Nothing is worse than planning a fun outdoor birthday party and finding rain in the forecast. But with a little creativity and planning, you can move the celebration indoors and still have tons of fun. Not sure where to start? I have some amazing indoor birthday party ideas to inspire you.
Indoor Birthday Party Ideas – What to Do
First, let’s plan some activities. You want to keep everyone busy and entertained during the party. Here are some great ideas.
Arts and Crafts
One great way to keep kids or adults entertained is to plan some arts and crafts activities. Guests get to take something they made home with them, and you can get to enjoy some laughs together.
The blog Casolia has so many great ideas for this:
- Nature collages. Gather some flowers and leaves from outside to make awesome collages.
- Mini canvas paintings. You can find entire kits on Amazon that include everything you need, like paints, brushes, canvases, easels and more.
- Make your own puzzles. You can find blank puzzle templates on Amazon that your guests can color or paint to make them their own.
You can set up multiple crafting stations if you want, or just focus on one activity that will keep everyone engaged.
Related: Funny Birthday Cards That Will Make Them LOL (Free Printables)
Indoor Picnic
If it’s raining, bring the picnic inside. Set up a big table on the floor, set up pillows for everyone to sit on and serve your favorite picnic foods, like sliced fresh fruit, sandwiches and cake.
Picnics are fun for both kids and adults. They’re great for conversations and laughs, no matter your age.
Choose decorations that match your theme and make the space feel cozy. You can even hang some fairy lights to make the space feel inviting.
Movie Party
One of the best indoor birthday party ideas on this list. Movie parties are always a hit, whether the party is for adults, teens or kids.
Start by setting up the space to be comfy and cozy. Add pillows and blankets. Hang fairy lights. Serve tasty treats like chocolate mousse, popcorn, candy and whatever else you please. Offer hot tea, coffee, hot chocolate and other beverages.
You can even set up a food and drink bar, so guests can graze whenever they want.
Make a list of movies to watch and ask your guests for some suggestions before the party.
Punch It Board Game
The Punch It board game is a fun way to keep kids or adults entertained. The goal is simple: each guest will have a chance to punch one of the cups on the board and win the prize inside.
You’ll need some Solo cups, tissue paper to cover the cups and rubber bands to hold the paper in place. You can draw emoji faces on the cups like in the Pin above, or leave them plain. I recommend choosing a dark color so that your guests can’t see what’s inside.
The prizes can be as simple or as extravagant as you want. Candy is always a great choice, but you can add small toys or even gift cards if you want.
Build a Face
Here’s a hilarious game to play at your indoor party. The goal is to have each person build their “faces” with the props on the table, but here’s the thing: they can’t see what they’re adding to their faces or where they’re at.
To make this game yourself, you’ll need large posterboards with armholes cut out. You’ll also need to create some different sets of eyes, eyebrows, mouths, noses and other accessories.
Add double-sided tape to each of these props so that they stick to the face easily.
Give guests a set amount of time to make their faces.
The end results will be hilarious! You can even have everyone vote for the silliest face and give that person a prize.
Decorate Cupcakes
Kids and adults will both love decorating their own cupcakes, and it gives everyone a chance to really enjoy their creations.
To make this activity as simple as possible (and less messy), serve your cupcakes on paint palettes. Place the cupcake at the center and fill the paint wells with whatever decorations you want: sprinkles, edible glitter, candies, etc.
Drop Dead Dice Game
Here’s a fun game for older guests. You’ll need five dice for this game. The goal is to roll all five dice with each turn. If a 2 or 5 appears on any of them, those dice are removed from the board for that round.
Delilah’s Party Ideas walks you through the rules and how to keep score.
Decor Inspiration
No party is complete without decorations. There are so many fun ways to transform your indoor space and give it a festive feel.
Here’s some inspiration.
Hang Streamers from the Ceiling
Sometimes, the simplest indoor birthday party ideas have the biggest impact. Hanging streamers from the ceiling like the couple in this Pin has done will make the room feel more colorful and fun.
Creating a wave-like pattern across the ceiling and down the wall will really make an impact when guests enter the space.
Related: 15 Amazing Number Cake Designs for Birthday & Anniversary (+ Tutorials)
Make a Balloon Centerpiece
Balloon centerpieces are a great way to make even a long table festive. Your goal is to go down the entire center of the table with different colored balloons. Feel free to place garland across the table first before adding the balloons to complete the look.
Set Up a Photo Booth
Guests will want a way to remember the big day. Give it to them with a photo booth. Place balloons on both sides of the photo backdrop. You’ll find plenty of neat backdrops on Amazon, like this vintage one or plain white one that you can add your own quotes to (just like in the Pin).
What to Eat at Your Indoor Party
Food is half the fun at a party. People get to celebrate the person’s birthday, mingle and go home with a full belly. It’s the perfect reason to make some of the goodies below:
Pasta Salad Cups
Pasta salad cups are one of the indoor birthday party ideas that work well because people can eat on the go. You’ll serve these in small plastic cups, like these, which means guests can grab them and talk to their friends without needing to sit down at a table.
You’ll make these in a large salad bowl before transferring to the cups.
Of course, you’ll need to cook the Rotini pasta while cutting up your other ingredients:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Black olives
- Fresh parsley
- Italian dressing
- Salt and pepper
Once done, add the ingredients to the salad bowl and toss well so that the dressing coats the ingredients. Add to your cups and serve. If you like, add small cheese cubes or meats, but only do this if you plan on serving the cups to guests directly from the refrigerator.
Homemade Pizza
Bring a new, fun activity to the birthday party with homemade pizza. Teens and adults will love this idea, and you can opt to buy the dough from the grocery store. Sometimes, local pizza shops will sell balls of dough that you can use.
Next, supply your guests with ingredients that they can add or omit to make their pizza their own:
- Sauce
- Cheese
- Pepperoni
- Olives
For a younger kid’s birthday party, pizza and movies or video games always work well together.
Sandwich and Fruit Bar
Sandwiches and fruit bars are a hodgepodge of foods that people can pick up and eat. You’ll need party trays that you’ll fill with:
- Sandwich sliders made of any meats, cheeses and veggies you wish.
- Trays of berries and fruits, such as grapes, orange slices, blueberries, raspberries and watermelon.
- Pineapple bowls, filled with chunks of pineapple.
- Cucumber and kiwi slices.
And you can fill a few bowls with potato chips, pretzels and other snacks that guests can pick up and eat.
Mini Waffle and Pancake Stacks
Mini waffles and pancakes on skewers always bring a smile to people’s faces at a party. You can make the waffles and pancakes from scratch, or you can buy a mix from King Arthur that tastes equally delicious.
Frozen alternatives are also available.
Simply make the pancakes or waffles, stack them and keep them together with your skewers. Then, add:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Powdered sugar
Don’t forget to serve with syrup and butter on the side.
Mini S’mores
Sad that you can’t make s’mores over the campfire? Bring the fun inside with indoor birthday party ideas that offer delish:
- Graham crackers
- Marshmallows
- Chocolate
It’s as simple as lining a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then placing your crackers down first. Add a marshmallow on top, another graham cracker and then some chocolate. Bake and enjoy.
Want to have even more fun and get your guests involved?
Try this tabletop electric s’mores maker that’s almost as good as making them by the campfire.
Related: How to Plan a Kids Birthday Party on a Crazy Tight Budget
Kids’ Charcuterie
Charcuterie boards for kids are always fun to make and can include any goodies that your child (or their friends) like. A few ideas to help you get started with assembling your board are:
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Blueberries and raspberries
- Orange slices
- Sandwiches cut into shapes, such as stars or hearts
- Goldfish crackers
- Crackers
- Strawberries
You can also use this idea to make a dessert charcuterie board with chocolate and chocolate pretzels, candies, brownies, cupcakes and any other sinful delights that you want to add.
Indoor birthday parties can be just as fun as their outdoor counterparts with just a little planning and imagination. Work through the ideas above and make the best out of this special day.
