Tired of coming up blank on birthday party ideas for your little girl? If you’re feeling like all the birthday party ideas for a two-year-old girl are the same, look no further than this comprehensive blog post that will give you ideas for themes and help you narrow down decor, food, gifts, party favors and more. Little girls are so much fun and planning a child’s second birthday can be such a fun way to celebrate the sweet little girl in your life. I thoroughly enjoyed planning my daughter’s second birthday party, and it was an extra special party because she got to celebrate with a combined birthday with her great-aunt whom she shares a birthday!
Choose Your Theme
The first thing that you will want to do when you are thinking about planning a birthday party is to decide on a theme. The possibilities are endless! What are your little girl’s favorite characters and colors? Does she like farm animals, horses, ocean creatures, fairy tales – make that the theme! Does she have a favorite book? A classic, favorite book can also make for a sweet theme!
If none of those things resonate with you, consider the time of year you will be hosting the party and how that might change the color scheme or theme of your party. For instance, if the birthday party falls in the summer you may want to do a park or picnic birthday party, whereas birthdays in the fall can lend towards fall inspired themes. You could also consider making a party center around a particular food or food group such as as donuts or a taco bar. Winter birthdays could be celebrated with an ice-skating party or a winter wonderland theme. Nursery rhymes also make unique birthday parties and provide endless ideas for correlating games and activities.
Second Birthday Party Theme Ideas:
• Farm theme
• Picnic theme
• Peter Rabbit theme
• Tea Party theme
• Mexican Fiesta
• Donut party
• Pool party
• Winter wonderland
• Fairy Tale
Decide on a Guest List
The next thing to consider as you plan the birthday is how many party guests you will invite. Will you have family only, or include friends? Will it be a small gathering or large one? Will this be a birthday party geared toward your child and her friends or will it be a party the whole family plus friends families can be involved in? You’ll want to keep your guest list in mind as you decide on food and activities, both the number as well as ages and dietary needs may impact your food choices.
Consider Your Location
The location of your birthday party will depend on the size of your gathering and the time of year. A small party could be hosted in your home or a close friend or family member’s home, but if you plan on a large guest list, you will most likely need to consider another venue, like a community center or church fellowship hall. The time of year and weather will also be a factor to consider; parks and pools will obviously be more enjoyable during the summer months. A pumpkin patch or apple orchard could be a really special place to celebrate a birthday in the fall while you enjoy the crisp air and bright blue skies. An indoor birthday party can be just as much fun, but be sure to have more games and activities planned to keep your little guests entertained.
Choose a Menu
The next thing you will want to decide is what food you would like to have for the party. There are a couple of different ways you could do this. One approach would be to fix favorite foods of the birthday girl and not try and coordinate them to a particular theme. This is not my favorite way to do things, just because I like everything to be cohesive, but you could certainly pull it off. A theme like a Mexican Fiesta should obviously include Mexican foods and for this I love to do taco bars – they are so budget friendly, simple to set up, and also great for a variety of dietary needs. This would also be a great option if you plan on asking your guests to contribute to the food, simply ask each family to bring a favorite topping and side!
The season and weather could again dictate your food choices here, so consider the time of year again. For a far or picnic theme you could grill or do hot sandwiches, plus cold salads, veggies, and fruit – super simple. A donut party could be a brunch event and you could showcase your donuts alongside a few egg quiches, piles of breakfast meat, and fresh fruit. If the party is in the winter, consider a soup and bread bar – cozy, simple, and delicious!
Pick a Birthday Cake
Of course, the highlight of most parties is usually the birthday cake and you may wish to make this fit your theme as well. A carrot cake for a Peter Rabbit or garden theme party would be adorable. Another idea is to let your child pick her favorite dessert – nothing says it has to be cake! Cheesecake and pie both make wonderful birthday sweet treats. No matter what you decide, don’t forget the cake topper and candles! These elements transform an ordinary dessert into a festive birthday treat!
Finding Decorations
Once you’ve decided on your theme and the food it’s time for the fun part – decorating! If you’re on a budget it may take some research to find the best deals for your money, but it can be done with time, creativity, and a little imagination. Etsy is a great place to go for your invitations – there are many, many options out there for a variety of themes and colors and you can customize them with your child’s name and party information.
Amazon and Walmart are my favorite sources for party decorations. Again, you can find so many colors and themed items and you can be as specific or generic as you would like. If you’re working on a budget, I recommend using plain disposable cups and plates in the color palette you’re going for and then using patterned or themed napkins to accent. Tablecloths, flowers, centerpieces, and serving ware can all be used to accent and bring in color and texture. Thrift stores are another good place to search for items to use for your party if you have a little bit of time to search for the things you want. Don’t forget to shop your house ad closets as well! I’m always amazed at how many things I already have that can work for party decor.
Banners and signs can be found on Etsy or Amazon and you can be as specific or personal as you wish to be. Another visually interesting decor piece is the paper lantern. Hang them from the ceiling or use them as a table top decoration and you have a quick, cheap, FUN decor piece.
Setting up for the Birthday Party
Try to have as much preparation done ahead of time as you possibly can so that on the big day you can focus on the details. Prep ahead and freeze anything that you can. Ask friends and family to help with the food preparation or watch the children so that you can do prep work. Remember to enjoy the process as much as you can and focus on the memories you are building with your child.
Activities for the Party
1. No birthday party is complete without party games. If the party is outside, consider renting a bouncy castle. Kids of all ages will enjoy jumping and bouncing! A pinata is another activity that children of all ages will enjoy and it would be the perfect compliment to a Mexican-themed party! You can find pinatas in all sorts of colors and shapes and it would be a fun addition to any party.
2. A dance party along with bubbles would be a dream for any little girl! A bubble machine would be a great addition to your party regardless of the other activities and they are super fun to watch!
3. An outdoor obstacle course is another fun, and simple game to keep young children busy and active. Ask your husband or older boys to get creative at setting something up – it doesn’t have to be fancy for little girls.
4. Indoor or outdoor, a scavenger hunt can be a great way to keep kids active, engaged, and working towards a goal. Don’t forget to hide a small reward or surprise at the end!
Gift Ideas for the Birthday Girl
It’s always a good idea to give your guests an idea of what your little princess would like for a birthday gift. I like to keep running Amazon lists of books and toys that we would like to have so that when people ask I have ideas all ready to go. Picture books, coloring books, craft supplies, puzzles, and free play toys are all great gift ideas. If you are doing a themed party, consider asking guests to bring a gift along the lines of your theme.
Party Favors
No party would be complete without party favors, especially when you have lots of little girls. You can coordinate with your theme if you would like or just pick a few things that little girls are sure to enjoy. Small books, bubbles, chapstick, and packaged snacks all make nice favors to take home at the end of the party as a memory of a fun evening together.
Birthday Girl Outfit
Last, but definitely not least, don’t forget to plan the birthday outfit. Whether you go all out with a complete frilly skirt, matching shirt, and huge bow, choose a birthday t-shirt, or just pick a cute outfit, this is the perfect opportunity to put together a cute outfit. Keep in mind there will be many photos taken and these will be special memories of not just the birthday party, but that whole year of your child’s life. I always like to visualize what my child is wearing along with the party theme and decor and ensure it all coordinates and will look the best it can for pictures.
For an extra fun twist, ask your guests to dress up according to your party theme!
Complete List of Things to Purchase:
• Plates
• Napkins
• Utensils
• Cups
• Table Cloths
• Table centerpieces
• Banner
• Balloons
• Cake topper
• Candles for the birthday cake
• Party Favors
• Food
• Cake or dessert
My Two-Year-Old Daughter’s Second Birthday Party
For my daughter’s first birthday, I kept things very simple and did white pumpkins with fall florals for the decor. Very simple, very pretty. I made her a fancy tutu with fabric, beads, and glitter and bought her a One pumpkin shirt from Etsy. We had chacuterie for supper with all the delicious cheese, meats, pickles, and olives – the perfect one-year-old meal. Since it was fall, we made a red velvet cake and topped it with cream cheese frosting. It was a simple party with close family and a sweet way to celebrate our precious girl.
I knew I wanted to do a little more for the second birthday, especially since we were going to be celebrating with more extended family and with her birthday buddy (my aunt!). Her birthday falls very close to Thanksgiving and I didn’t want the birthdays to get lost in the flood of holiday festivities. I struggled to land on the perfect theme that would combine the interests and tastes of both birthday girls at very different places in life, but I ended up landing on an elegant farm theme. At the time, my daughter loved (still does!) all things tractor and farm animal-related and I knew I wanted it to be feminine and girlie as well. It was also a combined party with my aunt and so I wanted it to be elegant and enjoyable for her too. I loved how it turned out.
For the tables, I bought pink checkered table cloths and overlaid them with burlap runners. My husband cut wood rounds for the table centerpieces and I bought florals in peaches, creams, and pinks from Amazon and made flower arrangements that I put into mason jars I had on hand. I scattered small, white pumpkins and farm animal figurines around the tables to pull in the fall and farm elements.
We celebrated in the evening, after our supper meal and I didn’t have to worry about a main course, just the dessert and snack foods. My daughter’s birthday falls close to Thanksgiving and I love to incorporate fall elements into her birthday party. We are not big cake people so for her second birthday, I chose to do mini cheesecakes instead of cake. I made three different kinds – chocolate, pumpkin, and plain with cranberry topping. I prepared them in silicone muffin tins, popped them out and froze them until the day of the party. I served the cheesecakes on wood rounds with mini farm cake toppers on each one. It was darling.
Along with the cheesecake, I served mixed nuts and chex mix with hot spiced apple cider to drink.
Cheese cake recipes I used:
Chocolate cheese cake similar recipe here
Pumpkin cheese cake recipe here
We celebrated at my grandparents’ house where we had all gathered for Thanksgiving and I used a balloon arch in the doorway to pull everything together and add some color to the room. Balloons come in many, many different colors these days and if you’re just needing a little something extra, balloon arches can be a fun way to add color and visual interest to your party decor. We celebrated by singing and sharing dessert and birthday presents. It was a delightful way to celebrate the birthday of two very special girls.
Items I Used for the Birthday Party:
2. Balloons
3. Flowers
6. Table cloths
This blog post has been full of 2nd birthday ideas and hopefully, you have been inspired by one of these themes that you could make your own. There are countless themes that you could do, the key is to make sure it is something that both you and your child love and will enjoy planning. Of course, make sure that you think about the weather, the season, and the venue as you begin party planning and don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends and family.
It’s true that while they are little, birthday parties are more for the parents than the child, and we would probably do well to keep that in mind as we plan out the details of our children’s birthday parties. As you plan the birthday party, remember your goal is to celebrate your child and make memories that you will look back on with joy and fondness. Be careful not to let your desire for perfection overshadow your enjoyment of the day.
