It’s time for a double celebration of milestones and more. Is it possible to celebrate your twins’ birthday while helping each child to feel unique?
Colorful balloons along with characters from Frozen and Harry Potter might come to mind, but what if you already used those in previous years? Read on for some truly inspiring ideas.
1. All Aboard the Birthday Train
Invitations can say “Chugga chugga two two.” A banner welcoming guests says, “All aboard.” Black electrical tape can be used on smooth cement or bare floors to create train tracks.
Cardboard boxes along with markers or crayons can be supplied for children 6 and up for them create their own train cars, which can double as a party favor.
2. A Prince and/or Princess for the Day
Royalty calls for a castle-shaped bouncy house. The brave guests can use a hard plastic sword to slay a dragon pinata filled with candy bracelets and necklaces, gold-covered chocolate coins, and plastic gems.
Any adults who attend must play the part of butlers and maids.
3. Watch Out for the Birthday Construction Zone
Hard hats and foam hammers will delight the birthday guests. They can take turns in pairs to see what they can build with foam blocks (find giant blocks here).
Guests can use cake and frosting as brick and mortar; just bake and cool cupcakes and mini cupcakes for them to use.
Alternatively, graham crackers can be used in place of cake. Just ask parents about food allergies.
4. Robots Are Taking Over the Birthday Celebration
What do robots eat at a birthday party? Motor oil and glutonium-free food, of course!
Finances at a minimum? Assign guests to bring needed items such as: any plastic bottle tops, foil, duct tape of any color, googly eyes, markers, cardboard rolls, and egg cartons for everyone to share. Have glue, tape, packing tape, and large scissors on hand.
Look up DIY cardboard robots for more ideas.
5. Double Bubbles, Don’t Pop My Fun!
A small bubble machine can greet the guests and double as a game piece later on in a game of tag. In bubble tag, the bubbles are “it,” and if they land on a child, then that child has been tagged and is now out of the game.
Each child who gets out can now blow bubbles at the remaining children along with the bubble machine. Try a DIY solution that kids can make at the party to blow their own bubbles.
6. Cowboys and Cowgirls in the Wild West
Cow-print balloons, sheriff badges, cowboy hats, and bandanas will get things started at your local rodeo.
Play a game of Cowboy Hat Toss. Save up 2-liter soda bottles, and fill them with water. Place them in an area about 2 feet apart in any shape, such as a triangle or a square.
Kids toss their hats and see whose hat can land on a bottle with as few attempts as possible.
7. Dinosaurs Roaming Around the Birthday Party
A small wading pool filled with play sand will be the perfect place for children to discover dinosaurs.
Just bury plastic dinosaurs throughout the sand along with a few rocks. Have the children use paint brushes to carefully uncover 2 or 3 of the dinosaurs, which can also double as party favors.
8. Mickey and Minnie Mouse, a Classic Birthday Celebration
Mouse ears will get everyone in the mood for a mouse party. Use a Mickey Mouse cookie cutter to cut bread for little sandwiches, and cheesecake will be for dessert. Games can include Pin the Ears on Mickey/Minnie and Duck Duck Mouse.
9. A Day at the Beach, a Memory for Each
Three water-filled kiddie pools of different sizes, shapes, and colors will add to the excitement, and one kiddie pool full of play sand will be great for building sandcastles.
Ask guests to bring a towel and a lounge chair to relax poolside while helping with supervision.
10. Butterflies and Fairies, Almost as Magical as Twins Themselves
Get ready for a magical birthday by getting mason jars. Put fairy lights in each one along with plastic wildflowers. Attach small butterflies and/or fairies to the outside of the jars with hot glue.
Wands and wings are a must. Flower wreaths can be bought ahead of time and used as an art project with the guests.
Moss and miniatures such as mushrooms, trees, and of course fairies and butterflies will help decorate the table.
11. Race Cars – A Birthday Theme Geared Toward Twins
A large play rug depicting a town complete with roads will make a cute play area. Provide blocks and Hot Wheels cars for the guests to play with.
Older kids will enjoy making a car out of a cardboard box. These car-boxes can be made to sit in as they watch one of the Cars movies, or they can be made to wear so that the kids can have a race and see who is the fastest.
The twins can make completely different cars or two identical ones, whichever they prefer.
12. Outer Space and Beyond
Ask children to dress up as an alien, astronaut, planet, star, etc. for a costume party. Make or buy a solar system to hang from the ceiling along with shooting stars and spaceships.
Pile cushions and pillows on the floor and have the kids take off their shoes and go for a walk on a distant planet that has a squishy surface. Space slime will add the finishing touch.
13. Time for the Twins To Take Flight as Airplanes
Have the kids make paper airplanes, and prizes can be awarded for the fastest, the best looking, and for doing the most loops in one throw.
Balsa wood airplane gliders are also fun for kids to build and possibly even paint with acrylic, enamel, or latex paint.
Play a game of Airplane tag where kids have to keep their arms stretched out as if they are airplanes.
14. A Makeup/Dress-Up Party
Discarded hats, scarves, wigs, and Halloween costumes are great for creating a dress-up box for kids to create their own fun outfits from odds and ends.
Small blankets or large pieces of fabric draped over shoulders and tied in the front can be used as capes. If makeup is used, each child should have their own pallet so as not to spread eye infections.
15. Thing 1 and Thing 2 (Dr. Seuss)
You can read The Cat in the Hat or watch one of the movies based off of the book. One lucky parent can dress up as Dr. Seuss, and the twins will be Thing 1 and Thing 2.
Get white paper plates, and use a black marker to write Thing 3, Thing 4, etc. Do this for the number of expected guests. Use a safety pin to attach the plates to the children’s shirts.
If you have eight children total, get eight small pieces of paper and write one number on each paper, 1 through 8. Put them in a Dr. Seuss hat, and draw out a number. Whichever child is wearing that number wins a prize.
16. Double Scoop Ice Cream
Play pin the cherry on the ice cream cone. Create an ice cream sundae bar loaded with favorite toppings.
To prevent melting, place scoops of ice cream onto a cookie sheet several hours before the party. Place in freezer for 20 minutes or more.
If another layer of ice cream is needed, lay down waxed paper between layers of scoops. Keep them in the freezer until immediately before eating.
Turn balloons into waffles cones by rolling brown craft paper into cone shapes and attach them to ice-cream-colored balloons with glue or tape.
17. Put on a Fun and Wild Jungle Party
Turn your backyard into a safari adventure with blow-up wild animals (find them at a fair price here).
Ask guests to bring two toilet paper rolls for them to use to make binoculars so they can safely view the animals from afar.
You will need to provide white glue, string or ribbon, construction paper or butcher paper, and decorating supplies, such as markers, crayons, stickers or tissue paper.
18. Superheroes vs. Villains
Kids will want to dress up as their favorite superhero or villain and do super-human things, such as jump through portals (hula hoops).
Use a large refrigerator box to make a telephone booth for Superman or a jail for any villains who get caught. Create a unique photo booth by laying down a blue sheet (kids will be laying on the floor).
Use cereal boxes to make buildings, place some pillows that look like clouds, and have your superhero lie down so it looks like they are flying over the buildings.
19. Sports, Sports, and More Sports
This is an especially great theme for outdoor celebrations. Any sport can be the main attraction or you can opt for a variety, such as volleyball, tennis, gymnastics, and more.
Create a new game by playing softball with a beachball. If you are dressing up, some of the kids might want to be a cheerleader or the coach!
20. Winter Wonderland of Twin Celebration
Cut out snowflakes of all sizes, tape a string down the center of two or three, leaving a few inches between each one, and then hang them from the ceiling.
Cut metallic ribbon (which usually stays curly after unrolling it) into differing lengths, and tape those to the ceiling as well. Use fairy light along the edges of walls and ceilings.
21. Twins’ Favorite Colors
If you are looking for a less commercialized theme, you can’t go wrong with colors. Choose one color or many, brights or pastels! Bright fruits and bright vegetables might entice the children before sweets are served.
Rainbow bingo brings a new twist to an old favorite game. Older twins will really love a black light party.
22. Favorite Party Animals Celebrate Double Birthdays
Everyone can bring their favorite stuffed animal. Guests can introduce themselves and their toy as an ice breaker. Each child can pretend to be a different animal and the other children can guess what kind of animal they are.
Of course for a twin party, you might want to focus on animals that often have twins such as goats, deer, sheep, and some monkeys.
23. Pirates and/or Mermaids
Pirate hats and mermaid tails for everyone! A tray of gold-covered chocolate coins on a thin layer of brown sugar will look like treasure in the sand. Send the kids on a scavenger hunt to look for buried treasure.
A simple treat to take home is a bag of fish-shaped candies and treats. Fill a small baggies two thirds full with light blue jelly beans, and then add in a few gummy sharks and/or goldfish crackers.
24. Taco ‘bout Twins Mexican Fiesta
Holy guacamole, a taco or nacho bar and piñata are a must. Don’t forget the homemade salsa. Maracas will make great party favors as well as a craft project if you buy solid colored ones and get stickers or paints.
Play mariachi music while the kids play musical chairs.
25. Come One, Come All to the Greatest Twin Circus on Earth
Welcome TWO the circus! You might want to hire a magician for this birthday party, or get Uncle Bob to start watching YouTube videos to learn a few tricks.
Carnival games will be just like the real thing. Get a small kiddie pool full of water, use a black sharpie to write either a 1, 2, or 3 on the bottom of plastic ducks (mostly 1s, a few 2s and only one or two 3s).
Kids will use butterfly nets to scoop up a duck. They get a prize that corresponds to their number. 1s are the smaller prizes, 2s are a bit better, and 3s are the big winners.
Mom of three (including identical twin boys), wife, and owner of Parents Wonder. This is my place to share my journey as a mother and the helpful insights I learn along the way.