10th birthday ideas

When a kid turns 10, it’s a really big milestone. It’s a moment that marks the move from single to double digits, and it’s the first real big-kid birthday as they move closer to being a teenager.
There is certainly a lot to celebrate about a tenth birthday. We’re here to give you lots of 10th birthday ideas to get you started!
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10th birthday party decor and theme ideas
- Center the party around a character or movie they love
Use banners, wall clings and posters to display their favorite characters around the space. The guest of honor can even draw their own pictures and add them to the decor.
- Go all out on top 10 lists
Have your ten-year-old make top ten lists of their favorites—favorite games, favorite shows, favorite music, you name it. Then, find a way to incorporate those things into the celebration. For the invitation, make a top ten list about your favorite things about the birthday person. Guests can do the same at the party to make the birthday kiddo feel loved.
- Create a do-it-yourself beach party
Throw your own beach party any time of year with flower leis, tropical fruit punch, pineapple upside-down cake, inflatable beach balls and Hawaiian music playing in the background. Find more tropical party ideas here!
- Throw a craft-ernoon party
Have a group of their friends over to paint jewelry boxes, make beaded bracelets, learn to knit or crochet, or sketch a still life. (This one is especially perfect for the introverts in your life.)
- Balloon mania
Fill the party space with as many balloons as you can get!
These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg—click here for 100 kids birthday party ideas!
10th birthday cake ideas
- Photo cake. Gather ten pictures of your ten-year-old and have them transferred onto a sheet cake in a grid—that way, you can see the many ages and stages of the birthday kid.
- Go with cupcakes. Create a 10 out of colorful cupcakes in assorted flavors.
- A favorite character. Find a figurine of their favorite movie or video game character and use it as a cake topper!
- Cake sampler. Get several individual slices of fancy cakes so that guests can try each one!
- Branch beyond cake. Who says it has to be cake? Branch out into the world of cannolis, macarons or bon-bons.
10th birthday food ideas
- Snack buffet
Have your birthday person list their top 10 favorite snacks. Create a buffet of those foods for all the guests to enjoy!
- Cereal taste test
Get several flavors of cereal and have everyone rank them from best to worst. Search online for weird, novelty or international flavors…you’d be surprised at what turns up!
- Taco time
Create your own taco bar with lots of options of meats, cheeses, salsas and guac.
- Extreme spice
Many tweens love spicy foods, so make it a competition! Find a super spicy brand of chip or snack and see who has what it takes to eat it.
10th birthday gift ideas
- Ten-stop scavenger hunt. Create a scavenger hunt around the house with clues that lead to the next hidden stop. Each clue could have a tiny gift attached. The final clue leads to the big gift!
- Chapter-book series. Get the birthday kid hooked on a new-to-them chapter book series by giving them two or three of the installments at once.
- First big-kid concert. Find a date that works and surprise your ten-year-old with tickets to a concert. Throw in a fun dinner beforehand and send prints of pictures after the fact.
- Amusement park trip with a BFF. Treat the birthday person to a day at a local amusement park, complete with yummy snacks and allll the rides.
- When in doubt, give CASH. Kids this age love having the freedom to buy things on their own, so why not give them some cash in a creative way?
10th birthday card message ideas
- You’re a whole decade old? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? So glad I got to be here for this huge day.
- I’m so proud of everything you are and everything you’re becoming.
- Hey, save some coolness for the rest of us, will ya?!
- You’ve done a whole lot in your first ten years on this Earth. I can’t wait to see what you’ll do next.
Want more ideas on what to say in a kid’s birthday card? We’ve got you covered!
We hope that your big, bad ten-year-old feels the love on their big day—and that you have a whole lot of fun in the process!
For even more birthday ideas to celebrate the ones you love, check out these articles:
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