The A to Z of Party Theme Ideas

June 24, 2019 - 10 min read

The most memorable parties are often the ones with a theme. From 1920’s to under the sea, a great theme and decorations sets you apart from others. Here our A to Z of party theme ideas.

If you are thinking about having a party, whether it is for kids or adults or a mixture of the two, one thing is certain- no one wants a boring party!

One of the best ways to spice things up is to have a theme for your next party. Getting some original party theme ideas, however, can be difficult.

We’ve created a list of ideas from A to Z that will surprise and inspire you, so get ready to party!

The A to Z of Party Theme Ideas

A is for:

Aliens– Kids and adults can enjoy dressing as their favourite alien, whether it’s Ripley from the original movie or a green Martian, this is sure to be fun. Think green and purple foods, balloons with eyes and flying saucer cupcakes.

Anime– Have a drawing contest, keep anime on the TV, and don’t forget the Japanese food! Dress like your favourite anime character.

Avatar– Think blue for this theme! Blue candy, blue drinks and perhaps even blueberry muffins! Get your jungle theme going and make a Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Leonopteryx game!

B is for:

Babies– Not a baby shower, but all things baby means dressing in baby clothes, eating without forks and spoons, as well as playing baby games like chutes and ladders.

Barbie and Ken– Not that barbie, but Barbie and Ken dolls! Get out those wigs and accessories! A photo booth with a cardboard kitchen or convertible in garish colours would be so much fun.

Bandits or Banditos– Dress up as your favourite bandit (Bonnie and Clyde?) or go as a mid-century bandito, big curly moustache and all!

Blonde Barbie Doll

C is for:

Charleston– Think Great Gatsby for this one. Straw hats and glasses for guys, cute bob haircuts, feathers and pearls for the ladies. Make up a 1920s playlist and have a dance contest.

Christmas– You could go for a Christmas in July party, hold an ugly Christmas sweater contest, or perhaps host a Nightmare before Christmas party.

Childhood Aspirations– Dress up as your childhood aspiration. Did you dream of being a doctor? The Prime Minister? An astronaut?

D is for:

Disney– Anything Disney works here, be it Goofy, Peter Pan, or Cinderella’s evil stepmother.

Devils and Angels– Pick one and go all out with your costume! Food might include both Angel food and Devil’s food cake, sparkling cider and fireball drinks or angel hair pasta and hamburgers cooked well-done!

Disco Fever– Dig out some old 70s duds or hit up the thrift store. A disco dance-off contest is an absolute must!

Disco ball and lights

F is for:

Flappers and Gangsters– Think Bonnie and Clyde, Clara Bow, Joan Crawford, Al Capone, John Dillinger or Baby Face Nelson. Play charades to see who can guess which character you are.

Firefighters– For children and adults, firefighter parties are a blast. Think hot as you nosh on chilli flavoured candies, fireball drinks from hydrant cups, and don’t forget squirt toys.

Fearsome Characters– You can go as a Fearsome 5-character, Bigfoot, or any character you think of when you think Fearsome!

G is for:

Ghosts and Ghouls– Go all out and create your best ghoulie ghost costume. Hold a séance and don’t forget the “finger food.”

Gods and Goddesses– Think Rome! You can be Jupiter or Thor, Venus or Athena. Go for the gold accents and serve all foods on gold plates and chalices.

Gothic– Morticia and Gomez Addams anyone? Get out some black flowers, candelabras, and think black!

H is for:

Harry Potter– Dress as your favourite character and serve butterbeer cupcakes, chocolate golden snitches, and a magic show is a must!

Historical Characters– Think Mother Teresa, King Arthur, Robin Hood, Socrates or even Steve Irwin.

Horror– Frankenstein? Freddy from Nightmare on Elm Street? Go as your most horrible self and bring along bloody knife cupcakes or the Exorcist avocado dip.

Hary potter themed party with cauldron

I is for:

Influencers– Who do you think has influenced the world? Mark Zuckerberg? Google would make an interesting costume, or would you choose to be the Donald?

Infections– Get out your makeup and go for the gore! Be a zombie or cover yourself in oozing wounds. Don’t forget to bring yellow custard filled doughnuts.

Idols– Dress up as your favourite idol, be it Elton John, Freddy Mercury, Beyoncé or Cher.

J is for:

Justice League– Kids of all ages love dressing up as Superman or Wonder Woman. Red and Blue is the colour scheme so make up some red punch and pull out the blue frosted cake.

Jailbirds– Go for Orange is the New Black jumpsuit or the traditional black and white stripes. Every jail has guards, so don’t forget a few handcuffs!

Jesters and Fools– You can go the traditional court jester outfit, including bells on your shoes. 

K is for:

KISS- Dress up as your favourite band member. A karaoke singing contest would be in order for this party.

Kath & Kim – This theme is nice, its different, Its unusual. Dress up as one of your favourite mother-daughter duo, or as one of their friends. 

Happy birthday lit candles

L is for:

Lost and Found– Put together the most outrageous, over the top Op Shop outfit you can and have a beauty contest. Make this a pot luck and let people bring their favourite food, whatever it is.

Las Vegas– Dress as a slot machine, garish tourist, gold digger or the gold itself. Play Vegas games like blackjack, poker or the roulette wheel.

Luxury– Bring out your best (even if its fake) boujee self! Pearls, diamonds, top hats, tuxedos, and formal dresses.

M is for:

Meme– Come dressed as your favourite meme. Slather the walls with printed memes and have a “fail” photo booth.

Masquerade– Not a costume, but a masquerade. Wear your finest dress/suit and top it with a golden mask on a stick for elegance.

Mermaids and Mermen– Aqua man, anyone? It can be hard to walk in a mermaid costume, but you can do it, ladies! Serve seafood, blue drinks and seahorse cupcakes.

Three girls in masquerade masks

N is for:

Nautical– From sea captains, to creatures deep under the sea, this theme is sure to have some creative outfits.

Nineteen 20s, 30s, etc.- Pick a decade and dress the part! 

Neon – Bright pink or yellow outfits and glow sticks everywhere!

O is for:

Old School– Old school rules so pick your favourite, whether its an old-school rapper, a hippie or an old Hollywood actor. No technology allowed at this party.

Oktoberfest– Everything revolves around Germans, beer, and hearty foods like sausage. Have a polka dancing contest.

Orange– Be an orange, be an Oompa Loompa, be an orange cat, the sky is the limit! All food and drinks must be orange coloured.

P is for:

Pirates– Kids and adults love pirates. Be an ale-serving wench or Captain Jack Sparrow. Don’t forget the scavenger hunt to find the buried treasure.

Pokémon– Who doesn’t want to dress as their favourite Pokémon character. Have a Pokémon training camp and play Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Pokémon.

Princes and Princesses– Get creative with this one! Be Prince Charles or Princess Diana. Give Princess Fiona a try or the evil Prince Joffrey Baratheon.

Princess or queens crown costume

Q is for:

Queens and Kings– Pick your favourite king or queen from any era and dress the part. Have a king and queens’ throne for a photo booth.

Quidditch– It’s a quidditch match! Set up a table quidditch game and root for your team!

Quiffs and Curls– The 50s rule at this party! Poodle skirts and Fonzie’s quiff or rolled up jeans and lots of curly hair. Make this a sock-hop party to remember with a 50s playlist.

R is for:

Ringmaster and the Circus- Play your part as a trained animal, the ringmaster, a trapeze artist or the clown. A photo booth and talent show should be a big hit.

Roald Dahl- This is a peachy party theme! Pick your character from James and the Giant Peach. Kids will love eating everything peach flavoured.

Red- What do you think of when someone says “red”? Clifford the big red dog? An apple? Lipstick? Be your favourite red whatever and bring something red to eat or drink.

S is for:

Sports– Wear your favourite teams jersey, or dress up like the goalie! Activities could include playing table tennis or sports trivia.

Steampunk– Wear your most outlandish 19th-century clothing. Decoration is a must – think steam trains and clocks.

Superheroes– Wonder Woman, Bat Man, Iron Man? Holy smokes! It must a superhero party. Dress the part and don’t forget to display your superpower.

boy dressed in superhero costume

T is for:

Time warp– You can choose to dress as your favourite era, whether it’s from Victorian times or Prehistoric times. Alternatively, you can make this a Rocky Horror Picture Show party and have a Timewarp dance contest.

Tragic Trends– Go way over the top with major fashion trends. Think 80’s shoulder pads, big hair or crazy prints. Or go a little more modern with 2000’s crimped hair and double denim.

Toga Party– Make your own toga from a bedsheet, add some gold sandals and a laurel wreath to wrap up your costume. 

U is for:

Unicorns and Dragons– This is a popular kid’s theme. Unicorns mean everything is rainbow coloured and dragons are red or green. Let kids make their own party favour bags.

USA– Dress or bring the first thing that comes to mind when you think of America. Red, white and blue cupcakes? The Statue of Liberty? Beer and hotdogs?

Under the Sea– If you can imagine it under the sea, dress the part. Mermaids, a coral reef, Dory, a shipwreck or Baby Shark. Play Pin-the-Diver-in-the-Mouth-of-Jaws.

underwater with string rays and fish

V is for:

Vampires- You can go old school vampires with black capes and big teeth or more modern-day vampire such a sparkly Edward from Twilight. Don’t forget to bring plenty of red coloured drinks!

Vikings– Dress the part with men and women wearing skirts. Have a make-your-own-shield contest. If you can, eat outdoors around a big firepit.

Victorian Era– Victorian equals elegance and style. Set the table with china and crystal glasses, decorate with lots of flowers. A black and white photo booth would be fun.

W is for:

Witches and Warlocks– Always a fun theme, go all out goth or play your favourite tv or movie witch. Warlocks are always charming and dress in tuxedos. Serve your drinks or snacks in small cauldrons!

Wonderland Characters- Dress as the character you like best, whether it’s Alice or the Cheshire cat. If you can play croquet outside and have an outdoor buffet, it would be perfect!

Wild West– This is more than just cowboys. Be a barmaid, a train robber, a showgirl, or how about a big-time card gambler like Doc Holiday? Be sure to play country music.

X is for:

X-Files– Food ideas would include sunflower seeds as snacks, iced tea and root beer, as well as anything to do with potatoes. Dress as Scully or Mulder and be sure to have plenty of UFO decorations.

X-Men– Get out that X-men costume and mask for a fun party that should have X-men burgers, mutant pizza, and Ice Man ice cream.

Y is for:

Yellow- Anything yellow goes for this party, including bananas, sunshine, daffodils and rubber duckies. Food ideas include cheese, lemon flavoured anything, banana bread or cake, corn tortillas.

Yacht Life– It’s a big boat themed party so wear your dashing sailor suit or togs. Serve strawberries and champagne. Bring your fishing pole to catch prizes from a kiddie pool “ocean.”

Man standing on side of yacht

Z is for:

Zoo Animals– Even for adults, being a zoo animal can be a blast. Or why not be a zookeeper? 

Zombies– From old school Dawn of the dead, to the more recent The Walking Dead, there are plenty of ideas or ways to dress up. 

Ziggy Stardust– David Bowie at his finest! You can play the part of Ziggy or the spiders from Mars. A karaoke machine would be the bomb for this party.

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