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30+ Awesome July Party Themes

June 29, 2023 by Leslie Leave a Comment

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Planning a July party and completely stumped for the perfect theme? We’ve got you covered with over 30 fun and creative ideas. From nostalgic carousels to cool shindigs under the sea, there are plenty of ways to make your summer party stand out from the rest. Keep your guests smiling and cool with these awesome July party themes!

30 plus fun party theme ideas to host in July.

One of the biggest challenges to hosting a party in July is balancing comfort and fun. The summer heat can make it difficult to host outdoor activities, so it’s important to choose a theme that will keep guests entertained and cool.

Here are a few tips to beat the heat and ensure that your summer bash is a blast:

  • Serve plenty of cool treats. From homemade popsicles to refreshing summer drinks there are lots of ways to chill out.
  • Prepare for afternoon storms. Heat and humidity make the perfect recipe for late afternoon storms. Keep an eye on the forecast and if temperatures become too intense, be prepared to move the party indoors.
  • Stop the burn. Long sunny days means it’s easier to get burned. Keep your guests protected with plenty of sunscreen, visors, and shady areas so they’re safe and protected while outdoors.

Whether you’ll be inside or outside, the right theme can create the perfect atmosphere, and guarantee a good time for everyone. Here are some creative ideas for July party themes that will help you make your bash a summer hit:

Fun July Party Themes for Everyone

Harry Potter Parties

July 31st marks the day of The Boy Who Lived, and with it comes an array of fun celebrations.

Head through platform 9 3/4 to celebrate with a Honeydukes candy buffet, floating candles, and a cold glass of pumpkin juice or butterbeer.

Patriotic Red, White, and Blue

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Of course, we can't forget that July 4th is America's Independence Day, which really means that you can pull out all the stops with a patriotic red, white, and blue party all month long.

Grab our free independence day printables, make a star shaped cupcake stand, and sip on red, white, and blue punch for a fantastic patriotic 4th of July bash.

Christmas in July

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Depending on where you live, July can often be the hottest month of the year, so it's no wonder this is the time we start to long for chilly temperatures and the festive cheer of Christmas.

Bring some wintery warmth to your summer soiree with a festive winter wonderland. Bring out your Christmas tree, twinkle lights, colorful garlands and Christmas carols to create a cheerful atmosphere that your guests will love.

Video Game Themed Party

Whether you choose to fight a Battle Royale with a Fortnite party, or explore the enchanting world of Minecraft, National Video Game Day on

July 8th is a fun way to bring your best pals together. Play for favorite games, nosh on some cool gaming-inspired treats, and even invite your guests to look the party with a game themed cosplay competition.

Baking Birthday Party

Baking parties are a fun and creative way to celebrate any occasion - especially summer birthdays and kids play dates. You can easily use either bright colors, or pastels - whichever suits your personality better. Get the kids involved by having them decorate cupcakes with their own personal designs, and play fun games like Pie face.

Tween Inspired Blue and Purple Birthday Party

The abundance of cool tones of a blue and purple themed party bring a refreshing change to summer's bright colors. Incorporating plenty of balloons, shimmery fringe backdrops and our free party printables makes decorating for this party easy peasy.

Balloon Themed Party Ideas

A balloon themed party is a great choice for a summer party in the month of July. Balloons are an affordable and fun way to add color and fun to any occasion, whether it's a birthday celebration, baby shower, or just a backyard gathering.

Best of all balloons can be arranged into creative displays and decorations that will really wow your guests - even if you don't have access to a helium tank.

Camping Parties

Entertain guests with minimal effort and maximum enjoyment by hosting a camping party. Using the natural beauty of summer's green foliage and gorgeous evenings to your advantage, you can create set up a mini camping area with decorations like faux campfires, mini tents, and paper lanterns or string lights. All the cute food you can make is an added bonus! Want some ideas? Click through to check it all out.

Classic Luau Party Ideas

Transport your guests to a tropical paradise this July with a classic luau party! Decorate the space with paper lanterns, tiki torches, and plenty of vibrant greenery.

Create an island vibe by playing Hawaiian music in the background, and stay on budget with our free luau party printables. Don't forget to add some fun outdoor games like pineapple bowling and hula hoop competitions.

Mermaid Party

You'd be surprised how creative you can get with a Mermaid party theme. Don't want to stick to classic blues and greens? Try a pastel pink and purple color palette.

Or turn it into a sophisticated event with neutral tones. Beige tulle table skirts, tons of scattered seashells, white coral, and driftwood can transform a traditionally kids party theme into a party fit for a room full of adults.

Carousel Party

Bring an air of nostalgia to your party with a carousel theme! Serve up some delicious carnival-inspired treats like mini cupcakes topped with colorful sprinkles, popcorn bags labeled with custom tags, or even ice cream cones filled with cotton candy. Feel free to explore more of our ideas, or come up with your own unique ideas that best suits your event.

Octonauts Birthday Party

Calling all Octonauts to the launch bay! It's time for a fun new twist on an ocean themed party. This party theme is perfect for curious kids who love to impress with lots of facts.

Include plenty of under-the-sea party decor, name your foods after the sea creatures featured in the show, and include some of the best Octonauts catch phrases for a one-of-a-kind party that everyone will adore.

Vintage Cowgirl or Cowboy Party

Invite everyone over for a good ol' fashioned barbecue and some boot-scootin' fun at a cowgirl (or cowboy) themed party. Create a fun western atmosphere with plenty of burlap and bandanas in your decor, and lanterns hanging from to trees, and you're your guests will be "yippee ki-yay"ing all night long!

Create a party fit for a Princess

July is a fun time to move those princess parties outdoors with all sorts of imaginative and enchanted decorations. Hang paper lanterns from your trees, string sparkly bunting on all the tables, and add a bit of sparkle with fairy lights wrapped around your trees and shrubbery.

Host a Slime Party

Want a way to make your backyard pool party more fun for everyone? Plan it as a slime party instead! Set up a slime making bar to let the kids come up with their own creations (Don't forget to use our free printables to keep everyone's containers labeled!).

Then serve slime inspired treats, like green guacamole, jello jigglers, and colorful slushies. Finally, let the kids cool off and clean up with some water play. It's sure to be a fun time for all.

Vintage Sports Birthday Party

Summer sports are in full swing, which means it's the perfect time to celebrate with a summer sports party. The kids can have fun imagining themselves on the soccer field, basketball court, or baseball diamond. Hang streamers and banners with team names or logos alongside an array of snacks like popcorn, nuts and candy for all your guests to enjoy.

Host a Last-minute S'mores Party

With the sun going down so late at night, why not host an early evening event with your very own s'mores bar. Offer different types of crackers and cookies, a variety of chocolates, flavored marshmallows, and fun toppings so guests can make their own custom creations.

To finish the evening, serve some delicious watermelon lemonade for the kids, or watermelon mojitos for the adults.

Bright and Colorful Crab Feast

Enjoy a fun and relaxed party with a brightly colored crab feast! The food is certainly reason enough to get everyone excited, but you can also make it a complete experience with nautical DIY decorations like rope garlands, starfish, shells, and other sea creatures. Don’t forget about making edible decorations like cupcakes topped with chocolate shells and printable crab shaped toppers.

The Best Dinosaur Birthday Party Ideas

July is the perfect time to host a dinosaur birthday party because it's an exciting theme that brings out everyone’s inner child. The weather is perfect for creative activities like an outside dino dig or a dinosaur adoption table.

And there are plenty of cute and simple food ideas like dinosaur footprint cookie pizzas. It's truly a fun way to make your little one’s special day truly memorable.

Sweet and Easy Donut Party Ideas

Donuts are a classic treat that is sure to please any crowd, and the bright colors and sugary sweetness are perfect for a summer gathering. There are so many flavors and colors available with store bought donuts, that your menu is ridiculously easy to plan.

All you need to do is make the donuts stand out with creative displays like a donut wall and donut stacks. It's the perfect theme for someone who has almost no time to prepare.

Cool off with a 'Frozen' Luau Party

When your little one loves Disney's Frozen, but has a summer birthday, there's no better way to celebrate than with a Frozen and Luau party mashup! With this theme, combine the cool tones typical of Disney's Frozen with plenty of bright tropical elements like hibiscus flowers, leis, and grass skirts for a simple yet impressive experience.

Create an Unforgettable Tea Party

Buck tradition and have a terrific summertime tea party filled with a variety of iced teas instead of hot. It's the perfect excuse to show off the fresh flower arrangements from your garden. Of course, the food is the star, with tasty summertime treats like strawberry scones, nutella crescent rolls, and creamy white bean dip.

Light up the Night with a Glow Party

Yes, you can host a glow in the dark party during July's long summer days and bright nights. Make sure your space is as dark as possible by choosing naturally dark spaces like basements and interior rooms, hang up dark curtains, or add cardboard boxes over windows to black out the sunlight. Then, grab your glow sticks, black light, and neon clothes for a truly memorable event.

Golden Birthday Bash

Calling everyone turning the same age as your birthdate - it's your turn to have your very own golden birthday party! Whether you choose classic yellow, or rose gold, this theme is full of possibilities.

From glittery gold banners to treats topped with edible gold leaf, there are plenty of ways to make your party sparkle.

Under the Sea Party Theme

Transform your home or backyard into an underwater wonderland with an Under-the-Sea party. Hang colorful fish streamers, create an enchanting atmosphere with some blue and green balloons, and add some adorable under the sea fruit cup labels to the snack table.

Sweet Ice Cream Party

July is national ice cream month, and that's no surprise since it's one of the tastiest ways to stay cool all month long. Get creative with fun accessories like themed ice cream cups, a huge DIY balloon garland, and plenty of ice cream toppings.

Then let your guests customize their own sundaes or create an ice cream bar with various flavors and toppings for a truly unique experience!

Succulent Party

Never thought of a succulent themed party before? Now's the time to give it a try! With eye-catching colors and interesting shapes, succulents make for a unique and creative party theme.

They're also a fun way to get creative with the menu and decorations. How about a sun shaped tart filled with pesto, or a succulent inspired version of dirt cups? This is the perfect theme to show off your creative side.

Train Birthday Party for Kids

With bright, primary colors, easy party food, and plenty of DIY decoration options, a train themed party is a simple and fun theme for any locomotive fan!

Create an inviting train setting, start with easy DIY decorations like this easy hand-painted backdrop, DIY paper trains, and plenty of creative train themed snacks.

Lemonade Party Ideas

Whether you're hosting a kids birthday party or a sweet baby shower, a lemonade themed party is such a cute way to celebrate in the summertime. Cheerful lemon yellow hues pair well with plenty of other colors, like as blue, pink, green.

You don't need to break the bank when it comes to decorations either, as there are plenty of DIY lemon party ideas you can make yourself. Click Continue Reading to see tons of DIY lemonade party ideas that you can use to create a spectacular celebration.

LOL Surprise Birthday Party

My middle daughter and her friends couldn't get enough of LOL dolls. These cute little pals are the perfect inspiration for a fun party with their bright colors and bold patterns. Start off with a base layer of black and white stripes or polka dots, then add plenty of bold pinks and blues for a striking setup that will leave the kids talking for weeks.

Picnics & Pinwheels

July is also national picnic month! Which means there’s no better time to host a picnic-themed party. Start by finding the perfect park or outdoor location for your party. Then decorate with plenty of bright colors, and summery patterns. Finally, pull it all together with gourmet picnic sandwiches and treats for a delicious outdoor dining experience.

Colorful Fun to be One First Birthday

Planning a first birthday party? You might want to consider a colorful "Fun to Be One" theme. The bright color palette is perfect for sunny summer days, and there are countless ways to make the theme fun, and unique.

Gymnastics Party

Gymnastics parties at your local kids gym are the perfect party idea for hot July months. Not only do they keep the kids active and entertained, the indoor space also allows kids to stay cool in a safe and secure environment.

With a little creativity, you can even transform the party room to unique space that reflects the personality of your child.

Sprinkles Themed Party

A sprinkles-themed birthday celebration is a timeless theme that's both budget friendly and full of color. Not only is it simple to put together, but you can also find ways to DIY many of the decorations and treats - including giant sprinkles cutouts, braided tablecloth backdrops, and coffee filter garlands.

No matter which theme you choose, all of these ideas can be creative and fun while still being easy to put together.

If you’re hosting a summer bash, why not make it even easier by downloading our free one-page party planner? This snapshot page help you stay organized, and on track with both your time and your budget, so all your planning is stress free.

Simply add your name and email address below to have it sent directly to your inbox!


Join me over at Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter,

for more fun ideas and inspiration!

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Filed Under: Blog, Kids Parties, Parties, Party Planning Tips

About Leslie

Leslie is the passionate party planner in her family. Living with metastatic breast cancer since 2022, she is determined to find a way to continue making amazing parties for her kids that don't leave you exhausted. To do that Leslie combines the experience she learned working for a professional event planner with the reality of a busy family life to create party inspiration that the average mom can reproduce and be proud of.

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I love helping busy moms create DIY parties that aren’t overwhelming. Here you'll find crafts, recipes, and fun printables you can use to create a celebration you’re proud of that you get to enjoy too! Read More
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Hi there! I’m Leslie! I love helping busy moms create DIY parties that aren’t overwhelming. At Playdates to Parties, you'll find crafts, ready-to-use cut files, recipes, and fun printables you can use to create a celebration you’re proud of that you get to enjoy too!  {Read More}

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