Your girl is so much more than pink.

I think I’m in the same camp as most girl moms when I do a fist pump every time a new “girl power” brand comes to life. From Princess Awesome to Goldibox, there are loads of super cool, empowering products and services out there that show girls anything is possible. And yet, probably because of the hectic everyday of parenting, tons of parents approach a girl’s birthday party with “shrug, I dunno… pink?”

So I put together a little list of easy girl birthday party themes — that go beyond pink — to express the awesome human your girl is.

Pretty in primary

Primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) and simple shapes (circles, squares, and triangles) rule in this playful motif. I love this for a 1-year-old birthday party because it keeps things so simple. And the best part? It makes design decisions really easy. To keep it from looking like a romper room, repeat after me: Less is more. Use the primary colors as an accessory to white.

primary-bday

Check out the Pinterest board!

Where to host: A local park.

What to do: Play, have a pizza party, and maybe bring some colorful yoga balls (you can spray paint them primary colors) for photo ops.

Craft/favor: Cut out some colored construction paper into circles, squares, and triangles, and let kids create a collage on white card stock.

She’s a gem

We did this theme for my daughter’s first birthday, and it was a massive hit. I love how mature the design is, and that it feels feminine without being pink and frilly. The jewel tones were so lovely, and they’re especially great for fall.

gem-bday-party

Check out the Pinterest board!

Where to host: Your backyard.

What to do: Have brunch. This was great for us, because it allowed us to have the party before nap time and didn’t involve ordering a bunch of catering — just a trip to Dunkin’ Donuts. The kids loved orange juice boxes, bagels with different cream cheeses, and croissants. We decorated the table with balloons and gold himmeli ornaments.

Craft/favor: Make necklaces. We ordered some geometric teething beads in jewel tones from Kean and let the kids make their own.

Scandi chic

I’m a sucker for a minimal Scandinavian look. It’s so elegant but never pretentious or fussy. Black and white and light neutrals like greys, dusty roses, and peaches are a virtually idiot-proof way to achieve a designer look.

scandi-bday

Check out the Pinterest board!

Where to host: Indoors, where it’s cozy.

What to do: Play make-believe, have story time, take a break to have a snack, do a couple crafts, and just generally keep it low-key. Stripping down a designated space with a few toys to play with, like a block set and some books and stuffed animals, can do a lot to keep a party from getting too rowdy.

Craft/favor: Make lovely minimal dip-dyed hats, mittens, scarves, or pillowcases. You can take the kids outside to do this, or have them come to the sink one at a time.

Impressive impressionism

For the artsy girl who loves to draw, paint, or create, channel her inner Cassatt or O’Keeffe. The easy part about decor for this type of event is that any color goes! Just think of white canvas as a main color, and add painterly elements like splotches of paint, swirly marbled elements, or brush strokes.

painterly

Check out the Pinterest board!

Where to host: Your backyard, a painting studio, or art gallery.

What to do: Have an art party, of course! If you host in your backyard, to keep things neat you may want to invest in some disposable booties for the kids for trips inside to use the bathroom. And make sure to warn parents beforehand that there will be lots of fun messy activities, so wear clothes they don’t mind messing up.

Craft/favor: There’s no shortage of easy painting projects to have the kids do. From finger painting (impressionism) to splatter painting (abstract expressionism), it’s a great way to get kids into exploring art techniques. There is a lot of inspiration on Pinterest, so don’t forget to check out the board.

Stunning with STEM

Who says boys should have all the fun with computers, robots, and outer space? Girls love science, too, and it can look gorgeous as a party theme. For design elements, focus on silver metallics, because they work with just about any STEM specialty your gal is into. Pair with blues and greens for a smart, elegant look.

stem-mood-board

Check out the Pinterest Board!

Where to host: The Museum of Science (or your home).

What to do: Play, do experiments, build stuff. There are so many fun, easy learning activities you can lead the kids through. One of my favorite ideas is having the kids decorate a giant rocket ship from Pop Up Play. It’s not quite on the market yet, but I saw it at SXSW Create, and I can’t wait for it to debut.

Craft/favor: Straw rockets and robot headbands.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I cannot wait! I’ve GOT to do the gem theme for my daughter’s 3rd party- that’s a brilliant idea! Love all of these. Thank you for the time you put into this post!

  2. Girls loves pink color and likes princess so girls birthday parties are usually based on these themes.Thanks for think out of the box and suggesting themes without pink.

Comments are closed.