Planning a memorable birthday party for your 9-year-old doesn’t have to be a daunting task.
As a former educator, camp counselor, and parent of this age group, I know what kids love and what keeps them engaged.
With a mix of classic games, creative crafts, and exciting activities, you can create a celebration that your child and their friends will be talking about for weeks!
Whether you’re looking for simple DIY ideas or unique themes, this comprehensive list has something for everyone. We’ve compiled suggestions from parents, combined them with expert advice, and added a few tried-and-true favorites of our own.
From active games to chill crafts, these 50 fun birthday party ideas are sure to make your 9-year-old’s special day a blast!
1. Boba Tea Party
Set up a boba-making station where the kids can create their own boba drinks. Provide different flavors of boba tea, such as milk tea, fruit tea, and matcha, along with a variety of toppings like tapioca pearls, jelly, and popping boba. Offer clear cups and colorful straws for a vibrant presentation.
From Boba Bracelets to the perfect decorations, here are the 25 Best Boba tea Party Ideas for Kids & Teens.
2. Nerf Battle Party
If you have a group of kids that loves competitive games, a Nerf Battle Birthday Party is a sure hit! Gather up a bunch of Nerf or water guns laying around, or ask your child’s friends to bring their own, then organize a nerf war in a large open space like a big backyard or park.
3. Donut Making Party
If you’re hunting for a birthday bash idea that’s a bit outside the box and guarantees a sprinkle of fun (pun totally intended), consider a donut-making party!
With colorful kitchenware, the scent of sweet batter, and a bunch of kids donning chef’s hats, my kitchen turned into the sweetest little bakery.
4. Movie Night
There’s nothing better than a classic movie night at your birthday party. This can be part of a sleepover or an “undernight” (when the kids get picked up before bedtime).
To make it memorable, have everyone lay out their sleeping bags or blankets, pop some popcorn (you can add candy like gummy bears to the popcorn to make it even more special), and turn out all the lights! This is an especially great option for a small group.
Variation: Outdoor Movie Night! Snuggle up on an outdoor blanket and watch a movie outside.
5. Tie Dye Party
A tie-dye party is a chance for kids to let their creative juices flow, and create something beautiful that they can wear and treasure. The best party? Built-in party favors!
6. Mad Scientist’s Lab Party
Bust out your lab coats and plan a science-themed birthday party that will keep all your little scientists engaged and excited.
The best part? I’ve got you covered with a list of 100 easy science experiments that are perfect for the party. Each experiment can be completed in about 30 minutes, using ingredients you probably already have at home.
From DIY Lava Lamps to Vinegar Volcanoes, let’s dive into the list together and pick out the experiments that’ll make your science party a blast.
7. Paint & Sip Soiree
A Paint & Sip party is not just for adults anymore. Kids can get in on the fun with personal art stations, a Sipping Station with sparkling juices and crafts sodas, and a guided painting session!
Designed for young artists aged 9-12, this party theme promises laughter, creativity, and a dash of sophistication they’ll absolutely adore. Your party will be a masterpiece!
8. Swiftie Party
Are you ready for it? A Taylor Swift themed birthday party is so much fun! From an Eras-style invitation, to friendship bracelets, to a Milkshake-if-off station, we’ve got the ultimate guide to hosting a party that will be a chart-topping hit for your 10 year old.
9. Backyard Bash
From classic outdoor games like Capture the Flag and Tug of War to creative DIY projects and obstacle courses, here are 100 Fun Backyard Activities that energetic nine year olds will love.
10. Spa Party
Spa parties are a fantastic way to introduce kids to self-care in a fun and age-appropriate way. Plus, it’s a great opportunity for them to relax and feel special.
From DIY bath bombs and manicure stations to delicious snack ideas and thoughtful party favors, we’ve got everything you need to make your spa party a hit!
9. Backyard Campout
Who says your child’s birthday party has to be complicated? Take it back to simpler times with a backyard campout. Have everyone bring their tent and sleeping bag and campout in the backyard. Bonus points for a campfire, flashlight tag, and s’mores.
Younger children who haven’t slept outside before may get spooked, so chat with parents beforehand.
8. Cookie Decorating
All you need are some basic sugar cookies (store-bought or homemade), some frosting, sprinkles, googly eyes and any other decorations that suit your fancy.
Spread out the tablecloth, child-safe knives, spatulas, and spoons, and let the kids have at it.
We recommend buying 2-3 cookies for each child on your guest list so that the activity takes longer and the kids can perfect their cookie-decorating skills.
Variation: You can also decorate cupcakes or get giant white birthday cake and have everyone take part in decorating it.
9. Piñata Party
You can buy a piñata at any party store, or even Walmart. The kids will love putting blindfolds on and trying to break it open so that all the candy will fall out! Depending on the number of children you have attending your party, you may want to get more than one piñata.
10. Treasure Hunt or Scavenger Hunt
If you’re feeling motivated, organize a simple treasure or scavenger hunt for your party goers. If you have a birthday party theme, it’s a good idea to have the scavenger hunt go along with it. For example, if it’s a Harry Potter party, it could be a Marauder’s Map theme.
14. Hot Cocoa Bar
Everyone on the guest list will love a hot cocoa bar! This is an especially good idea during the colder months. Buy some hot cocoa, whipped cream, and fun toppings like sprinkles, marshmallows, and chocolate shavings. Everyone will love this sweet and special treat.
15. Photo Booth
If there aren’t photos, did it even happen? A good way to make sure you document sufficiently is by having a photo booth. You can rent a professional photo booth, or you can simply hang a backdrop and add some props for the kids to take silly photos of each other
16. Escape Room
Taking the kids to a local escape room for a 9-year-old birthday party can be a fun and exciting experience. It’s crucial to have adequate adult supervision during the escape room experience. Assign a responsible adult to accompany each group of children, ensuring their safety and assisting if needed.
17. Roller Skating
Roller skating is a fantastic choice for a 9-year-old birthday party! Strap on those skates and get ready for a day of fun, laughter, and excitement. Whether you opt for an indoor roller skating rink or a safe outdoor area, roller skating provides an opportunity for kids to enjoy a thrilling activity while improving their balance and coordination.
With lively music playing in the background, the children can glide and spin around the rink, playing games and engaging in friendly competitions.
17. Soccer Shootout
Set up two goals and start up a soccer game. Or do a soccer shootout! To do a shootout, set up two cones for your goal, and mark a ten foot distance, or any distance you choose. Dribble the ball up, and shoot! See how many you can make in a set amount of time.
18. Bouncy House
Bounce houses are always a great time. You can rent one to put in your backyard or a local park, add some delicious food items and fun music, and you’ve got a poppin’ party! The birthday boy or girl will love it.
19. Water Balloon Games
On a hot summer day, water balloon games are the perfect way to cool off. Here are 21 fun water balloon games you’ll all love. Afterwards, serve some ice cream!
20. Obstacle Course
This age group loves a good challenge. Grab some cones, hula hoops, outdoor blankets, small stools, and any other equipment you could use for an outdoor obstacle course. Time each other running through. Who can do it fastest? This is a simple, fun way to get active.
21. Balloon Bulls Eye
One of the best party activities is balloon bulls eye. Affix several balloons to a vertical surface that you are okay with getting damaged. Provide darts to each child and see if they can pop the balloons.
23. Hula Hoop Fun
Use a hula hoop to play human ring toss, or just have some fun spinning the hula hoop around your waist! Get the Wham-O Original Hula Hoop Set of 3 Sizes, to fit your kids of all ages (and you!).
24. Sidewalk Chalk Mural
For a cool-looking geometric chalk mural, place masking tape on the ground, fence, or any surface you are working on your chalk mural. Create geomatric shapes similar to a stained glass window. Color in the shapes. When you lift the tape up, you’ll have a beautiful geometric mural.
25. Petting Zoo
You can either transport the kids out to a local petting zoo, or contract an animal keeper to bring one to your home. This is great for kids who are animal lovers.
26. Glow Stick Dance Party
One of the best things about being a kid is letting loose and dancing up a storm. Give everyone a set glow sticks, turn out the lights, and put on their favorite music!
Here are the 100 Best Kids Dance Songs to get your party started >>
27. Hide & Seek
This classic game is a sure-fire hit. One player covers their eyes and gives the other players 30 seconds to hide. After 30 seconds, they’re coming for you!
28. Keep It Up
Using balloons or a light bouncy ball, see how long you can keep it in the air without it touching the ground. Team members cannot touch it more than once in a row. The team gets a point for every touch. It’s a really fun activity that is easy for everyone to play.
29. Paper Airplane Cornhole
Each player creates the best paper airplane they can. Then take turns trying to land the airplane into a bucket or other target.
30. Relay Races
Penguin Race
Set up two cones or markers on either side of the yard. Each racer has to place a ball (the “egg”) between their legs. See how many laps they can complete in one minute. If they drop the “egg” they have to do 5 jumping jacks!
Egg & Spoon Race
Place a small object like a marble or egg on a spoon, and set up two cones or markers on either end of the yard. The first person has to try to get from the start to the finish line with out dropping it, then come back and tag the next person in line. Use objects from around the house, or use the cute and colorful Hey! Play! Wooden Egg and Spoon Race Game from Overstock.com.
31. Sly Fox
One player is chosen to be the Fox, and faces away from the rest of the players. The other players sneak up gradually on the Fox and aim to touch their back before they turn around to catch them. Before the Fox can turn around, they must count to 10 under their breath or out loud as fast or slowly as they like. When the Fox turns around all the other players must ‘freeze’. If the Fox spots a player moving, or falling over, that player must return to the starting point again.
32. Slip n’ Slide n’ Grab
When you can’t have a pool party, a slip n’ slide is the best way to get wet and wild! Better yet, place random objects along the slip n slide. Try to grab them as you slide down! Any 8-year-old boy or girl would love to have a slip n’ slide birthday party.
33. Frisbee Toss
Hone your frisbee throwing skills. Grab a bucket or laundry basket, and have each birthday guest try to toss the frisbee in from varying lengths across the yard.
34. Climb The Ladder
Go grab the ladder from the garage and place a bottle on the bottom rung. Fill a bucket or laundry basket up with sock balls and take turns trying to knock it down. When you knock it off one level, move it one rung higher. How many throws does it take you?
35. Cornhole
This classic game will be a fun activity for your next party. Split the kids up into teams of two and start a tournament!
36. Three legged Race
Tie the left leg of one person to the right leg of another person and see how fast you can get across the yard!
37. Bowl Buckets
Bring some bowls outside and put a piece of paper in each one indicating how many points they are worth. Mark where each player should throw from and see how many points you can get in a set amount of time.
38. Horseshoes
Horseshoes is a great game that all ages can play. Just toss the horseshoe to try to get a ringer around the stake! Get this safe-for-kids Hey! Play! Rubber Horseshoes Set from Overstock.com.
39. Freeze Dance
Bring a speaker outside and blast your favorite music. When the music stops, everyone freezes! You can also play musical chairs, where everyone has to sit down in a chair when the music stops. Take one chair away each round.
40. Potato Sack Races
Use sleeping bags or potato sacks to race across the yard in this field day favorite! You can get classic double burlap potato sacks on Overstock.com.
41. Flashlight Tag
At your next party, bring out your flashlights and play flashlight tag, shadow charades, catch the light, or flashlight limbo, or have a flashlight disco party!
42. Around The World
Bring out a laundry basket and set it against a wall outside. You can play H.O.R.S.E., Around The World, and Knockout – no hoop required!
Of course, it’s more fun with a real hoop. Check out this 43″ Indoor/Outdoor Height Adjustable Basketball Hoop on Overstock.com.
43. Limbo
Put some limbo music on the speaker, and grab a pole, stick, or shower rod. Let the limbo games begin! Any group of kids will love this activity. Want to level up? Get some island-themed party decorations, since the game of limbo originated in Caribbean island of Trinidad. Check out the GoSports Get Low Limbo Premium Wooden Limbo Game from Overstock.com.
44. Lawn Bowling
Set up some bottles and use any ball for a DIY version of lawn bowling, or get an official set from Overstock.com that you can use for years to come.
45. Backyard Baseball
Place four large objects in the yard as the bases and play some ball!
46. DIY Twister
Right hand – Red! Left leg – Blue! Find out how you can create a giant outdoor Twister game on your lawn using paint. See it on sheknows.com.
47. Beach Ball Shot Put
Create a throwing line in the grass and throw the beach balls from there by “pushing” the ball in the form of a shot putter. Measure each throw with a tape measure and write the measurement. See who can throw the farthest!
48. Giant Jenga
Stack up the wooden blocks and remove the one by one. Don’t let the tower fall! We like this set from Hey! Play! on Overstock.com because the pieces are large, but they aren’t so giant that they would hurt someone when they all come crashing down.
Alternative: If you don’t have a giant Jenga game, or want a budget friendly game option, you can opt for a giant Memory Game. Use a Sharpie to write two of each letter or number on large pieces of cardboard. (Or, with a little imagination, you could make more creative memory cards.) Then lay all the cardboard facedown in your yard and play a giant game of Memory!
49. High Jump & Long Jump Competition
For a High Jump Competition, find a big tree or a clear section of wall space outside, and make sure the area is safe. Jump and reach as high as you can. Use a tape measure to record the heigh of each touch. Who can get the highest?
For a Long Jump Competition, find a grassy area of your backyard that is safe to jump around. Market a take-off line, and have everyone jump from that spot. They should bend their knees, swing their arms, and jump for distance. Measure each jump with a tape-measurer and see who can jump the farthest!
50. Ring Toss
Toss each ring to get it around a peg, worth different amounts of point. This classic game will be fun all summer long! We like the Triumph Wooden Ring Toss Game from Blain’s Farm & Fleet because it’s super compact and disassembles easily.
51. Play Tag!
Tag is a classic kids game and there are so many different ways to play it:
Stuck in The Mud Tag
Players pick someone to be “it.” They get five seconds to run away from whoever is “it.” The “it” person must run and tag everyone to win the game. When the “it” person tags a player, the player gets stuck in the mud and can’t move. To save players who are stuck, other players can crawl through their legs to free them.
Freeze Tag
One player is It. When a player is tagged, they must remain frozen in place. They can be unfrozen if they’re tagged by a non-It player.
Tunnel Tag
One player is It. When a player is tagged, they must remain frozen in place, with their legs wide apart, creating a tunnel. They can be unfrozen if a non-It player crawls under the leg tunnel.
Bandaid Tag
One player is It. When a player is tagged they put a hand (as a “band-aid”) over the spot where It touched them. When they are tagged a second time, they places the other hand on the new spot. When they are tagged a third time, they becomes It.
52. Water Blob
Get a clear plastic tarp and fold it in half. Duct tape the three open sides so that they are completely shut. Leave a small opening to fill up the blob with water. Once it’s filled, close it up with duct tape. Everyone will love sliding, jumping, and laying on your new water blob.
53. Spud
You need five people to play this game, so the whole party can join in! Choose one player to be “it” and assign everyone numbers. Then have the person who is “it” stand in the middle of a circle, throw up a ball, and call out on of the number.
The person with that number has to catch the ball and yell “Spud!” Everyone has to freeze when they yell “Spud!” Then the person can take three big steps towards any player and try to hit them with the ball. If they miss, or the player catches the ball, the thrower gets an S. If they hit them, the person who got hit gets an “S” and they are now “it”.
If someone shouts a number that nobody has, know that this is called a “ghost number”.If a ghost number is called, everyone must rush up to the ball and touch it. The last player to do so gets a letter. For each letter a player gets, spell out S-P-U-D. If you spell out S-P-U-D you lose. The last player standing is the winner.
54. Ice Skating or Sledding
In a cold weather climate, ice skating and sledding can be the perfect birthday party activities. Just add hot cocoa!
55. Charades
Charades is one of those classic party games that will help break the ice and get everyone laughing. To prepare, review the basic instructions with the kids, do an example for them, and write down some of things they could act out.
56. Pictionary
Pictionary is one of those great party games that will get everyone laughing. You’ll need a large piece of paper or whiteboard, and it may help to pre-write some good clues. We recommend working together as one team to avoid any unnecessary conflict. Birthday parties are hard enough – you don’t need any Pictionary drama!
Happy birthday to your 9 year old!
We hope you loved these ideas and that your child’s party is a lot of fun. Here’s wishing them a very special day.
Related Posts:
- 50 Best Indoor Activities For Your Toddler’s Birthday Party
- 50 Creative Birthday Party Ideas for Your 3-Year-Old
- 50 Outdoor Birthday Party Ideas for Your 4-Year-Old
- 50 Fun Birthday Party Activities for Your 5 Year Old
- 50 Fun Activities for Your 7 Year Old’s Birthday Party
- 50 Fun Activities for Your 8 Year Old’s Birthday Party
- 50 Fun Activities for Your 10 Year Old’s Birthday Party
- 50 Fun Activities for Your 11 Year Old’s Birthday Party
- 50 Best Birthday Activities for a 12 Year Old
- 50 Best Birthday Party Activities for a 13 Year Old
- 50 Fun Activities for a Girl’s Birthday Party
- 50 Fun Activities for a Boy’s Birthday Party
- 50 Best Birthday Party Activities for Kids
- DIY Kids Painting Party
- Pool Party Balloon Ideas
- 50 Best Sleepover Activities for 11 Year Olds
- 50 Kids Party Food Ideas That Are Budget-Friendly
Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
