22 Unique Adoption Party Ideas for a Family Celebration
Emily Bagg
Contributor
Your family is getting a little bigger and a whole lot better; so, why not throw an adoption party to celebrate? Like anything else in life, the adoption process is filled with highs, lows, tears and smiles. But, in the end, it’s well worth it. These adoption party ideas will help you celebrate one of the most important milestones in your life.
Often called a “Gotcha Day Party,” an adoption celebration can be anything you want it to be. Depending on your individual adoption story, your Gotcha Day may coincide with a birthday, or it may fall on a completely different day of the year (giving you an extra day of joy in your calendar.) Most commonly, a Gotcha Day will be celebrated on or around the day that the adoption was finalized, with some families making the anniversary something to celebrate every year.
Like any other party you plan, the person you’re celebrating will be the driving force behind the decisions you make. Are you planning a Gotcha party for your newborn, toddler, or teen? Their age will have an impact on details like the theme and activities you choose. Luckily for you, we have the ultimate party planning checklist to help you along the way.
Here are 22 adoption party ideas for your milestone celebration:
Host at Home
An easy choice for a party venue is, of course, your own home! You know the ins and outs of it, how many people it can hold, and what its limitations are. Not to mention the added benefit of creating long-lasting memories with your home as the backdrop to them; all without having to spend a penny on renting out a venue.
If you have a backyard, take advantage of both the indoor and outdoor spaces to really stretch out the fun. When you choose to host an adoption party at home, your child will also have the benefit of being celebrated in a space that they find comfortable—after all, it can be slightly overwhelming to the center of attention!
Adoption Day Cake
Cake it from us, you’ll want to have a cake at your Gotcha Party! You can celebrate this important milestone in life with a delicious cake in the guest of honor’s favorite flavor. If you decide to order a cake from a bakery, you can ask them to decorate it to go along with your chosen theme. Or, you could make your own cake—obviously including the extra special ingredient: love!
Pro tip: If you’re throwing a party for your baby, then you could also have a second cake specifically for “smashing.” Thank us later for the incredibly adorable pictures!
Missing Piece Theme
Is there a more satisfying feeling than placing that final piece and seeing a puzzle picture come together? Go with a “you are our missing piece” theme for your gotcha party. Decorations can include gigantic puzzle pieces around your chosen venue (which are an easy and fun DIY project), puzzle piece garlands, and even puzzle piece-shaped cookies to bite into.
Musician
Music sets the tone for any event, and can be a powerful influence on the atmosphere of your adoption party. Consider hiring a professional musician or band to entertain your guests. If your newest addition is still in diapers, they might not have developed a very specialized taste in music yet (barring The Wiggles, of course). Go ahead and opt for a group that plays your favorite tunes to keep all the adults at the party moving and grooving.
If your adoptee is a little bit older, why not ask them what kind of music they like? From rock to pop, your child can truly go wild with so many available musicians on The Bash!
Host at a Restaurant
Your Gotcha Day soirée could even take place in your child’s favorite restaurant. Whether you opt for a wholesome brunch, a fine-dining experience, or some fast-food festivities, choosing a restaurant as the location for your party is a solid choice.
This might be a great option if your newest addition is old enough to know their own palate and what they like. This way, the guest of honor can choose which restaurant you go to and indulge in their preferred cuisine, while friends and family get to celebrate with them.
Juice Bar
Squeeze every drop of fun out of your adoption party by incorporating a juice bar in the festivities. Affordable, easy, and certainly delicious, a juice bar will quench the thirst of everyone in attendance.
Not only will the kids and adults be able to choose what they want to drink, but you can certainly jazz up the juice bar to be a real treat for the eyes, as well as the palette. Fill clear containers to take advantage of the colors of your drinks, chop up fresh fruit to throw in, or even freeze juice to use as tasty ice cubes!
Family Tree
Create a larger than life family tree using brown and green construction paper and copies of family photos. Arrange the members in chronological order on the wall that will map out the family perfectly. No matter the age of the child, this family tree will double as party decor and a special keepsake for years to come.
Hire a Photographer
You’ll want to be able to remember and reflect on the absolute joy you felt during the adoption day celebration, making a photographer a must-have for the party! Picking a photographer that specializes in family gatherings and portraiture will lend itself well to this special occasion. You can ask them to focus on a mixture of candid shots and more formal ones, or you can just have them clicking away in the background.
Regardless of your preferred style, having a dedicated photographer there will allow everyone in attendance to focus on having a good time without worrying about capturing the moment. Plus, one day, your kid is going to be all grown up, and they will want to be able to remember the love and celebration!
Around The World Theme
If your child was originally born in another country, state, or even city, then you might want to celebrate this fact with an around the world theme. Take this opportunity to honor your adoptee's birthplace and introduce your family and friends to a culture they may not be the most familiar with.
Depending on where in the world your kid is from, you can choose decorations to emulate the atmosphere of the place and even serve dishes inspired by the local cuisine.
Get-To-Know-You Quiz
If your adoptee is old enough, a fun “get to know you” style quiz or game show could be an enjoyable way for your extended family and friends to get to know the newest member of the gang. This party game might take a bit of extra planning, depending on the way you want to do it, but it will be well worth the effort.
Jeopardy!, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Family Feud, or The Weakest Link are all good blueprints to use that will act as an exciting party activity.
Happily Ever After Theme
“And they all lived happily ever after…” You’ve heard the phrase at the end of most of your favorite fairy tales and bedtime stories. But this isn't the end, this is just the beginning of your happily ever after with your newest family member!
A “happily ever after” theme can incorporate all the most beloved fairytale characters from both you and your kid’s childhood. Why not decorate your venue as an ode to the Hundred Acre Wood, or encourage baby to follow the yellow brick road? Disney movies are a great source of inspiration when it comes to this theme, and it will be easy to find decor items that match the theme with so many event vendors sharing in the love.
Pizza
Pass the ‘za! Who doesn’t love a pizza party? Pizza at any kind of event is a really simple but effective choice of food. It’s budget-friendly and easily accessible, whether you decide to go to your favorite local restaurant or order takeout. You could even go the extra mile and let everyone make their own pizzas! Just order or make a batch of dough and provide an array of toppings. This way, everyone gets what they want.
Photo Booth
If you don’t want to go the traditional photographer route, then having a photo booth at your Gotcha Day party could be a fun alternative! Offering your guests the chance to have some fun, dress up, and make photographic keepsakes that they can take home with them will add a fun-filled, nostalgic element to the celebration.
If you have a specific theme in mind for the party, you can incorporate props that go along with it. For example, if you are throwing a western themed adoption party, your guests can don cowboy hats and fake mustaches while posing for their wanted posters.
Grazing Board
Everyone knows that parties, while fun, can be chaotic and non-stop affairs. So, having an easy way for parents and kids to be able to get that sustenance is key. That is where a grazing board comes in! Combining cheeses, meats, bread, jams, and fruit, a grazing board is an easy option for your adoption party.
There is also no strict recipe for what can and cannot go on a grazing board, allowing for complete flexibility. Have a grazing board filled with fruits, veggies, and pretzels for the kids, while you and the other adults can spoil yourselves with the finer things in life like prosciutto, goat cheese, and hot honey.
Movie Night
There is nothing better than a family movie night with everyone you love snuggling up under blankets, eating loads of popcorn and candy. This cozy activity is a firm favorite, and for your Gotcha Day party, you can have a found-family movie marathon in honor of your newest family member!
Go for Disney classics like Lilo and Stitch, The Jungle Book, and Tarzan, or add beloved films like Three Men and a Baby, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Stuart Little to the lineup for the night. This is just a glimpse of the many different examples from the found-family genre, ensuring that there will be something for everyone!
Welcome Home Sweet Home Theme
Your life is undoubtedly sweeter with your kid around, so welcome them into your lives with a “home sweet home” themed adoption party. You can decorate your venue with larger-than-life candy decor, colorful streamers, and even an old-timey candy buffet station where everyone can take turns filling up paper bags with their tasty treats.
To further induce the sugar coma, indulge everyone’s sweet tooth with chocolate fountains, an ice-cream bar, or even head outdoors to a campfire to make some s’mores.
Petting Zoo
You’re adding another little monkey to your family zoo; what’s a few more invited to the party? Having a petting zoo will be a hit with children and adults alike. You can go buck-wild with this idea and even opt for a grrreat “Another Animal In The Zoo” party theme!
This fun and fur-filled activity will work perfectly, adding a bit of excitement to the celebration and giving the kids a chance to learn about the different animals while learning how to care for them. Browse professional animal handlers on The Bash to bring the zoo to you!
Karaoke
Grab the mic and get singing! Having a karaoke party at your adoption party will be a total crowd-pleaser—it will get everyone involved, break the ice, and make for some long-lasting memories. This is also an activity that everyone attending your Gotcha Party can take part in.
Go solo, have a dynamic-duo moment with your kid, or choreograph an entire musical number with the whole family. “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge, “You’ve Got A Friend” by James Taylor, and “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder are all strong contenders that are sure to win you a standing ovation!
Tea, Coffee, and Hot Chocolate Station
Listen up, 'cause we are going to spill the tea! Having a dedicated coffee and tea station at your gotcha party is a great decision. Whether your guests need a quick pick-me-up from a steaming cup of joe or they want a soothing brew of their favorite tea, a convenient station where they can make a beverage of their choice will be appreciated. The kids might also like it if you added some heavenly hot chocolate for them.
Family Olympics
Teamwork makes the dream work! Hosting a game of family olympics will encourage your family to work together while having fun. Invite all your family and friends to join in and compete for the top spot. Games like tug-of-war, obstacle courses, three-legged races, or egg-and-spoon races are all options that will inspire communication and bring people together.
You can even go the distance and set up an awards ceremony, give medals to the winning team, or even have a very special and specific prize of your choosing to keep people motivated!
It Was Written In The Stars Theme
The stars have certainly aligned to allow your superstar kid to be a part of your family! Go with a celestial theme for your out-of-this-world party. Hang planet mobiles from the ceilings, stick glow-in-the-dark stars on the walls, or have an intergalactic balloon arch.
You could even hook up your speaker with music from a galaxy far, far away to keep the ambiance going and invite a tarot card or birth chart reader to attend for some extra sparkle. The only limit on what you can do is your own imagination, so reach for the stars!
Milkshake Bar
To top off your fantastic gotcha day party, why not serve up some delectable and indulgent milkshakes? No matter how old your guests are—and this goes for the parents at the party, too—almost nothing beats a decadent, creamy milkshake.
A milkshake bar will fit in with almost any theme, and it will also pair well with whatever food you plan to have at the party. Plus, due to the many different flavors on offer, all your guests will be able to decide on what they want, ensuring that the milkshake bar will go down a treat.
Find more kids’ party ideas and inspiration here on The Bash.
