the cake or in a circle to represent the traditional Hawaiian leis.

Activities

If you can get frangipani flowers or any firm flowers that you can put a string through, it would be fun for the girls to make their own leis. Boys would probably prefer making a sun visor using a paper plate cut in two and threaded from each side with some elastic.

Entertainment

The children may enjoy learning how to do the limbo rock as a challenge and mild entertainment. Boys may enjoy the idea of dry land surfing. Set up some paper surfboards that are taped to the floor. Mark hand and feet positions and then play a game of musical surfboards. The children move off the boards to the music and when the music stops they must find a surfboard to stand on and make a statue. Best statues are awarded stickers/prizes. A prize is available for the surfer with the most stickers.

Mad scientists

Décor

Creating a science lab environment lends itself to test tubes and interesting bottles with different colored water.  Some dry ice in a safe corner contained in a bucket will create the smokey ambiance that may come off some experiment. Toy shops sell science kits and the content of these kits lend themselves to the décor.  Keep the table cloths white and clinical. White balloons and danger signs add to the scientific experiment effect.

Party food

Double-decker sandwiches with experimental fillings and breadsticks to dip into different concoctions will look like science experiments. Neat little square cakes and cake pops add to the idea that different things are being tested. Serve lemonade with different cordials in test tubes to flavor the lemonade. Candy floss looks abstract and popcorn balls would also fit into the theme.

Cake

A tiered cake with different levels at different angles would look close to a mad scientist’s version of a birthday cake.  The idea is to create something off-beat and different.  se whipped meringue or stiff icing to create different peaks and add interesting colors to the cake. 

Activities

Every mad scientist at your party will enjoy making their own experiment. Try making slime together. It is very easy and made with household ingredients. Each child can take home their ball of slime. You’ll need one fourth of a cup of each of these ingredients – water, craft glue and liquid starch. Add some food coloring for different colors.  Mix the three ingredients together and watch them form slime.  Provide each scientist with a zip lock bag to take their slime home.

Entertainment

The nine-year-old age group would appreciate a science entertainer. There may be students in your area who would put on a science show. Creating a volcano for the kids is an entertaining exercise and not too difficult. Ideas for all kinds of science experiments are available on the internet. A funny movie like “The Nutty Professor” would be entertaining for this age group.

Storybook characters

Décor

Storybook characters could be another source of inspiration, it’s an open-ended theme. Décor could focus on bright colors; dust off covers of some popular books and print out names of well-known authors or of classic book titles. Bunting and balloons always give a party feels to any theme. Set the table and stack books on top of each other to elevate dishes and plates.  Ask each child to come dressed as their favorite character from a book.

Party food

Keep the party food simple with sandwiches and cupcakes. Ice the cupcakes with letters on the top – this reinforces the theme of the party. Look for alphabet biscuits and licorice of all sorts that look like mini books.  Take two small square cakes and ice them together to look like bookends. Include the usual party treats of popcorn and crisps.

Cake

A square sponge with a double layer set on top to look like an open page will make an interesting cake. Use an icing nozzle to write on the book page something about the birthday child. Another suggestion is to choose your child’s favorite book and have an iced image made to be set on top of the cake.

Activities

The children could make book markers for their favorite books. Use colored cards and stamps and stickers to decorate the book markers for the children to take home at the end of the party.

Entertainment

Hire an animated storyteller to entertain the children with a puppet show if you can. Musical games are always enjoyable. Another interesting game is the pass-the-parcel game, where basically a book is passed around while music is playing in the background. When the music stops the person holding the book must get to announce their favorite book/win a prize.

Musketeers/masquerade party

Décor

The days of the musketeers and the gallant masked fighter are the centre of this theme.  “All for one and one for all!” would make an interesting banner to decorate the main party area. Use balloons and large ostrich feathers taken from a feather duster to create an interesting centerpiece. Ask the children to come dressed in their best attire for a masked ball.

Party food

The parties at the time of the musketeers were very elaborate. Chocolate éclairs, iced cupcakes and chocolate biscuits would represent the elaborate parties of that time. Think of iced cake pops and custard tarts as well as boudoir biscuits with dishes of chocolate to dip them into.  

Cake

A fancy doll cake with the dress all iced and frilly would be ideal for a girl’s version of this party. Boys may rather have a plain cake with a mask on top and the famous musketeer words, “All for one and one for all.”

Activities

Making elaborate masks fit for a masked ball using glitter, feathers and sequins would be a great activity.  When the masks are complete have everyone pose for a masked photoshoot.

Entertainment

Create masquerading game of hide and seek with a twist. One person hides and the others in the group look for that person. When you find the hidden masquerader you get to hide with that person. Eventually, everyone is “hidden” alongside the first person.