Goldie Mae is almost two! I don’t even know if my heart can handle knowing that she is my last baby. Each year older we get further away from the baby stage. That being said, let’s just say I am thinking big time about her 2nd birthday! Last year we had a simple, yet perfect birthday for our Goldie girl. It will be hard to top this year, but incase you are also looking for 2nd birthday ideas for girl party themes, I am sharing lots of things to consider in this post!
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2nd Birthday Ideas For Girl Party Themes
You can check out what we did last year for Goldie’s birthday here. It was such a fun day, with a simple theme perfect for her. Since Goldie’s birthday is coming up in a few weeks, I need to get in the party planning phase ASAP and narrow down our theme for her big day!
I thought I’d share some 2nd birthday ideas for girl party themes with you in case you’re planning a party for your little girl as well.
Many of you may be planning a big special bash for your toddlers to make up for last year’s quarantine party or virtual birthday party. Parties can be stressful and add the additional pressure of making up for the previous year’s pandemic birthday and you’ve got yourself a recipe for full on panic mode.
Believe it or not, parties can be fun for parents too! I am all about sharing ways to make things ‘Pinterest perfect’ while making them realistic and stress free. This post will give you great ideas on how the whole family can enjoy the day. I’ll chat all things party related and break it down for a stress free day.
Pick A Good Birthday Theme
Birthday parties don’t necessarily need to be stressful. The easiest place to start is to decide on a birthday theme for your child. Having a themed party narrows down your decisions considerably and allows you to focus on the details within that themed genre. This is basically the direction you will go when it comes to planning a birthday outfit, party decorations, cake and so on.
There are so many popular party themes these days. A quick search on Google for second birthday party themes will yield thousands of results.
You may ask your child to help and pick out the theme together or surprise them for the big day. I love picking out themes based on my child’s personality and something that is meaningful to them.
But, you may have a very spirited 2 year old who has lots to say about her party and prefers to have her favorite characters (think a Minnie Mouse “Oh Twoodles” or Baby Shark “Two Two Ta Two” themes). There are tons of 2nd Birthday ideas for girl party themes to pick from!
Examples Of Fun, New, & Uniques Parties For Two Year Old Girls
Tea For Two Or Let’s Partea!
“Tea for Two” is girly, classy, and such a fun idea for a 2nd birthday! You’ll want to incorporate vintage tea cups, whimsical decor, tiny bites, and toddler fascinators! I love the idea of collecting vintage tea cups from antique stores or borrowing these items from grandparents and family members.
It is such a sophisticated theme for a little girl. You can even get your kid’s favorite stuffies and dolls in on the fun too and set up their very own special table to encourage imaginative play.
I think that this simple theme is a good mix of something beautiful that mom will love with also being something that plays well into what a child will love.
Two Sweet! Sprinkles, Ice Cream, & Candy!
Here is a parenting tip for you. You can put sprinkles on any food and your toddler will try it because it has sprinkles on it! Sprinkle oatmeal, sprinkle pancakes, sprinkle broccoli! Sprinkles for everyone! This theme is great if you have a specific color palette in mind because you will likely be able to tie in the decor.
Not only is this theme super fun but it is so versatile. There are so many DIY projects you can do for a sprinkle themed birthday party. Can you say sprinkle party favors? Sprinkle sensory bins! Decorate your own cookie stations.
What a fun way to get the children involved! You’ll create an impressive mess too! When they are all done, you can even set up a sprinkler to hose them off. This theme can also be used in a non-sprinkle sense and instead be used as more of a general sweets theme.
In lieu of toys, you can fill candy jars full of sweet treats for party favors. Don’t all toddlers love sweets? Keep things simple and you have a perfect set up. This is a great 2nd birthday ideas for girl party themes.
Boo! I’m Two! Halloween
Do you have a fall birthday? I have TWO, so I have done my fair share of fall parties. One great way to make a fall birthday into a 2nd birthday party is to do a “Boo! I’m two!” theme.
My friend Ashley throws the most insane parties ever and her inspiration is picture perfect. You could even hand out spooky baskets as party favors. I actually have lots ideas for what to put in them linked in this post.
DIY color block pumpkins make a great accessory to any Halloween table! See my post.
Two The Moon
This is a theme I am considering with my sweet Goldie girl – can you just imagine pink and gold and stars and moons? So darn cute.
Twinkling lights, starry skies, and iridescent accents would make this galaxy birthday far out! You could go in so many directions with this theme. For those who prefer less pink in their parties, this theme gives way to using colors of rich deep blues, silver, white, and gold.
I also love the idea of incorporating the sun, moon, stars, and clouds into the decor. A little goes a long way and you don’t need to overdo the decor to get this theme across. Something simple with twinkling lights, hanging stars, moon themed food (think moon pies), and accents of deep blue would be stunning!
Two Wild
This was the ‘theme’ I did with my older daughter when she turned two and it was so cute. It was a theme that worked well because my oldest son loves animals and shares a birthday week with her, so I tied things together, and we did a sweet little family party then set out for some quality time together and headed to the zoo to really keep the theme in tact.
Grab your leopard print and let’s go! Okay, you really don’t need the leopard print! This is another theme where a little goes a long way and you don’t need to go overboard.
Accents of animal prints, animal figurines, an animal balloon, and fun pops of color are great examples of easy decor. Your child will love having a zoo at their very own party! Or you could bring the party to the zoo. We are fortunate that we live in St. Louis where we have an amazing zoo.
I know not everyone is able to do that but what a fun idea to spend the morning at the zoo with family and go home to a zoo themed party.
More Themes to Consider for a 2nd Birthday Party for Girl
There are so many great 2nd birthday ideas for girl party themes that I can’t even fit them all in one post. If you are still looking for birthday party ideas, here are a few more that I love:
- Garden Party – What a sweet and simple birthday party
- Farm animals – Perfect for a first birthday party or 2nd birthday!
- Taco Twosday – Who says adults can’t have some fun too?
- Two Baller – We did this for my 4 year old. It was beach ball themed but you could pick any ball
Other Factors For Your Two Year Old’s Party
Once you’ve determined your theme, you’ll need to keep a few other considerations in mind while planning for a 2nd birthday!
Birthday Party Locations For Your Two Year Old
Before you go inviting your second cousin’s best friend’s sister-in-law, you’ll need to have an idea of where you are having your party. Is this going to be in your home? If you are throwing a big party you can also look at the picnic area at many parks for a free location to host.
Most just need to be pre reserved online. Another option is to look at some fun party rental locations. Most of the time party packages are available for an additional fee. There are also a multitude of other places to consider but those are top three.
When it comes to stress in some ways I would say that having an in home party tends to be the most stressful on the host. It typical requires the most planning and prep, but also can take some stresses out of the equation such as weather when it comes to a park. An in home party also allows for more prep work to be done ahead of time if you are looking for that perfect set up.
Who to Invite To A Two Year Old’s Party?
I think who to invite is one of the harder questions for a second birthday party. It is that middle ground before many ‘friends’ and isn’t the big milestone that is the first birthday.
First things first I think you need to remember that whoever you want to invite or not invite is up to you. Every family and friend group is different, and you should never feel bad inviting people or not inviting people. Make this about your 2 year old.
Obviously I’d keep in mind location and budget when determining the amount of people as those are your major constraints. We generally keep our parties to families and a few good friends. As our kids have gotten older we have transitioned out of family and to only friend parties.
As far as invitations you have plenty of options. You can always send out invitations electronically. This saves on postage and allows you to have people RSVP directly to the website which will track it for you. There are many websites that offer free options for electronic invitations.
Evite.com and punchbowl.com are two sites that offer those services as well. If you prefer a more traditional route, you can find some great printables on Etsy for invitations.
Activities For Two Year Olds
2 year olds are SO MUCH FUN and super easy to please. I don’t think you have to feel obligated to have activities and a schedule of events, but you can if that suits your guest list better. I would base that on your stress levels so you can enjoy the party too.
Kids are mainly concerned with what type of cake and ice cream will be present. Adults on the other hand, just want conversations with other adults.
Easy Activities For Home Parties
1. Pool/ Sprinkler: If it is a summer birthday you can do a small pool and sprinkler to keep the kids entertained for hours. For our sons first birthday that was burger themed, we got a hamburger pool and everyone had so much fun!
2. An outing: You may want to tie the activity into the party entirely and hit the zoo or do the birthday party at a bounce house rental.
3. Sensory Tables or Sensory Play: This is such a fun option for the age and is something you can tie into the theme. Add small objects into whatever you want (kinetic sand/ beans/ noodles and so on). I have also seen recently small cute play dough kits you could do. Kids LOVE play dough!
4. Small Little Games : Party City also has tons of little games that you can tie into your theme.
5. Bubble Machines: I can think of very few things that kids like more than bubbles. We have this bubble machine and it is my go to during a birthday party for a fun activity. The good news is that there is little to no work for you.
6. Painting: Painting can also be a really fun way to tie an activity, theme and small party favor into one. I have done a pumpkin painting station, or you can paint little ceramics, or even cookie painting kits!
One of my absolute favorite mom-hacks is giving my kids time for sensory play. It encourages independent play and they are able to work on those fine motor skills that are essential for our toddlers. I love the kits at Young Wild and Freidman.
Each kit is themed and contains the best smelling playdough and little knick knacks that go along with that theme.
What to Serve Two Year Olds
Let’s be honest, food might be the most important part of any birthday party. Everyone wants to know what will be served. Make sure to consider the amount of people, time of day, and your budget when determining what to serve. You don’t have to feed a full meal at your birthday party. If you want to provide that, by all means I don’t think anyone will complain!
Heavy appetizers, sweets and savories, or a full meal is completely your call. Just make sure you have something to offset all the sweets. No parent wants to deal with a toddler who is crashing from a sugar high at naptime.
Take into consideration your theme too. You can offer some clever menu items based on your theme. A garden party could have mini sandwiches, scones, and crumpets, while “Two the Moon” could have moon pies, Milkyway bars and moon cheese!
If you want to offer alcohol to the adults that attend (know your crowd) that is your choice too. Jungle juice does have a nice sound to it for our “Two Wild” party. Just make sure it is clearly marked adults only!
And now for the main event- the cake! I am a sucker for fun, whimsical, and elaborate cakes, but those can be very pricey! Try keeping your cake simple and adding a personalized cake topper. Or, forgo the cake and have cookies, cupcakes, or cake pops instead.
2nd Birthday Party Outfits
Birthday party outfits are always so fun for little girls, but always keep in mind what you will be doing and if you will stress it getting ruined. I love a good simple party birthday outfit that ties into the theme, but always try to make sure my kids will be as comfortable as possible during the party!
Party Favors
I remember as a kid stuffing bags for party favors for each of my birthday parties. To be honest, none of the favors I had were anything I’d ever play with again after that day. If you decide to provide favors at the end of your birthday party, consider your guest list.
What are the age ranges of the kids, how many kids, budget, and of course try to narrow it down to something your child would like to play with.
For the “Two Sweet” party, I love the idea of providing sprinkles for your guests to take home and use in their baked goods. You could give individual scone mixes for party goers at your “Tea for Two” party. For your “Two Wild” toddlers, animal figurines for sensory play bins are always a hit in our home.
Buy a couple of extra bags of moon sand and you can send your “Two the Moon” guests home with their own. Other great favor ideas include cookies, play dough, Water Wow books by Melissa and Doug, bubbles, and stickers!
Many times for me I serve my decorative cookies as a party favor knowing our guests will be too full to enjoy them during the birthday party. It is a useful parting gift that everyone will love!
2nd Birthday Party Gifts
Picking out gifts for a 2nd birthday can be tricky. Some people expect gifts while other invites may say “no gifts please’. Most of the time many people don’t follow that and it ends up causing people to be uncomfortable or to feel bad. Whatever you decide to do, it is a good plan to have time for your child to open their birthday gifts if you do accept them.
If you are looking for ideas on what to gift – I have a whole page with gift guides for any age here, but also have a 2 year old girl gift guide here that is really helpful in terms of what your little girl might want.
When I put these guides together I try to find items and toys that are unique and not something you necessarily see everyday. At the same time, I want the toys to also be exciting and something that will get a lot of play!
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Pin the Photo Below for Later
Hopefully you feel fully ready for a birthday party and found this 2nd birthday ideas for girl party themes post super helpful in planning. Be sure to pin the photo below for later, and follow me on Instagram (@arinsolange) and Tik Tok (@arinsolange) so you don’t miss any of my parties to come!
