Kids’ birthday parties today: ‘Nobody wants to be cookie-cutter’

Children’s birthday parties look different today than they did when you were a kid.

OK, maybe not entirely.

The basic components of cake, friends and activities have stayed the same, but the aesthetics, setting and attendees have evolved over time.

Talking to Sioux Falls party experts, a few trends come to light.

Today’s birthday parties are more likely to be a family affair. Parents don’t just drop off their kids and leave until the festivities have ended.

“Now, the adults stick around,” said Addie Graham-Kramer, founder and CEO of The Event Company. “It’s curating that experience not just for kids but also for adults.”

Parties also are more likely to be set in a family home rather than a third-party location like an arcade or swimming pool, and themes are trending away from traditional cartoon characters and more toward aesthetic, Instagram-friendly looks.

“It’s parties that go off of a color scheme or more real-world,” cake decorator and Bakologie founder Lauren Lavin said. “(Parents are) doing a party that’s all pinks and that sort of thing versus a princess party.”

Themes range widely, from being based on a color to going as specific as a single story like the “Three Little Pigs” party Graham-Kramer threw for a client. They also might be based around an activity like fishing or football.

Some common themes Lavin said she has seen lately have been a “Wild One” first birthday safari, galaxy, dinosaurs, fruit – think Cuties clementines and various “cutie” phrases – and unicorns.

“The unicorns have been really big for the girls for quite a few years,” said Kathy Morrison, retail manager at Ideal Tent and Event Rentals.

Morrison said she hasn’t seen much change when it comes to rental trends for kids’ birthday parties, but she has seen big changes on the retail side of Ideal’s business, especially when it comes to cake decorating and cupcake toppers.

“We’ve probably got over 200 different toppers,” she said.

It’s also not uncommon to see balloon displays, professional cakes and photo-ready themed decorations down to food and drink.

No surprises here if you’ve been a parent on Pinterest or Instagram.

“Nobody wants to be cookie-cutter,” Graham-Kramer said. “Otherwise, everybody would go get the same paper plates. It’s about finding that inspiration and how do you make it your own.”

Part of finding that unique spin involves letting the kid’s personality shine through, she said.

She recalls an “ice cream sundae” themed party she hosted for her son with on-theme details from ice cream scoops on the “happy birthday” banner to a build-your-own sundae station with a variety of toppings to an upside-down waffle cone topping the sprinkle-covered birthday cake.

She also had party favors that looked like little cups of ice cream but were really “scoops” of cotton candy.

Graham-Kramer said her son was part of the planning process at all stages. He got to pick the ice cream toppings – even some candies that usually wouldn’t go on ice cream.

“We need to be able to get them involved because it makes it more their own,” she said.

Another trend Lavin has noticed recently is a willingness on the part of parents to spend a little extra money on their kids’ parties.

She has made a number of professional quality cakes crafted for the sole purpose of being smashed by a small toddler.

Part of that is a recognition for the talent of local creatives like herself, she said, but another part of it is just that it’s fun to do if you’re able.

“It’s fun for adults to plan parties,” Lavin said. “And so it just ends up being a little more adult-focused because they enjoy planning it.”

Reporter-turned-party planner

This is where I pull back the curtain a bit and admit my own bias in saying, yes, planning a child’s birthday party is very fun.

My daughter celebrated her first birthday at the end of May, lining up perfectly with a decline in COVID-19 cases and an increase in vaccinations, so we decided to throw our little pandemic baby a big, over-the-top tea party.

I baked cakes from scratch, and my husband made about 50 little tea sandwiches on his famous homemade bread. We got the big “1” balloon and a bunch of other helium balloons to decorate the house, and we set out my great-grandmother’s teacup collection.

We also created a charcuterie spread complete with a “baby charcuterie board” of teddy grahams, yogurt bites, orange slices and, of course, a squeezable applesauce.

Will she remember this party? Of course not.

Will I remember all the fun I had throwing it for her? Absolutely. And I can’t wait until we can plan a theme party together in the coming years.