34 Fun Birthday Party Ideas For 5 Year Old Boy (They Will Actually Love)

Party planning can be stressful, especially if you can’t settle on a great theme! Your child’s 5th birthday is a big deal, and it might be the first big party you’re throwing for them. Don’t stress! Party planning is my favorite and in this post, I’ve broken down some AMAZING party ideas for 5 year old boy that you are sure to love!

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Table of Contents:

1. Avengers Birthday Celebration

What 5-year-old little boy isn’t OBSESSED with the avengers?! My son eats, live, and breathes superheroes and no other theme would do. I got to work planning how to bring the avengers theme to life and stumbled upon some great ideas.

For birthday cake we went SUPER simple this year and got cupcakes catered. I found these cute simple cupcake toppers in an Avengers theme. You could definitely make the cake more on theme or get an awesome fondant cake but I decided to save time and money and go simple.

My BFF always makes us a batch of these adorable customized cookies! Fletcher and all his friends were OBSESSED and more excited about the cookies than the cupcakes!

For food, we had Chicfila catered. I also put together a veggie tray, and a fruit bowl and we made “Hulk Punch” which was the biggest hit of the party!

For decor, I got 4 sheets of black foam poster board and we cut the piece into a jagged “skyline”. We then cut out white squares of paper for windows and used the skyline as a backdrop.

I also purchased 3 of these balloon garlands and placed them throughout the party area. These were LOADS easier to assemble than an actual balloon garland.

I found the most adorable plates, cups and banners in the superhero theme. I wanted to focus on bright blues and reds for my color scheme and these blended perfectly.

For games, we went the super classic game route and did a pinata for the kids to enjoy smashing together. There are a ton of fun games to choose from though, such as an Avengers obstacle course, musical chairs or “Spiderman says”.

For party favors, I bought these simple avengers themed bags from Party City and stuffed them with a themed cup, temporary tattoos, and bubbles.

We also had a cape and mask for the party guests to take home. This was a great way to make sure every little girl enjoyed the party just as much because we had a TON of pink and purple masks and let me tell you- THEY LOVED THEM! We had these capes and masks hanging on our wall when our guests arrived and the kids loved getting to pick one out and then run around playing superhero the rest of the day! SO much fun and the kids had a good time deciding which colors and styles they wanted.

My son is still talking about how amazing this party was and how much fun he had. The following party ideas are just as awesome and your child is sure to LOVE whichever party you choose!

Shop Our Avengers Birthday Party:

• Paper plates
• Smaller paper plates
• Paper cups
• Cupcake/cake topper
• Masks and capes
• Balloon arches
• pinata
• City-scape
• Fletcher’s shirt

2. Dinosaur Birthday Party Theme

My son tells me all about how he and his friends play dinosaurs at recess every day at preschool so I’m pretty sure most 5-year-old boys would be OBSESSED with a dinosaur birthday party! There are so many cute ideas for a dinosaur birthday party. You can go for a classic dino theme, a paleontologist theme, or a Jurassic World theme!

For birthday cake consider this idea from Simply Beautiful by Angela.

“Prehistoric dirt” is a fun twist on dirt pudding! You could also consider doing dirt sundaes for a fun ice cream twist on this!

For decor, consider these adorable plates and cups/napkins and dinosaur figures below! You can use accents like natural fiber clothes, rocks, and nature-themed items to create a “prehistoric” look!

For games, try a dino-themed obstacle course where the kids pretend to be dinos navigating the course! I also love the idea below: Create a paleontologist sandbox complete with fossil brushes, shovels, and buried dinosaur bones. The kids will LOVE getting to uncover the fossils!

3. Ninja Birthday Party Theme

Some more party ideas for 5 year old boy are: Create an awesome ninja party! All little boys and girls love the idea of being super-powerful ninjas battling for good! This theme offers lots of variation: try a classic ninja theme, Ninjago for a lego twist or even teenage mutant ninja turtles! Your little boy will be obsessed!

Create a fun and simple Ninja backdrop using balloons and colorful sashes! Be sure to have a ninja sword for each child at their place at the table.

For food, I absolutely love the idea of doing an Asian-themed menu! Sushi, Asian kabob skewers, Asian salad and custom fortune cookies in the goodie bags!

An awesome party game idea is to hang streamers as an obstacle course for the kids to try to navigate as ninjas!

4. Baseball Birthday Party Theme

If you’re searching for party ideas for 5 year old boy that includes sports, this is a great one! Nothing makes me nostalgic for summer like a baseball game! If your little man is obsessed with all things sports, consider a baseball-themed party. This party theme basically plans itself. Ballpark banners, baseball bats, and balls for props and a classic cook-out theme for your menu!

Felt flag pennants are a cute and easy decor piece. Consider ordering custom sugar cookies with adorable baseball designs!

For party game ideas, you can set up a T-ball practice area. The kids will love taking turns hitting the ball and playing catcher and pitcher! You can also just do the classic game of pinata destruction using a little slugger bat!

For party favors, a box of cracker jack, some big league chew, and some peanuts would be an adorable gift.

5. Camping Birthday Celebration

This theme is SO cute and would be extremely easy to set up, especially if your family loves to camp and has camping supplies on hand. All little boys love nature and wilderness exploring and they are sure to love these great ideas for a wilderness camping party!

Table settings for a camping party would be SO easy. I imagine checkered table clothes with burlap runners and camping lanterns on each table! If you have an outdoor party, picnic tables would work perfectly!

Pine branches, burlap sacks, wildflowers and other natural elements are the perfect decor accents PLUS they are likely cheap or FREE!

For birthday cake, consider these smores cupcakes below. What a fun twist on a classic, very messy smores that kids will still love just as much!

I absolutely LOVE the idea of a “make-your-own-trail-mix” bar! Each guest can have their own little bag and assemble their trail mix from a variety of toppings!

A party game idea is a wilderness explorer scavenger hunt! The kids will love using binoculars and assembling a rucksack from the items of the scavenger hunt!

6. Star Wars Birthday Party Celebration

When compiling party ideas for 5 year old boy you CANNOT leave out Star Wars! My son has been obsessed with Star Wars since he was 2. His third birthday was star wars themed and he still loves it just as much! Your child is sure to have a happy birthday if you choose this fun theme!

The nice thing about the Star Wars theme is that it’s mostly black and white and is super simple to decorate! Try using black and white balloons to create a balloon arch! Use black, silver, and white streamers and table clothes to create a futuristic look.

For food, consider some on-theme treats like the Chewbacca bites above! These are so cute and look delicious!

7. Football Birthday Party Theme

For the football-obsessed youngster, a football-themed birthday celebration will be a total winner!

Keep decor simple with brown and green accents OR if your child has a favorite football team, deck out the house in the team’s colors and mascots!

I love this football-themed table setting. All you would need is craft paper and a permanent marker to create a fun and easily disposable “football-play” tablecloth!

Food ideas for a football party could be tail-gate-themed OR appetizers. If you want to go even simpler, you could always order pizza instead!

8. Toy Story Birthday Party Theme

Toy Story is such a classic movie and kids for generations have LOVED and connected with it! The good news is that it’s super easy to create an adorable and fun Toy Story birthday party your child will LOVE! If you want some winning party ideas for 5 year old boy then check out the ones below!

For decor, consider using a lot of bandanas and checkered table clothes to pull off a cowboy theme! Make sure you have plenty of character cut-outs so the kids will have a blast finding their favorite Toy Story characters throughout the house!

I love the idea of having a little felt cowboy hat on each child’s chair. This could double as party favors for them to keep! Try creating a fun and beautiful balloon arch! Your kids will love the bright colors and accents.

For party favors, I LOVE this idea of using inexpensive cardboard boxes and labeling as “Andy’s Toys”. Load the box up with stickers, temporary tattoos, and other Toy Story themed party favors!

For birthday cake, consider these adorable army men cupcakes! They will go perfectly with the Toy Story theme and the kids will love keeping the little figurine at the end of the party!

9. Harry Potter Birthday Party Theme

Anything spooky, witchy, and magical goes with this super fun party theme! Let the birthday boy dress up as Harry, complete with round glasses, a robe, and a lightning scar, and then get ready to enjoy the fun and creative theming of this party!

A cute and inexpensive decor idea is using white envelopes like the ones above to recreate the “Owl Post” from the first Harry Potter book! Use black accents for the rest of the decor and don’t be afraid to add some potions and spells throughout the house!

For your beverage station, let the kids mix up their own “potions”! They will think it’s the most fun party they’ve ever been to. You can create some easy flavor combos using sprite and just a touch of food dye.

For food, consider creating some fun, on-theme snacks like this “muggle mix”.

For birthday cake, I’m obsessed with the idea above: Create a dirt pudding or brownie with a “mandrakes” theme!

10. Fishing Birthday Party Theme

Little outdoorsmen and women will LOVE this theme for a birthday celebration. The decor and set-up for this party is so simple, you may have a ton of it on hand already. Your little fisherman will be so excited.

For birthday cake, try this twist on dirt ice cream sundae or dirt pudding! The kids will think this idea is the coolest, complete with gummy or sour worms!

Decor for this party would be SO easy! I’d purchase some fish netting to hand as a backdrop for the food and gift table. More fish netting could be draped over the tablecloth. Crates could be stacked on the table for a “seaside” vibe and of course loads of seashells, starfish and other cheap table decors would look amazing!

For games, a cute fishing game like this would be a HUGE hit! But don’t forget about the classic party games like “Sharks and Minnows”! The birthday boy could be the shark and would have a great time chasing his friends around!

11. Pirate Birthday Party Celebration

If you’re looking for party ideas for 5 year old boy, don’t forget about a pirate theme! Young children have such a fascination with pirates! My son recently had a pirate dress-up day at school and all the kids had such a good time. I think this theme would be a huge hit for a birthday celebration!

For food, I love the idea of doing SUPER simple “pirate ship” hot dogs! This would be SO cheap and easy.

For decor, seaside vibes will look perfect! Fish netting, skull and crossbones signs, and stacked crates are all great ideas for a background. A treasure chest could be set up and filled with all the birthday presents as the guests come in!

For Games, of course, a treasure hunt would my top suggestion! Find a location to bury or hide a treasure chest. The kids will have a blast finding the hidden treasure! When the kids open the chest, they’ll find tons of chocolate gold coins, temporary tattoos, pirate patches, and other party favors!

12. Cars Theme Birthday Celebration

Is your almost 5-year-old obsessed with the movie Cars? Or maybe just obsessed with cars in general? This party theme will be a huge hit! Black and white flags and banners will help transform your house into a race track!

Traffic cones, license plates, and trophies are perfect, inexpensive decor accents for a Cars theme party!

For food, consider some fun Cars-themed menu items like these simple chocolate iced donuts with the title “Luigi’s Casa Della Tires”. ADORABLE!

Don’t forget about some fun, specialty iced cookies like these! The kids will love it!

13. Lego Birthday Party Theme

If you are searching for party ideas for 5 year old boy, a LEGO party is a wonderful option! My son plays with legos all day long so I think this party would be a huge hit for him and his friends.

For birthday cake, these fun lego cupcakes would be a perfect choice!

If you want to get fancier, this custom lego cake is fantastic! If you have a ton of legos laying around, you can use them to decorate and create table decor for the party!

For party favors, these gift bags would be such a cheap and easy gift bag holder!

14. Army Birthday Party Theme

My husband frequently recalls the coolest birthday party he ever attended as a kid and it was Army themed! He and his friends had such a blast putting on combat paint, dressing in camo, and playing army men all afternoon! This theme is super cute and would be such a blast!

For birthday cake, this “In the Trenches” dirt pudding is a cute and easy idea that the kids will love! You could also use this hack to create dirt ice cream sundaes!

If you prefer a traditional birthday cake, this army scene cake is really awesome!

For decor, anything in camo, green, browns, and blacks will create the perfect army backdrop!

15. Cowboy Birthday Celebration

Little boys love cowboys. It’s an indisputable fact. And there’s nothing cuter than a little boy decked out head-to-toe in cowboy apparel! Your little man is sure to LOVE this cowboy-themed birthday party.

For decor, these stick horses are adorable and would be the cutest party favor!

This table setting using bandanas and checkered table clothes is ADORABLE and adding some wildflowers will really create a western paradise for your party!

Decorate your table using mini horse figurines. Burlap and other natural fiber materials will make a perfect tablecloth!

16. Construction Birthday Party Theme

If your little man loves all things construction and trucks, this is the party theme for him!

For decor, use lots of plywood, scrap wood, and bright oranges and yellow! This theme is perfect if you have a lot of construction toy trucks around that you can use for decor!

For birthday cake, consider using some small plastic trucks to create a construction scene. Crushed Oreos and candy bars create the perfect dirt/ruble!

17. Dr Seuss Birthday Party Celebration

After my son had Dr. Seuss wacky tacky day at school, we have been reading Dr. Seuss’s books around the clock. This party would be SO fun. When you create the guest list, invite everyone to dress wacky-tacky! Bright colors, weird mixed patterns, and splashy fonts will make this party a success!

Ask everyone to bring their favorite Dr. Seuess book in lieu of a gift! The birthday boy will have fun getting to read all the books! You can also read a book to the group for a fun party activity!

For food, consider some fun Dr. Seuss-inspired snacks and sweets like these colorful goldfish!

These cat-in-the-hate kabobs are another fun food option for a Dr. Seuss birthday party.

18. Basketball Birthday Party Theme

There are so many fun birthday party options for a sports-obsessed little man! If basketball is your baby’s favorite sport of all time, a basketball-themed party will send him over the moon!

For decor, use a black backdrop to create a fun basketball court tablescape! Black, orange, and white is the perfect color combo for this party.

For snacks, consider some basketball-themed foods like the ones below!

Make white chocolate-covered Oreos with just a touch of orange food dye to create these adorable basketball-shaped cookies.

For party games, try arranging some games of “PIG” or “HORSE” for the kids to play with a mini basketball hoop. If that is a bit over their head, classic party games like “party freeze dance” and musical chairs will still be a huge hit!

19. Carnival Birthday Party Celebration

A carnival birthday celebration is ADORABLE and there are so many fun ideas that your child is sure to love! Just looking through this theme makes me want to plan this party ASAP!

For decor, ALL the bright colors are welcome here! Try using bright red and white stripes throughout your decor and balloons of all the primary colors! Streamers in bright red, yellow, and blue are the perfect decor accent.

There is no shortage of awesome party game ideas for a carnival-themed party. Try setting up a ring toss, or balloon pop station! Make sure there are plenty of prizes for the kids! If desired, a clown can always make an appearance to show off some fun magic tricks!

Food ideas for this party would be incredibly easy! Some ideas are: Soft pretzels, popcorn, cotton candy, animal crackers, sliders, and a delicious funnel cake for birthday cake!

20. Hot Wheels Birthday Party Theme

If your almost-5-year-old is hot wheels crazy, this will be a good idea for the perfect birthday party for him!

For decor, use bright colors for balloons and streamers! Accent with black and white checkered flags and table clothes to mimic a “race-track” look. Be sure to use mini hot wheels throughout your decor!

For drinks, this drink-station idea is so adorable and perfectly on theme!

21. Firefighter Birthday Party Theme

5-year-old boys love firefighters! It’s something about the bright lights, blaring sirens, and the superheroes saving the day! Your birthday boy will be in love with this fun and creative theme and there are so many great ideas to choose from!

Stick to red, orange, and yellow color accents for this fun theme! You can use a lot of streamers and tissue paper to create “flames”. Try cutting out a “city skyline” from a black poster board to create the illusion of burning buildings! You can easily purchase a large pack of firefighter hats so that each child has one waiting at their spot!

For food, keep it on theme with ideas like the ones above! Firetruck wheels, fireballs, and fire hoses are all cute ideas for a menu.

For party games, I love the idea above from Hot Mess Express Mom. It’s a fun and creative twist on the classic game of cornhole.

22. Batman Birthday Party Theme

Any true superhero fan knows that DC comics and Marvel comics are SUPER different and deserve their own parties! I LOVE the Batman theme. It’s more neutral and minimalistic and you can get away with very simple decorations. If you are looking for some batman party ideas for 5 year old boy, here are my top suggestions:

Decor accents are so easy for this party! Cut out a fun cityscape from poster board or paint boxes black like the picture above! Cut out bats from black paper and hang them above the food table with clear wire. Have a batman mask at each child’s spot to make them feel special!

For food, be sure to order some custom batman cookies or make them yourself.

Buy a bat cookie cutter and make these simple sandwiches in bat shapes! SO cute!

23. Arts and Crafts Child’s Birthday Party

This is such a creative and unique idea for a 5th birthday party! My son and his friends are OBSESSED with crafts and this party theme would both entertain them the entire time AND look adorable!

Consider using brown craft paper to cover your table. Set up a painting station for each child! Be sure to let the parents know to dress their kids in paint clothes.

For party favors, the idea above is ADORABLE! A fun craft for each child to take home and be entertained by for an afternoon. Their parents will thank you!

Decor for this party is super simple. Consider “paint splatter” balloons, brown craft paper for easy and disposable table clothes, art supplies like paint brushes, and of COURSE display some of your 5-year-olds art throughout your home!

24. Science Birthday Party Ideas

Younger children and older children alike all LOVE a good science experiment! Some fun science party ideas for 5 year old boy include: Volcano explosions, chemical reactions, and pretending to be a scientist in their lab! Kids will think this theme is the coolest!

For Food, I think these “Oreo Molecules” from Hostess with the Mostess are SO COOL. Get custom cookies made of the chemical elements or test tubes!

Party games are simple with this theme: Set up a fun science experiment for everyone to do together! A volcano explosion or fun bubbly potion mixing. The kids will love it!

For drinks, let the kids mix their own soda in test tubes at a “chemical reaction” station. SO FUN.

25. Reptile Birthday Party Ideas

Boys love snakes, lizards, alligators, and just all reptiles in general! While we parents might be creeped out, this party would send them over the moon!

Decor for a reptile party is actually super simple. Try using a lot of natural accents like burlap, craft paper, and lots of browns, greens, and tans! You can decorate the tables with faux or real greenery stems to create a “jungle” theme!

For party favors, create little “reptile” gifts. You can give each child some plastic reptile figurines OR edible reptile gummies!

There are so many cute food ideas for a reptile birthday. This fruit and cheese tray above is so creative and fun!

26. Shark Birthday Party Theme

Little boys love sharks and this birthday theme would be a blast! You could create a super fun “Jaws” themed party, or go more with a general seaside theme.

Decor for this is simple. Use a lot of blues and blacks and create some fun balloon arches using shark balloons as accents! You could cut out shark outlines from poster board for an accent wall. Keep your food table simple with fish netting for a tablecloth and lots of shells, starfish and seaside decor items.

For food, I’m obsessed with the idea above: A Shark-cuterie board! How fun and simple!

For games, you can play “pin the fin on the shark” and “shark and minnows” where the birthday guest of honor gets to chase all his friends! The kids will love this party.

27. Down On the Farm Birthday Party Theme

Little kids are always SO fascinated with the farm lifestyle. If you re looking for some cute party ideas for 5 year old boy that incorporate farm life, check out the ideas below! This party would be SO fun and simple and if you have an animal lover, they will be in love!

Decor for this party is simple! Use a lot of natural accents like straw/hay bales, wildflowers, burlap, and linen. You can purchase a big pack of plastic farm animals from dollar general and use them to decorate your tables! Keep balloons and streamers to a minimum with this party.

There are so many cute food ideas for this party. I love the idea of “chicken feed” for a trail mix or chip mix at the party.

Simple pigs-in-a-blanket would be the perfect entree option. Be sure to get some custom farm animal cookies made to really add a cute accent to your food table!

If you live on a farm and are able to let the kids pet a horse or other animal of some sort I’m sure it would be the highlight of the day!

28. Super Mario Bros Birthday Party Theme

Mario bros is still popular many, many years later, and for a good reason! Even older kids will love this fun and brightly colored theme.

For decor, keep everything BRIGHT! Deck out your house with different primary color shades and a LOT of balloons!

For food consider brightly colored cupcakes with sprinkles or these rice crispy bars with question marks on them! This would be such an easy and fun option for this party.

For party games, if you have the ability to set up a little “Mario obstacle course” the kids would be so excited! make sure there are prizes at the end!

29. Knights and Dragons Birthday Party Theme

Every little boy wants to be the brave knight fighting off the dragon! Read below for some awesome medieval party ideas for 5 year old boy!

For decor, set up a long table that looks like a medieval banquet hall! I love the idea above: Buy disposable “goblets” and use them to elevate your table setting!

If you have access to dress-up armor, let each kid have a sword and enjoy battling each other!

Some great food ideas are using chess cookies to create adorable “shield cakes” like the ones above! You could also go the super simple route and have cupcakes catered.

For party games, try creating a “knights games” obstacle course or scavenger hunt!

30. Magic Party Birthday Party Theme

If you are looking for the perfect party ideas for 5 year old boy to captivate them and their friends- try a MAGIC party! Even as an adult, I still enjoy a good magic show! This party theme would be a blast and one that all your kid’s friends will talk about for years to come!

For decor, I love the idea of adding some vintage flair! Bright red drapes, red and black table clothes, top hats, and playing cards are the perfect decorative accents!

For food, try making cookies that look like playing cards OR simply cater cupcakes that are topped with a playing card cupcake topper.

Party games for this theme are simple: Put on a magic show! The kids will be in amazement!

31. Rock N Roll Birthday Party Theme

Are you a rock n roll kind of family? Whether your little one is already a musician or it just runs in his blood, this party will be the cutest!

Decor accents for this party are simple! Stick to a lot of blacks, reds, and bright yellows. If you have old records on hand or if you are a musician and have access to electric guitars or other musical accents, you can use these for props/an accent wall!

For a fun party activity, set up a “tattoo parlor” where you can help the kids apply temporary tattoos!

Another game idea is setting up a karaoke stand or letting the kids put on a musical “concert” for the parents!

With themes like “pour some sugar on me” and “sweet child o mine”, I think it’s obvious you need some delicious dessert options! I’d go for donuts, cupcakes, or something simple to get catered and take the stress off the parents!

32. Safari Explorers Birthday Party Theme

If you want some simple, and cheap party ideas for 5 year old boy, a Safari theme might be perfect! Safari explorers of all ages will think this party is fantastic! It’s super simple to throw together the safari look.

Decor accents are simple: Use natural materials like linen, burlap, and greenery to create a safari-themed table!

For food, I love the idea above: use safari animal figurines to create an adorable custom cake!

Another fun food idea is using everyone’s favorite animal crackers and creating a fun cookie dip platter like above!

33. Wild Things/ Monster Birthday Party Theme

Some great party ideas for 5 year old boy is a WILD THINGS party! One of our family’s favorite books of all time is “Wild Things”. My kids love the pictures and story of how Max meets the Wild Things!

Setting up decor for this party is simple! Use lots of greenery to mimic the jungles where Max found the Wild Things! Simple food like ham and cheese sliders and dirt pudding would go perfectly with this theme!

I love how Camille Styles created this fun “Wild Things” table using gold paper crowns and lots of greenery!

Try creating little to-go smores packs for party favors!

34. Spiderman Birthday Party Theme

If you’re searching for superhero-related party ideas for 5 year old boy, don’t leave out Spiderman! Spiderman deserves his own individual party! He is by far the coolest superhero in my son’s opinion. Little boys will think this party is SO fun!

This party theme is SO EASY! Use lots of reds, blacks, blues, and “webbing” to create a fun and creative spiderman food table and accent wall!

For decor, consider creating a “cityscape” out of black poster board! It will be the perfect backdrop for all your spidey decor!

Use lots of small plastic spiders to decorate the food table! Cupcakes in bright red and blue will be perfect for this party.

Get To Planning, Party People!

I hope this post inspired you to throw the best party for your little man! I love party planning and would LOVE to hear from you! Which theme is your favorite? Did you try any of these themes for your child? Let me know below!

Don’t forget to check out my post HERE about Charlotte’s Flower Power Birthday Party!