Hosting a Bug Themed Birthday Party

by Stephanie Keeping on April 30th, 2014 | 2 Comments »

Have you ever thought of hosting a bug themed birthday party? Whether you think you might have a budding entomologist or not, bugs fascinate kids. With over one million known insect species, they serve as an intriguing and educational birthday party theme. Some kids are likely to be interested in slugs, roaches and worms but even the squeamish will be captivated by butterflies and dragonflies. In the insect world, there is something for everyone!

Bug Birthday Party Invitations

To host a bug party, start with an engaging invitation and you’ll generate excitement. Use a leaf shape and an envelope embellished with bug stickers or hand deliver your invitation of a small jar filled with moss, sticks and a faux bug. Tie on a hang-tag with your party info.

Decorations

Think of nature when decorating for this theme. Texture adds a great dimension; wood, moss, and metal are good potentials. Greens and browns look terrific when punctuated with colorful plastic bugs. Leaves and bugs pair well in garlands, mobiles and pennants.

For a food table background, an over-sized poster of bugs makes a fascinating focal point. Mosquito netting suspended from the ceiling or a light fixture looks awesome with faux bugs attached. House plant arrangements with giant, fake bugs are sure to arrest attention.

Balloons can be transformed into caterpillars, butterflies, bees and all sorts of colorful bugs that amuse and create party atmosphere, too.

Menu Ideas

Do you like to play with food? You’ll have fun with this theme as you morph fruits and vegetables into all kinds of insects! Kids tend to eat things they wouldn’t normally when it comes in a fun shape. Give your offerings bug related names—kids will be delighted! Here are just a few ideas:

specimen bugs: dates/ figs as the body; dried mango wings; raisin heads
bug eggs: donut holes
hive pieces: pour melted chocolate over bubble wrap; when cooled, remove wrap—looks like honeycomb
spiders: no bake cookies, pretzels legs plus frosting eyes
spider webs: pipe melted white chocolate and pretzel rods in web shape
ants: chocolate sprinkles on cake pops
cockroaches: cinnamon spice nuts

Activities for a Bug Birthday Party

Kids will enjoy wearing pith hats and they’ll feel official with bug nets and magnifying glasses as they scurry to play games. These items can also serve as take-home favors.

Keep your party guests happily busy with themed activities:

craft table: color or build your own bug
spider web maze: yarn wound around trees or furniture
bug hunt: hide colorful bugs (like egg hunt)
pin the spider on the web
nature scavenger hunt
age appropriate bug science lesson

Bug Birthday Party Favors

Finally, send guests home with winning reminders of the day: bug stickers, bug shaped cookies, books about bugs and plastic bugs are popular.

Hosting a bug themed party is a fun way to celebrate a birthday! Use these ideas to prime your imagination and you’ll have kids bug-eyed as they celebrate and explore a whole new world of insects.

What would your kids love to see a bug themed birthday party?

Stephanie Keeping is a wife to Mike, mom to a boy named Sam, a blogger, and an Etsy-preneur. She celebrates boyish charm at Spaceships and Laser Beams, where she talks about all things boy and birthday party. You can connect with her on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter and on Etsy.