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All the Best Sports Themed Birthday Party Ideas

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Looking for general sports themed birthday party ideas?

Or maybe you have a specific sport in mind that you want to celebrate?

Either way, we’ve got you covered!

Looking for general sports themed birthday party ideas? Or maybe you have a specific sport in mind that you want to celebrate? Either way, we've got you covered! Check it out!

From invitations and decorations to the best party food ideas, we’ve got you completely covered!

Read on to find out how to plan the ultimate birthday party for your sports fan!

Sports Themed Birthday Party Ideas

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When I started doing research and such for this article, I wasn’t sure how I wanted to approach it. I mean, there are so many different types of sports out there. If I were to cover every sport, it would be a book instead of a blog post!

So, I decided that I would cover sports in general for the main part of the article. Then, I would add birthday party resources for North America’s 4 major professional sports- Baseball, Basketball, Football and Hockey- at the end of the post.

So, whether you are thinking of having a general sports party for your birthday, or you want a specific sport for your birthday party theme, you’ll have ideas!

INVITATIONS

The first step to planning any birthday party is to let people know about your party. And the best way to do that is to send out invitations!

I also love the idea in the Instagram picture above! Granted, it’s for a 1st Birthday party, but you can adapt it for any age. Just make up fun event tickets on your favorite photo editing software (try Canva or PicMonkey!), and fill in the details for your bash!

DECORATIONS

To give your party area a sports-like atmosphere, you’re going to need some decorations, right? These decoration options are available on Amazon.

  • Sports Pennant Banners– This is a 3-pack of sports pennant banners, each one measuring 10 inches high and 12 feet wide. These banners can be used either indoors or outdoors.
  • Go, Fight Win Decorations– These decorations come in a pack of 20 extra-large sports ball-shaped cutouts, consisting of 5 baseball shapes, 5 basketball shapes, 5 football shapes and 5 soccer balls.
  • Sports-Themed Swirl Decorations– This package comes with 30-count hanging swirl decorations, with cutouts of various sports balls, including baseball, football, tennis ball and volleyball.
  • Sports Party Balloon Kit– This 8-piece balloon kit comes complete with (4) baseball, basketball, football and soccer ball, 18 inch foil balloons, (2) 19 inch star-shaped foil balloons, (1) balloon weight and (1) 66 inch ribbon egg.

Another idea: use the colors of your favorite team for inspiration! For example, if you love the Philadelphia Eagles, grab some midnight green, silver, and charcoal colored balloons, table clothes, and so on.

TABLEWARE

To make your food and drink tables look awesome and cool, some sporty tableware is in order, don’t you think? Both items below can be found on Amazon.

 

FOOD & DRINK

When it comes to food and drink ideas for your birthday party, think about foods that are commonly available at sports stadium.

1. Hot dogs

Hot dogs are a must-have food item at your party. You can totally go crazy when it comes to toppings! Need some ideas for the ultimate hot dog bar? Here you go:

2. Burgers

Like hot dogs, you can go crazy with toppings. Here are a few ideas for your burger buffet:

  • Avocado
  • Bacon
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Cheese
  • Dill Pickles
  • Fried Egg
  • Grilled Pineapple
  • Guacamole
  • Jalapenos
  • Ketchup
  • Lettuce
  • Mayonnaise
  • Mushrooms
  • Mustard
  • Olives
  • Onion
  • Onion Rings
  • Roasted Red Peppers
  • Tomatoes

3. Chicken Tenders

Make sure you include plenty of different dipping sauce! My favorites are:

 

4. Chili

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I don't know about you, but over the years, I have felt the pressure to pick a team when it comes to nutrition; vegetarian or meat eater. Nutrition is like religion or politics, it can get very 'campy' and dogmatics and divisive. People often talk like you need choose between paleo or vegan, and suggest there is nothing in between. But the truth is, there is SO much in between. You can eat vegetables and still eat meat. You can eat meat and still eat vegetables. You can eat meat and beans and lentils and whole grains and fruits and vegetables and it actually doesn't matter. When you focus on real food and food quality, as opposed to picking a team, it makes eating well so much easier. Sometimes I eat chili made with meat, and sometimes I eat chili made with lentils, and it's not a big deal. So, if you want to make this Vegetarian Lentil Chili I shared on the blog this week, do it. It's a great alternative to your classic beef chili, and if you want to add beef, you can do that too. 😘 Check out the link in my profile for the full recipe. #redsrecommendations

A post shared by Stephanie Kay (AKA Red) (@stephaniekaynutrition) on

Chili is a great sports themed birthday party food because it can be eaten alone or used as a topping. If you’re planning to use it as a main course, make a couple different types, including a vegetarian option.

I would also go with a mild chili, then add a selection of hot sauces around the table so people can spice it up to their liking. Don’t forget the cheese and sour cream!

5. Corn Dogs

Corn dogs are one of my favorite stadium-inspired foods! I personally prefer the chicken-based ones, so it may be a good idea to include a mix. You can buy a huge box of them at Walmart, or make your own.

6. Fried Pickles

I’ll admit, fried pickles really aren’t my thing, but I know they’re a huge hit with my friends! Check out the video above for how to make them!

7. Loaded Baked Potatoes

I love the idea of setting out a baked potato bar so guests can load them up however they like. If you’re also doing a hot dog or burger bar, you’ll have most of the necessary ingredients already on the table. Just add some sour cream and shredded cheese if you don’t already have them out.

8. Nachos

Again, set this up buffet style, with naked chips at the center, then all the usual toppings in individual bowls so your guests can customize their own nachos. Make sure you include:

  • Gooey cheese (Velveeta works great)
  • Jalapenos
  • Salsa
  • Different degrees of hot sauce

9. Pizza

You really can never go wrong with pizza! I recommend sticking to the basics: cheese and pepperoni. You can set out other toppings for those who like a little more variety.

If you want to make your own, check out the recipe video above. Honestly, though, I find it’s cheaper to just order in bulk from my local pizzeria. By the time you buy the dough, cheese, and sauce, you’ve spent close to what a large pie costs, anyway.

10. Soft Pretzels

Make your own ahead of time, or visit a local pretzel place (we have Auntie Annes as well as a local place called Callie’s Pretzel Factory) and buy in bulk the day of the party.

11. Snacks

You may want to set up a snack bar with individual packages of goodies like:

  • Animal Crackers
  • Cotton Candy (check out the cool video above for how to make your own!)
  • Cracker Jacks
  • Roasted Peanuts
  • Sunflower Seeds

12. Drinks

You may want to serve drinks in sports cups, like these Sports Cup Assortment with Straws. So, what are some drink ideas for your party? What about Gatorade or Powerade, lemonade or root beer!

ACTIVITES & GAMES

Activities and games should be the heart of your birthday party. Why, you ask? Because sports are all about games, of course!

  • Coolest Kid Birthday Parties has this great article- Game Ideas For a Sports Theme Party, which includes directions on how to play 12 different games, including Ball Relay, Spot the Ball and Trivia Sports Hunt.
  • Nute Productions features this cool article- Sports Party Game Ideas, which features directions for several game ideas, including Sports Charades and Sports Trivia.
  • Oriental Trading has instructions for creating (DIY) and playing the Knock Down Sports Game.
  • The Joys of Boys has this awesome article- Ultimate Sports Birthday Party, which has instructions on playing 7 different party games, including Hot Potato Football Toss and Soccer Relay Race.
  • Beau Coup features this cool article- Fun Games For a Sports Themed Birthday Party, which has instructions for 4 games- Football Toss, Hot Basketball, Noodle Archery and Score the Noodle.
  • Ultimate Camp Resource features instructions for 56 Sports-oriented Games, including Balloon Baseball, Frisbee Football and Soccer Basketball.
  • UNICEF Kid Power features this great article- Sports Activities & Games for Kids, which has instructions for playing lots of games, including basketball games, bowling games, golf games and volleyball games.

PARTY FAVORS

After your birthday party winds down and your guests are getting ready to go home, send them home with party favors to remember the fun they had! The party favors below can be found on Amazon.

  • Party Treat Bags- This 36-pack of sports-themed design treat bags, feature images of various sports balls, including baseball, basketball, football and soccer ball.
  • All Sports Wristbands– This package of 24 wristbands come in 4 colors- green, orange, purple and red, as well as 4 images of sports balls- baseball, basketball, football and soccer ball.
  • Sports Pencils with Ball Eraser– This 12-pack of #2 wooden pencils with images of sports balls- baseball, basketball, football and soccer ball, along with a coordinating sports ball eraser.
  • Sports Stress Balls– This set of 24 stress squeeze balls, which measure 2.5 inches in diameter, includes baseball, basketball, football and soccer ball.

INDIVIDUAL SPORTS PARTY RESOURCES:

BASEBALL

BASKETBALL

FOOTBALL

HOCKEY

With all these great sports themed birthday party ideas, you’ll definitely have the bash of the year! The only thing left to do is have a great time!

Do you have any favorite sports themed birthday party ideas? Share below!