If you’re the parent of a superhero fanatic with a birthday in the offing, you’ll want to carry on reading! Why? Because this article is your ultimate guide to throwing an unforgettable superhero-themed birthday bash! From DIY costume ideas to action-packed games and heroic snacks, we’ve thought of everything you could possibly need.
So, polish up your own super-power (organising fabulous parties!) and dive headlong into the world of capes, masks and crime-fighting fun as you prepare to create childhood memories that will last a lifetime.
Let’s get started!
Invitations
The first step to hosting an unforgettable superhero party is to send out exciting invitations. Why not get creative with your invites by handcrafting them to look like superhero badges or secret mission briefings? Alternatively, Amazon and Etsy both have a good selection of comic book-style invitations, with many of Etsy’s available as digital downloads which you can print at home or send via email. If you’re going down the traditional paper invitation route, build anticipation by labelling the envelopes ‘Top Secret’ or ‘Classified’.
Décor
While you could purchase ready-made party décor, a superhero party is simple to DIY, which gives you scope to personalise it too. We suggest:
- Purchasing or creating a silhouette city backdrop
- Buying plain disposable tableware in primary colours
- Cutting up old comic pages to spell your child’s name – stick letters on paper bunting triangles or place larger ones on the wall. Tip: use MS Word to print alphabet templates.
- Adding small superhero figures to the table setting, or dot around the room.
- Balloons – use primary-coloured balloons, plus a few black and green ones, or splash out on superhero-design balloons.
- Plastic spiders and webs.
- Boxes painted black with yellow paper windows as city table décor.
Superhero visit
Why not take your party to the next level and book a superhero entertainer? Just imagine the excitement when a caped crusader or a masked marvel walks into the room, ready to save the day and dazzle everyone with their superpowers! Whether they’re leading themed games, telling heroic stories, or showing off some cool superhero moves, a professional performer will be skilled at keeping kids of all ages engaged and entertained, meaning there’s less pressure on you.
Not up to speed on all the lastest superheroes? Here are some superheroes your kids will probably love!
- Superman
- Batman
- Iron Man
- Spider-man
- Aquaman
- Captain America
- The Hulk
- Black Widow
- Wonder Woman
- Cat Woman
**This list is not exhaustive, but if you’re stuck for ideas then this should help!
Face painting
Hiring a professional face painter is guaranteed to add another layer of excitement to your superhero party. Whether your mini-caped crusaders want to emulate Superman with a bold ‘S’ symbol, channel their inner web-slinger with a detailed spider design or acquire a Wonder Woman-style headband, a skilled face painting artist will delight children with their designs and leave them feeling like a true hero! You could of course always do simple DIY face painting or ask someone else to do this activity for you. A face painting session offers a brilliant opportunity to capture memories of the day with photos of guests in their superhero face paint too.
💡 Tip: Face painters can only do one child at a time, so plan another activity to run concurrently; bored superheroes have been known to use their powers inappropriately!
Games and activities
Superhero training camp
Transform your small superheroes into the ultimate crime-fighting squad with a superhero training camp! Set up an obstacle course with items such as play tunnels, blankets to crawl under, tall buildings to jump over (cardboard boxes with electric or washi tape bricks and windows) and balance beams (pool noodles on the floor or a plank of wood supported on two buckets).
Add a strength training session where partygoers can practise their push-ups and weight-lifting skills. DIY suggestion: paint polystyrene discs or paper plates black and thread them onto a brush handle to represent weights.
Don’t forget agility training! If you have the outdoor space and good weather, kids can practise their sprinting or long-jump skills and burn off some excess energy!
At the end of the party, present your superheroes with medals and a training certificate. You can easily create and personalise certificates using Canva templates with a free Canva account.
Musical superheroes
Played in the same way as musical statues, but when the music stops each child must strike and hold an appropriate superhero pose.
Pass the Kryptonite
Make yourself some Kryptonite using green, air-drying glitter clay. Sit the children in a circle and play appropriate superhero music while they pass the Kryptonite around. The superhero holding the Kryptonite when the music stops is out. Continue until you have a winner.
Craft Station
Provide your partygoers with some plain fabric (cut up an old sheet) or felt capes and cardboard masks. Add a selection of coloured markers, glitter, glue, feathers and anything else you can think of for the superheroes to create their own unique personalised capes and masks.
Web shooters
Divide guests into two groups – baddies and superheroes. Supply the superheroes with cans of silly string and let them chase the baddies. When the baddies are suitably defeated, switch the groups around so everyone has a chance to be a web-shooting superhero.
Consider inviting the ultimate web shooter – Spiderman! (You can book your very own Spiderman here!)
Food
When the kids need their superpowers recharging, they will of course need special superhero food! Here’s what we suggest:
- Superhero sandwiches – cut out with a lightning bolt cutter and other appropriate shapes.
- Thor’s hammers (sweet) – insert paper sticks into Rice Krispie cereal cake mix and dip in pale blue/grey chocolate, coloured white chocolate, or candy melts.
- Thor’s hammers (savoury) – use small cheese rectangles with a pretzel handle.
- Hulk guacamole – add a face to the top of the tub with sour cream and crackers.
- Avengers jelly cups – make red and blue layers for Captain America, purple and green for Hulk and red and yellow for Iron Man. Allow your first layer to set in the fridge; dissolve the second colour with a little boiling water and add ice cubes to cool it rapidly. Once cool pour onto the first layer and refrigerate until set.
- Captain America Cupcakes or Oreos – cut red, white and blue fondant icing into the design using circle and star cutters.
- Birthday cake – if you’re not a cake decorating pro and you don’t want to spend a fortune on a bespoke cake, don’t fret! Supermarkets will usually have a superhero cake in their range, or you can easily create your own using coloured sweets such as M&Ms or Smarties, themed cake toppers or plastic superhero figures you may already own. You could even create a paper comic strip cake band to cover the sides of your cake.
Aside from using appropriate colours and logos, think about labelling foods with superhero tags, serving chips in comic paper cones and buying or making superhero cupcake toppers. If you’re opting for the creative route, Canva have a good selection of free images which you can edit, download and print; search ‘comic strip’ in the elements tab and use the filter to select free images only.
Party Bags
Use superhero-themed paper party bags – Amazon have a good selection – or keep costs down with plain paper bags and decorate/personalise them yourself. This is a task you could definitely delegate to your own small superhero! Contents could include:
- Superhero stickers
- Superhero snap bands
- Superhero temporary tattoos
- Lego Marvel Minifigures
- Superhero slime pot (add an appropriate sticker to the lid!)
- Superhero colour-in masks
- Cake
- Sweets
That’s it! Have an awesome superhero party!
PartyWizz helps you book the best kid’s entertainers and party services in UK and Ireland. From magicians and face painters to party packages and photographers, you’ll find those in your area on our easy-to-use platform. Whether you’re planning a birthday party, christening, communion or a corporate family day, go to PartyWizz to find the perfect service providers hassle-free!
