A rainbow party is probably one of the most popular, timeless, and cheerful party themes. This colorful theme is ideal for all ages, and its unisex design makes it easy to adapt at any party and to recreate at home. Here’s a solid list of ideas for throwing a rainbow party:
Decorations
The main way to establish your rainbow theme is to decorate colorfully! Use every color of the rainbow as your color scheme, or choose a variation of the colors. Here are some decoration ideas to give your rainbow-themed party a wow factor:
Rainbow balloon arch
Make a cute balloon arch that will look great as a table centerpiece or a photo booth backdrop. Use 18 different shades of balloons (four balloons each for every color). Tie the four balloons of the same color on a long piece of wire, so they are shaped like a 4-leaf clover, then arrange them in your arch structure. Keep on adding more layers while pushing the balloons together tightly so you can have a balloon arch. Use more white balloons on both ends to mimic the idea of a rainbow sitting on clouds.
Rainbow streamer curtain
This is a simple idea but will make a big impact visually to solidify your theme. Make rainbow-colored steamers using crepe paper and a ribbon. Tie up long strips of crepe paper on a ribbon. Once you’re finished, hang it up against a white wall and let it serve as a backdrop for photos.
Rainbow-colored tableware
Your standard, plain disposable plates will be dull for this party theme. You can use rainbow-themed plates and cutlery, but if you don’t want too much visual clutter, use plain-colored paper plates, plastic cups, and cutlery in a variety of colors. Soft-pastel rainbow-colored tableware is a great option if you don’t fancy the bright and bold color scheme.
Rainbow tissue pompoms
This one is easy. Buy different colors of tissue pompoms and hang them over the ceiling. It’s best to place it on top of your dessert table or dining table to give the best effect.
Rainbow tassels
Setting up some tassels is also an easy way to decorate for a party. Buy or create a rainbow-colored tassel, then hang it in front of the dessert table, on the entryway, or on any wall.
Food and Drinks
The best thing about having a rainbow-themed party is that when it comes to food, anything goes! It also provides you the opportunity to serve fresh and healthy foods that looks fun because Mother Nature’s treats are naturally colorful. You can also serve colorful and fun treats that please the eyes and the taste buds, like multi-colored desserts.
Rainbow cake
What’s a rainbow party without a rainbow layered cake? Prepare vanilla cake batter in many different colors, then cover your baked rainbow cake in simple white frosting. Then using Rainbow Twizzlers and floral wire, make a rainbow on top of the cake by layering purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red Twizzlers that are arched with the help of a wire. It will be a genius way to add an edible topper to your cake!
Rainbow cupcakes
Vanilla cupcakes would be an awesome dessert to serve while also working as a fun decoration for the party. Here are your rainbow options:
Using food coloring, make batches of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple cupcake batter. Then for each cupcake, use layers of three colors – any random color combination! Top the cupcake with white icing, and use rainbow-colored sprinkles to finish. If you want to make it simpler, just use any batter of choice, bake, add white frosting, and make sure you use rainbow colored sprinkles for toppings!
Serve one flavor of cupcakes but use different colors on the icing on top.
Make it extra catchy on the eyes by adding rainbow-colored icing on top of each cupcake.
Marshmallows topped in rainbow sprinkles
Looking for an easy-to-do treat? This might be the one you can try. Use large white marshmallows and put one each on a stick. Dip the top of the marshmallow in chocolate ganache, and then roll it up in rainbow sprinkles. That’s it!
Rainbow cookies
You have lots of options if you want to serve rainbow-themed cookies.
Bake rainbow M&Ms cookies. It’s like chocolate chip cookies, but instead of chocolate chips, use M&Ms.
Make rainbow-colored sugar cookies using food dye. Instead of keeping the dough plain, make batches of dough in different colors. It will be like playing with Play-Doh, but with baked goods!
Decorate sugar cookies with rainbow-colored frosting.
Rainbow popsicles
If it’s a summer party, a cold and sweet dessert would be a treat for everyone! If you love fresh fruit and if you have time to prepare popsicles made of a blended assortment of fruits, then this will surely impress everyone.
Make seven different flavors of smoothie – each with a different color. Use one banana and ½ cup of greek yogurt as a base for each flavor, then add fruits according to color. On one batch, use strawberries and raspberries to make the red layer, peaches and mango for the orange layer, pineapples for the yellow layer, spinach and pineapples for the green layer, pineapples and blue food coloring for the blue layer, frozen mixed berries for the purple layer, and canned beets and strawberries for the magenta layer. Once you’ve prepared all the smoothies, carefully layer them in a popsicle mold, then freeze them overnight.
Rainbow smoothies
Besides making rainbow popsicles, you can always serve some rainbow smoothies. Use the suggestion mentioned above and make different batches of fresh fruit smoothies using different-colored fruits. Then, layer the smoothies on transparent glass. Top the smoothie with fresh fruits and serve while still cold!
Rainbow fruit pizza
Here’s another fun treat with a healthy twist – a fruit pizza that looks like a rainbow! Using ready-to-bake crescent roll dough, make the crust of the pizza by shaping it into a rainbow shape. Bake it until it’s lightly golden and crispy. Then, after the crust cools, add a creamy sauce using vanilla Greek yogurt. Top it with a colorful banner of fresh fruit using chopped-up strawberries, mandarin oranges, sliced kiwis, blueberries, and blackberries.
Rainbow graham snacks
Kids will head straight for these rainbow party snacks. To prepare, chop some graham crackers into squares and spread blue frosting on top. Using mini white marshmallows and white mallow bits, add the “clouds” on both sides by lining them up on the left and right sides of the graham crackers. Then, cut rainbow Airheads sour candy into two-inch slices, then let it stand like a rainbow. A thick layer of frosting and marshmallow clouds will help keep the strip standing.
Rainbow vegetable kabobs
Yummy vegetables come in so many bright colors, so why not slice them up and put them on skewers for an eye-catching food display? Serve it with a few different dips, or grill it along with a barbeque main dish. Here are your vegetable options:
- Red – grape tomatoes, radishes, red peppers
- Orange – carrots, orange heirloom cherry tomatoes, orange peppers
- Yellow – yellow peppers, yellow zucchini, yellow heirloom cherry tomatoes
- Green – broccoli, zucchini, green peppers, celery, snap peas.
- Cut them into strips, wedges, slices, or florets, then thread them to the skewers.
Fresh fruit platter
Here’s another easy but healthy rainbow party food: a fresh fruit platter. Get a large tray and layer it with different-colored fruits. It’s a refreshing idea for a summer party. Here’s what you may want to serve:
- Red – watermelon slices, strawberry, raspberries, cherries
- Orange – mandarin oranges, cantaloupe, peach slices
- Yellow – pineapple slices, mango slices, golden kiwi
- Green – green grapes, kiwi slices, honeydew melon, green apples
- Blue – blueberries
- Purple – purple grapes, red grapes, blackberries
Arrange them in your platter per row to make distinct rainbow layers. To prevent them from browning, you can soak them in lemon or orange juice for 20 minutes after slicing up.
Activities
Make sure you plan a handful of fun things to do to keep the party going. Here are some ideas that are fitting for the theme:
Rainbow bean bag toss
Bean bag toss is a classic backyard game that people of all ages enjoy. Whether it’s a birthday party, a barbeque party, or a family reunion – you can always adapt this game and let people turn their competitive side on. Provide different colors of bean bags to toss.
Twister
The good old game of Twister will be perfect for a rainbow party. Kids and adults alike would like to try reaching for the colored circles in fun ways. If the weather looks great, you can pick up some washable spray paints and make your own lawn Twister game! Use bright rainbow colors to keep with your theme, and make colored circles on the lawn, just like in the classic Twister game. Your guests will have so much fun with it.
Rainbow coloring activity
If the party is for young children, giving them a coloring activity would be fun enough. Provide pictures of rainbows and crayons and let them get crazy coloring the layers of the rainbow!
Rainbow name bracelets
Here’s a fun art activity for children of all ages. Then after the party, let them take home their creations as a party favor. Provide elastic cords, beads of different colors, and letter cube beads. Encourage the kids to make bracelets with their own names. Letting them make it for themselves gives them the freedom to choose the colors they want on their bracelets.
Party Favors
Send your guests home with any of these rainbow party favors:
- Stackable crayons – it’s a simple, cheap, yet useful party favors for children.
- Rain-dough – Make some rainbow-colored dough and put it in individual containers.
- Art pack – Get some party favor bags and fill them with artsy goodies like rainbow paint pots and brushes, a paint palette, and a small canvas.
- Rainbow popcorn – Rainbow-colored popcorn in go-to boxes will surely be a hit!
- Rain(bow) – Give away some rainbow-colored bows for little girls.
- Rainbow pinwheel lollipop – Rainbow-colored lollipops are one of the easiest party favor to give away.
- Rainbow seeds – Pack some M&Ms or Skittles in transparent bags and label them as “Rainbow Seeds.”
- Rainbow strips – Give away some packs of Rainbow Airhead gummy strips or Rainbow Twizzlers.