Children’s Party Ideas: Football Party
It’s coming home! Or maybe it’s not... Either way, if you have a football-mad little one with a birthday on the horizon, why not make their big day the best they’ve ever had with a fun-filled football party? From football-themed decorations to action-packed football matches, quizzes and games, it’ll be a day that any budding David Beckham or Lucy Bronze will never forget.
Football Party Invites
Creating an invite to match your football birthday party theme is imperative, and the good news is that it’s as easy as scoring an open goal. Cut a ball shape out of card, draw on a hexagon design, write out all the details (date, kick off time etc.), and hey presto, you’ve got a stack of great-looking invites ready to hand out at school or send through the post. Alternatively, send pitch-shaped invites (literally just a rectangle of green card with some lines drawn out - silver marker is good for this), or cut them out in the shape of a trophy instead.
Footie Outfits
The obvious option here is to ask party guests to attend in their favourite team’s kit, but if some of the children don’t own an official strip or shirt, give them the chance to create their own kits when they arrive. Provide plain white T-shirts and fabric markers that dry instantly and let them design their own football shirts, complete with personalised badge and their name - or that of their favourite player - written across the back.
Football Party Decorations
While we’re not going to suggest transforming your living room into a stadium, what we will say is that there are TONS of football party decorations that will turn your home or garden into the next best thing. First, set the table with fabulous football-themed cups, plates and napkins, as well as a grass table runner. Next, add some ‘wow’ factor with a personalised banner and plenty of balloons. This personalised football themed balloon set is guaranteed to impress the birthday boy or girl. Alternatively, match plain balloons and tableware to the birthday boy or girl’s favourite team’s colours, and add some single football balloons here and there.
Football piñata
For the ultimate football birthday party accessory, hang a treat-filled football piñata in the garden and fill it with football-themed swag such as stickers and chocolate footballs.
Birthday Cake
Making a football birthday party cake in the shape of a football is the obvious choice, and can be as simple or as complex as you have the time/patience/skills for. Alternatively, think outside the (penalty) box and go for a pitch-shaped cake made from a plain rectangular sponge covered in green icing, with markings piped out in white icing. If you prefer, give baking a miss completely by ordering a personalised football cake. You could also make baking a starting point for a party activity by making some plain biscuits in the shape of footballs or football shirts, and provide coloured icing for the kids to decorate them with.
Football matches
Divide the kids into teams and organise a match or tournament (depending how many guests there are) with fun prizes, such as trophies or medals for all of the participants. Alternatively, you can take it up a notch by booking a company that specialises in running football sessions for parties – search online for the best options near you. Prep the garden with some pop-up goals and make sure you have a supply of orange quarters ready for all your little strikers at half time.
Indoor activities
If the weather’s looking iffy, it’s good to have some indoor football party activities on standby. If the kids are old enough and are into Fifa, why not set up a tournament to crown a champion for the day? Old-school football games are another great bet: options include Subbuteo (which makes for an incredible birthday present, too) and blow football. A football quiz with multiple choice questions, so all the guests can take a guess at the answers whether they’re footy experts or not, will also be a ball.
Party favours
As well as their medals or trophies, provide every child with a special keepsake of a fantastically football-packed day. Sticker albums and a couple of packs of stickers are always a big hit. Package them up in football themed bags together with an inflatable football and maybe even a referee's whistle (Fellow parents can thank you for that one later!)
Need more children's party inspo? Read our guides to fairy, shark and magic parties, and shop our full range of kids' party decorations and tableware here