A few years ago, we started hosting what I call inspired-by birthday parties. Think: a Taylor Swift-inspired celebration or a Harry Potter–esque afternoon. The goal is inclusivity – creating something fun that appeals to everyone – and adapting themes to our daughter’s interests.
Why we take an inspired-by approach
Sit down for this: We’re not big Taylor Swift fans. (I know. The horror. I don’t have any problems with her, but we’re mostly just ambivalent.) BUT, we love some of the fun parts of her concerts: sparkles, friendship bracelets, joy.
And we do love Harry Potter, but we also know not every kid coming to the party has read the books or watched the movies. And we don’t want anyone feeling like they’re missing something by not knowing what Expelliarmus means.
What this looks like
For our not-a-Taylor-Swift party:
- Tinsel and glitter everywhere: tables, walls, my daughter’s face
- Disco ball planters from Abby’s Garden Parties as the activity and take-home gift (Not an ad!)
- Heart sunglasses and beaded necklaces from Dollar Tree
- Friendship bracelet-making
- A simple request to wear your brightest, most fun colors
- There was no Taylor Swift music, a concert on TV, cut-outs, and
so on.
For our Harry Potter-inspired party:
- Guests wore Hogwarts house colors, with a quick explanation of what each house represents
- Thrifted bottles filled with colored water became “potions.”
- The potions class was an Oobleck experiment
- Charms class was a (failed) levitation experiment
- No movies, no spellbooks, and no requirement to know the story
Bottom Line
You don’t need to recreate a book, movie, or concert exactly to make a birthday feel special.
(PS – If you’re looking for some more birthday content, here are a few other posts you might enjoy: Birthday Parties Stink and Yes I’m THAT Birthday Party Mom.)
