Airplane Birthday Party Ideas

Planning an airplane birthday party for your little pilot can be just "plane" fun! Transportation parties are some of the best parties to plan, because you can do so much with these simple themes like airplanes, trains, construction, etc. Here are some fun and easy ideas to help you plan your party.

Everything You Need for Airplane Party Birthday Celebration:

Airplane Party Ideas and Tips
Games and Activities
Party Food Ideas
Fun Cake Ideas
Airplane Party Invitation and Wording Ideas
Fun Decorations and Party Favors

Keep it Simple Airplane Birthday Party Ideas

Usually an airplane birthday party is a theme for a toddler birthday party , but it can really be adapted for any age even adult birthday parties . Here are some ideas to help you keep your airplane birthday party simple yet fun.

Figure out what it is about airplanes that your son likes the best. Is it the fact that they can fly high in the sky? Is it the fact that he wants to be a pilot when he grows up? Once you know this, then you can center the airplane birthday party around this. For example, if it is being a pilot when he grows up, then make name badges for each guest with the name, "pilot ________." You can also make the birthday boy the pilot and give all the guests a passenger number. Another example would be to pin the pilot in the cockpit instead of pin the tail on the donkey as a game during the party. Keeping everything focused helps your planning become a little easier.

Games and Activities

Pin the Pilot in the Cockpit- This is a spin off of the age old game, Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Create a poster size cut-out of an airplane with the cockpit windows visible. Make little stick figure people out of card stock (some girls and some boys). As the kids arrive at the party, write their names on the little figures. Whoever gets their little person (pilot) closest to the cockpit window is the winner. Another variation of this game is to make a simple outdoor scene on a poster with a house, some trees, and some clouds. Next to one of the clouds draw a bird. Give each guest a small airplane cut-out. Whoever pins their airplane closest to the cloud with the bird is the winner.

Paper Airplane Throwing Contest- Everyone loves to make paper airplanes. Provide fun scrapbook paper for the kids to choose from. Teach them how to fold the paper into a paper airplane. Have them stand behind a line of chalk or rope and throw their airplane in groups of 3-5 people. Stick a water sprinkler flag in the ground with each person's name on it wherever their planes land. The plane that flies the farthest is the winner.

Airplane Obstacle Course- Create a starting line and an ending line from one end of your yard to the other. In between the lines, set up little obstacles along the way to throw an airplane through and over. Here are some great ideas for this. Set up a tire hanging from a tree that the kids have to throw the airplane through. Stack and tape a few big boxes on top of one another to create a tower to throw the plane over. Use any items around your house that would be fun to throw a paper airplane through or over. The object of this game is for the kids to begin the race by throwing their airplane, running to get it, and picking it up and continue to throw it until they get to the finish line. However, when they get to one of the obstacles, they have to throw their airplane either over, under, or through the obstacle. This is fun with any theme using a ball or a beanbag, but when played with a paper airplane, it becomes even more fun. The airplane doesn't always do what you want it to do depending on how much wind is blowing that day and how hard you throw the plane. Fun! Fun! Fun!

Airplane Birthday Party Food Ideas

Airplane Shaped Sandwiches- How easy is this? Just make regular old PB&J sandwiches or ham and cheese sandwiches and cut them into airplane shapes using an airplane shaped cookie cutter. To present them in a fun way, Lay a bunch of cotton balls or cotton snow (for Christmas time) on a platter or large plate. Cover it with blue saran wrap. At our local stores, this is usually seasonal so if you know that this is going to be the theme of your party in advance, you can be looking for it when you shop. This will look like a bed of clouds. Simply just lay your airplane shaped sandwiches on top of the blue bed of clouds. Place a little place card sign next to the sandwiches that says, "soaring sandwiches."

Pilot's Punch- It is all in the name. Simply make your son's favorite punch or drink and poor it into a punch bowl and label it "Pilot's Punch."

Snack Size Treats- Most airlines serve the little single size packages of peanuts or pretzels. These are great to have in a bowl next to your fun airplane birthday party themed food. You can even put a little sign next to the bowl that says, "Pretzels or Peanuts?" Along with the Pilot's Punch, you can serve little bottles of water.

Airplane Cake Ideas

Runway Cake- Nothing is cuter than this table long runway cake. To make this cake, bake two 9x13" cakes. When they are cool, cut them in half lengthwise to create 4 skinny rectangular cakes. Next, cover your dining room table with Saran Wrap down the center of the table. Place the cakes connecting lengthwise down your table on top of the Saran Wrap. This will create a giant runway on your table. Then simply frost the cake right there on your table. This is the simplest cake to make. In order to make it look like a runway, frost the cake with chocolate frosting and pipe on the runway markings with white icing. Use any toy plane to place on top of the runway. You might even be able to find an airplane play set at your local toy store that will include not only the toy airplane but also the airport workers as well. This is very cute. If you won't be using your table for anything other than serving the cake or food, then you can cover the entire table with Saran Wrap and top it with an entire little airport/city scene. Use green dyed coconut for grass and crumbled up Oreo cookies for dirt. You can also let your son create buildings with grahm cracker squares and icing. Get as creative as you want with this airplane birthday party cake idea.

Airplane Birthday Party Ivitation Wording and Ideas

Airplane Ticket Invitation- Get your guests excited about your child's airplane birthday party by issuing them an airplane ticket as an invitation. Simply create a rectangular ticket style invitation and print the information in the same format as an airline ticket is printed. Include the name of the flight. You can incorporate your child's name in this like: Trenton Airlines. Have the seat number be your house number. Make sure to print "first class guest" on it as well. Make the destination be your address and the arrival and departure times be the time of your party. Be creative and have fun. Don't forget to look at a real airline ticket to make the most of the invitation and not leave out any information. If you are serving food, you can include this in there as well. This type of invitation usually works well for kids ages 5 and up.

Airplane in the Clouds Invitation- This invitation is so cute for younger kids. It is a great invitation for a toddler birthday party . Draw a simple airplane and print all of the party information on the airplane. Then attach a strip of white paper that looks like clouds or smoke to the back of the airplane. Print the following on the white strip: "I'm turning 3, and a pilot is what I want to be. Come and celebrate at my plane party with me!" or just simply print, "You're invited!" on the white strip of paper.

Party Favors

What party favors to give your guests at your airplane birthday party is both fun and easy.

Mini Airplane Toys-If your budget allows, you could give each guest an airplane Matchbox plane. These are found where the little Matchbox cars are sold. Sometimes, you can find a few styles of airplanes in this section as well. If you can't find them with the Matchbox cars, usually there will be another brand or package of similar little planes in this section of the store.

Little Plastic Airplane Toys- Sometimes in the party section of your local discount or party store, you can find a package of small plastic toy airplanes. Our dentist office gives these out as a prize for the kids and they love to play with them.

Model Planes and Gliders- Usually very inexpensively you can find model airplanes or gliders that the kids can put together. These make great party favors.

Airhead Candy- Some parents don't like this chewy candy to be on their child's teeth (me included), but it does make a cute airplane birthday party favor. My kids love them and they make a great "once in awhile treat."