Surprise Birthday Party Ideas for Kids

Making a birthday party a surprise adds a layer of intrigue to the planning and execution of the party. Children giggle around the birthday child who doesn't know what's going on. Even with a surprise birthday party, keep in mind the likes and dislikes of the birthday kid as to location, children invited and theme.

Kids' Club

If your child regularly attends a kids' group or club, consider talking to the leaders and turning a club meeting into a surprise birthday party. Get all the kids involved in the planning, decorating and silence needed to pull off the surprise. If the meeting is in the afternoon or evening, fix a birthday meal before the surprise party, giving the birthday child a birthday card. Stall getting your child to the meeting so others will arrive first and can yell, "Surprise!" when the birthday kid walks through the door.

Family Night

If you hold a regular family night, plan the surprise birthday party around that family night. Give no indication that anyone else has been invited. Let the birthday child choose games to be played for the family night, though these may need to be changed once the surprised is revealed. Each guest arrives with part of the decorations such as streamers, posters and whatever themed items you've decided upon. Everyone works together to turn family night into a birthday party.

Visit Grandma

Plan a visit to grandma or another relative, which might even seem boring to the birthday child. Plan ahead of time to hold a surprise birthday party at the home of that relative. Guests arrive at the party location. Ask kids invited to arrive before you bring the birthday child. Elect to arrive first as in a normal visit. Have a relative or friend meet the kids who arrive on the porch, in the garage or some location they can meet and all enter the house at the same time for the surprise. If you arrive first, visit in a room other than that decorated for the party. Another twist on this is for the birthday child to spend time at a friend's house while you prepare the surprise party at your home. At your phone signal, the friend and your child return home to the surprise party and other guests.

Blindfold

Blindfold the birthday child or make it a kidnapping. Drive around talking about what a special day it is and wondering how to celebrate. If you have a van, pick up other kids along the way, all who you've coached to ask but not answer questions about the birthday child's likes and dislikes. Lead the birthday kid to the location chosen, whether this is a restaurant, amusement park, swimming pool or even back home. Once at the location, the birthday child must guess where you've taken her and why. Take off the blindfold to reveal the surprise. Instead of kidnapping the birthday child, plan with the parents of the kids ahead of time and kidnap the kids who've been invited. Take them to the party location for a surprise party. Plan this for a time that works best for parents and children, this might be first thing in the morning, afternoon or evening.