Fun Party Ideas with Simple Party Foods
I usually struggle to come up with a unique or great idea for parties. In honor of Jay’s birthday, I thought I would share bits and pieces of his party a few years ago. Talk about some fun party ideas!
This party was one of the most fun we have celebrated. If you are trying to plan for an upcoming celebration of any kind, I hope something here will get your creative juices flowing.
Here are a few fun party ideas with simple party foods to make any party a little more festive!
Fun Party Ideas
This was one of my favorite birthday celebrations of all time! The night was filled with laughter because of this crazy party favor,
I am not sure where I found this idea. I am pretty sure it was a pop-up on my phone – that marketing strategy really worked! There is a company called Build-A-Head that does all sorts of fun things with pictures of faces.
I can NEVER get by with a surprise for Jay, with the exception of this one! LOL!! I can tell you that he did not expect to turn around and see himself several times. He was shocked, and we all laughed, including the waitress and all of the tables around us.
The girls really had a great time with these. They carried him to the ping pong area, took him along in the car the next week, and one of them even took him to school with her. There were lots of laughs and giggles!
One of the other items you can purchase from Build-A-Head are cupcake toppers. Because I found these cute little things, we went with cupcakes instead of a birthday cake. These are pretty inexpensive, and they turned out well.
If you want to do this without spending the money, you can make these yourself. A few months later, we made them for a lady at school. Someone else did the pictures, and they were huge. This made them very visible to anyone walking by the office.
The lady who made them had them laminated, and we taped them to paint sticks. We had all sorts of fun with this. I would share a picture, but she would absolutely kill me!
Fun Places for Parties
One decision to make is whether to have the party at your house or to go out to a restaurant. A restaurant is somewhat easier, but you have more options and less expense at home.
Fun Parties at Restaurants
If you choose to go to a restaurant, there are many now that have fun outdoor activities for the family. Some of them have firepit areas, ping pong tables, corn hole games, life-sized games like Battleship, and many more activities.
Here are a few activity filled restaurants in our area. If you live in Northeast Texas, give them a visit:
- Standard Service – This is where we had Jay’s party.
- Chicken & A Pickle – We met here after Evelyn’s party. They have a giant Jenga game and other large lawn games.
- The Yard – We have not been here yet, but it is on our list.
Fun Party Options at Home
If you choose to have people over to your house, it may be a little more work, but there are other advantages. The party can last longer, you can invite more people, and it will cost you less money. Sometimes home is the perfect venue.
If the weather is nice, an outdoor party is always great. Here are some things to consider:
- Music
- Outdoor Lights
- Outdoor Lawn Games for a friendly competition
- Horseshoe Game Set
- Croquet Game Set – We used to play this all the time! Good old-fashioned fun!
- Washers Game – You can also make these for the beach by purchasing large washers and painting them 2 different colors. Just dig holes in the sand and enjoy!
- Cornhole Set
- Firepit – This is the firepit/sitting area that we built in 2020. It was a labor of love! We have enjoyed it more than we ever imagined.
- We just recently bought a gas firepit as well. This one is very convenient!
- Seating for everyone. These Adirondack chairs are so comfortable and have cup holders built into them.
Other Great Party Ideas
There are so many options for birthday celebrations or really any special occasion. Here are a few theme party ideas for a good time.
- Have a themed party based on the guest of honor’s favorite things.
- Have a photo booth.
- Pool party in warm weather or hot tubs in cooler weather
- Formal dinner party
- Scavenger hunt – We always did these as a kid and continued them on with our children.
- Treasure hunt
- Host or go to an escape room.
- Murder mystery
- Costume party
- Crafts party
- Classic game night or casino night
- Either provide live performances such as a live band or singer, or have the party guests perform.
- Karaoke
- End the night with a fireworks display.
Simple Party Foods
There have been so many times that we have not been able to enjoy visiting with people because we are so tied up with food and preparation. Our new philosophy is the more simple the better! As long as there is delicious food, keep it simple. See other ways to host gatherings without missing out on the fun.
Here are a few simple party food ideas:
- Fresh Roasted Salsa with Tortilla Chips
- Tex-Mex Shrimp Cocktail – Mix boiled shrimp (cooled), cocktail sauce, chopped avocado, pico de gallo, and chopped cilantro. Chill and serve.
- BBQ Frito Pie – This is one of my favorite things to order from Baker’s Ribs. Here is my homemade version: Top corn chips with pulled pork, Pico de Gallo, grated cheese, and BBQ sauce. Simple and Delicious!
- Baked Potato Bar
- Taco or Nacho Bar
- Ice Cream Bar
- S’Mores or S’Mores Dip – If you have a firepit, I highly encourage you to make S’Mores on the fire. If not, this S’Mores Dip from Lori Howell is great! It is quick and easy.
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Other Party Resources
I don’t have a lot of parties, but it is nice to have ideas when you need them. Here is my Pinterest board for Party Ideas if you need other ideas.
You can also find ideas for throwing retirement parties, graduation parties, as well as a variety of Christmas party ideas.
These fun party ideas with simple party foods should make your parties a little more festive. Whether you struggle to come up with party ideas or you are full of them, I hope these unique party ideas helped in some way.
I would love to hear your thoughts and unique ideas. There is always a party right around the corner!
Until next time,
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“How sweet Your Word is to my taste – sweeter than honey in my mouth.”
Psalm 119:103
Oh my gosh this looks like so much fun, Susan! I totally need to do with for my Dad’s birthday. He would LOSE it in the best possible way. Can’t wait to send this fabulous ideas to my Mom. Thanks for making it easy! Hugs, CoCo
You will love it! It was the most fun we have had at a party. Everyone had one under the table, and Jay was clueless. When we finally pulled them out, his reaction was the best! I didn’t think he would ever stop laughing. The whole restaurant got a kick out of it!
We usually go out on each others birthday. Or we get take out. This year I’ll have to surprise my son for his birthday.
That sure makes it a lot easier. I hope he loves the surprise. Enjoy!