How to throw the ultimate kids’ disco party

First published on Tuesday 14 December 2021

Kids dressed up at disco party singing and playing instruments

Elle Redman

Writer

Dancing shoes and air guitars at the ready? From groovy music to fun fancy dress, we’ve got everything you need to throw the ultimate kids disco party

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Who doesn’t love a disco party? There’s sparkly decorations, cake, fabulous music, lots of dancing ... and did we mention the cake?

Kids will love getting dressed up, showing off their best dance moves, and partying the night away.

From invitations to activities, there are lots of creative ways to throw a kids’ disco party.

What’s more, you can host an amazing get-together for your little ones without breaking the bank (or your back!).

And whether you’re throwing a birthday bash at home or hiring out a local venue, these party ideas will ensure your kids have an unforgettable disco fiesta.

Choosing a party venue

One of the first things to consider when planning a kids’ disco party is the venue. With all the groovy dancing taking place, space is pretty important.

If you’re searching for a venue (and want to save your home from being destroyed) you could hire out a local church hall, Scout hut or community centre . To find a place that fits the bill, why not check out our list of the best party venues for kids of all ages in your area ?

Hiring out a venue, however, isn’t the only way of hosting an amazing party. You could always spice up your living room and set the scene there. Or with a bit of disco magic, your garage could even pass as an excellent party location!

Whether you’re hiring a venue or hosting at home, be sure to clear the space as much as possible, so there’s lots of room for games and activities (and to ensure nobody trips over mid-air guitar!).

Disco decorations

Think glimmering disco balls, glow sticks and colourful lights .

When it comes to disco decor, there’s so much you could do! Why not pick a theme inspired by the 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s? Or simply decorate the room with lots of balloons, lights, fringe foil curtains and colourful bunting.

Start by setting the table with reusable cups, plates and a sprinkle of table confetti (silver or gold are lovely for discos).

Or for a cool 60s style, why not make a colourful tie dye tablecloth and decorate the space with DIY funky flower posters, peace signs and old vinyls?

While there’s plenty of ways to get creative, the great thing about a disco party is that with the lights down low and lots of music playing, you don’t need to worry too much about making your decorations look perfect.

You could even turn party prep into a fun activity by asking your kids to make some homemade decorations such as welcome banners, posters or paper bunting .

Groovy music

A party without music just isn’t a party (especially a disco party!).

If you’re holding the party at a venue, don’t forget to take your portable speakers or CD player. There’s lots of brilliant playlists on Spotify including Top 100 Kids’ Disco Party Songs! As well as Mini Disco Songs by Kids Now and this classic Kids Party Megamix on YouTube.

If you have time, you could put together a playlist of your own using a music platform of your choice (or it could be another fun activity for the kids to do). So long as ABBA and Disney are included, you’re pretty much good to go!

For a hassle-free evening, there’s always the option of hiring a local kids entertainer to take care of the music, party games and sometimes even karaoke too. Though this may cost a little extra money, it takes some of the pressure off party planning. Plus, they provide heaps of fun and non-stop entertainment for all the little party-goers.

Party food

A selection of yummy food is the key to any great party.

You might be wondering, ‘what do you put in a kids party buffet?’. And luckily, we’re here to help.

We’ve got tons of ideas when it comes to birthday cake recipes as well as sandwich fillers , homemade pizza , sausage rolls and healthy nibbles such as broccoli tots , berry smoothies and cheese, carrot and courgette muffins .

Plus, make sure you check out our roundup of the best kids’ party food ideas as well as our 9 secrets to successful kids’ party food (without mountains of leftovers).

To transform your party snacks into disco-themed dishes, why not add edible glitter or multicoloured sprinkles to all your sweet treats?

Games and activities

There’s plenty of fun games to play at a kids’ disco party from pass the parcel to limbo challenges .

Music-themed games such as musical chairs, musical statues and musical bumps are always a firm party favourite. Plus, they give kiddos the chance to show off their funky moves and bop till they drop.

You could put your kids’ knowledge to the test with a music trivia quiz .

For this, all you need to do is divide the party guests into teams and give each team a pad of paper and a pencil to record their answers.

Before the party, you’ll need to come up with a list of fun music questions such as ‘Which pop star has fans called Beliebers ?’ or ‘Ed Sheeran can play the guitar and piano – True or False?’ (though you’ll probably need to cater the music questions according to the age of your party-goers).

The team that answers the most questions correctly are the winners!

Another fab party quiz includes, ‘Name that singer!’ or ‘Name that song!’.

Simply divide guests into teams with pens and sheets of paper at the ready. Either read out the title of a well known song, or play the first few bars of the song on the sound system/speakers. Then, give the participants a few minutes to talk quietly and make a guess of who the singer is (or what the song is called).

Alternatively, this game can also be played as ‘Finish the lyrics’ when teams write down (or sing, if they’re brave enough) the next line of the song. Then, the team with the most points at the end of the competition wins.

Other great disco party games include air-guitar, lip syncing and dance battle competitions. These could be just for fun, or you could have a prize for the best dancer. You might want to think about having a variety of prizes, so that each child gets one. For example, you could award prizes for the most graceful, most energetic, funkiest moves, best lip-synching, etc.

The dancing memory game, ‘You’ve got the moves’, will also have everyone in stitches. For this one, children start out by standing in a circle. A child is then chosen to go first and perform a cool dance move of their choice.

The next child in the circle performs the first dance move and adds a move of their own.

The game then continues around the circle, with the sequence of dance moves becoming a little trickier to remember as the game progresses. Any child who forgets the sequence is out of the game, while the winner is the last dancer standing!

Finally, why not end the evening with a bit of karaoke ? Kids will love singing their hearts out to their favourite pop songs or Disney tunes.

You could hire out a karaoke machine for the evening or ask the party entertainer to bring one along. Or if you already have one of your own, you're good to go! Alternatively, there are loads of backing tracks available on YouTube, and the kids can just sing into a hairbrush 'microphone'.

If the party's for younger kids, try to keep each game or activity to a maximum of half an hour, to prevent boredom setting in. You might also want to have a quiet area for any kids who might get overwhelmed by all the boogying – a craft table is always a good idea (plus, the kids can take away their finished crafts at the end of the party).

For more party game inspo, be sure to check out our guide of the 33 best kids’ party games for the ultimate birthday party .

Invitations

When it comes to party invitations, you could create these online using a free template (we love these disco party designs which you can customise on Canva), or you could buy some ready-made invites or ask your little ones to design their own.

Tell guests to arrive in fancy dress in the theme of your choice (60s, 70s, 80s etc, dressed as their favourite singer or simply wearing their grooviest party outfit).

Don’t forget to include these essential points too:

Date, time and venue of the party
Date you need an RSVP by
Whether you want other parents to stick around
Whether or not guests will be sleeping over
Dietary requirements and allergies

It’s also best to send out invitations around three weeks before the party , allowing enough time for everyone to RSVP.

And lastly, if you think the invites are going to end up lounging at the bottom of school bags for a few days, text your guests' parents to check in and make sure you get an RSVP in plenty of time.

Party bags

A must for kids' parties, these are a lovely way to give everyone some keepsakes to take home. Most kids will be perfectly happy with a balloon, a few stickers and a piece of cake. But if you want some disco-themed treats for your party bags, why not try:

Mini disco balls
Erasers shaped like records or cassette tapes (though you may have to explain what they are!)
A microphone shaped pen or pen topper
Temporary glitter tattoos to turn the kids into mini rock stars
A link to the playlist you used at the party, so they can relive the memories at home

Browse through our amazing kids party ideas, from party music to entertainment and themes – all the way to the invitations! Read our related stories below or share your ideas with other parents in the forum.