47 Spectacular Second Birthday Party Ideas

Vintage fabrics and illustrations are the inspiration for this simply charming party. A licorice-allsorts-embellished cake, fabric pennants, and charming pom-pom details make this party one of a kind.

When photographer Gus Dizon and his wife found out their adopted son was on his way, their good friend Hilary Freeman of The Sugar Studio immediately started planning his birthday party. Inspired by the birthday boy's dad's love of race cars and the parents' actual race to the hospital, Hilary came up with a speedy theme.

Her vision included a "pit crew" play area, a race car decorating station, a license plate welcome sign, and even a parking area for strollers. See how she pulled off this celebratory birthday without any bumps in the road.

Blabla's adorable stuffed animals and dolls are among our favorite kid finds ever, so we were instantly enamored when we discovered the Blabla-themed birthday bash thrown for little Margot. The pastel-popping party was dotted with Blabla dolls wearing birthday hats! "The charming toys were baby gifts, Christmas gifts, Easter bunny gifts, and 'just because' gifts . . . and she adores them all (and so does Mom)!" said photographer and family friend Lucinda Newby. "The fun palette and cute striped wardrobe of the classic dolls made a colorful backdrop for a celebration." We love the idea of taking a simple, already-on-hand inspiration point and running with it, and we bet you'll agree after you check out this party.

Even if your little one's first job is still decades away, this office-inspired party is an adorable way to celebrate a birthday! "The theme was inspired by this onesie my son, Lucas, wears that has a tie embroidered on it," said Jesi Celeita of My Dolce Designs. "Every time he would wear it, people would comment how handsome he looked. So I knew I wanted to use ties and possibly mustaches. I started looking online and found another office party that I loved. So I put it all together: an office party with lots of ties, mustaches, and newspaper!"

Jesi went all out with the theme, creating an incredible dessert table with an impressive cake, mustache cake pops, tie-shaped cookies, and much more. A water-cooler beverage table, complete with milk bottles that said "don't talk to me before I've had my milk," is another element we're really loving. Keep clicking for all the details, and get to work!

Two-year-old Piper Jane has a famous love of sweets, so her mom — Kirstin Gentry of Kojo Designs — wasn't surprised when she requested "sprinkles" as the theme of her birthday party. "Her sweet tooth is renowned in these parts (second only to her mama's), so a sprinkle party is perfectly suited for her second birthday celebration," Kirstin said. What could have turned into a pretty straightforward party became super creative in Kirstin's hands. Sprinkled accessories, sweet signage, fun and easy activities, and some awesome decor (confetti-filled balloons and yarn pom-pom garlands) are among all the gorgeous details. Click here to see them all.

This "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" birthday bash might just be our ideal party — it looks small and pretty simple to execute, but it has a handful of special details, great style, and a mom who's not afraid to be totally real. "Although the party was a blast, the setup was crazy; I mean seriously so many things kept going wrong," said mom, interior designer, and blogger Kirsten Karson.

"I had two hours to get everything ready, which seemed like plenty of time, but I probably should have given myself six hours! The slight breeze kept making the balloons go crazy, and my twinkle twinkle sign fell on the table at one point, almost crashing into the cake! I think it was at that point that I turned to my friend Erin and said, 'let's just bag the whole thing and run away.' Luckily, my friends came to the rescue, and we got everything set up just in the nick of the time for the party to start. We may have had sweat pouring down our faces, but we were at least able to spend a good 30 minutes enjoying the party." And what a cute party it was! Check out all the details, which, we must say, look picture perfect!

We see a lot of adventurous birthday party themes for little boys, but who says girls can't also get in on the action? For little Reese's birthday bash, her parents decided a safari theme was the only way to go. "Reese loves animals," said Kelly McLeskey-Dolata of A Little Savvy Event, the party planners hired to execute the kiddie event. "The greatest activity of the day had to be the live safari animals. Reese loved seeing the snakes and baby alligators, and it added an unexpected and lively aspect to the day." Click here to see all the sweet safari details!

Suzanne Olvey of Fanciful Events sent us this jaw-dropper: a pastel carousel-inspired party she dreamed up for her youngest daughter, Adriana. The amount of detail in this event is almost overwhelming, with gorgeous backdrops and table coverings, the sweetest desserts, and tons of thoughtful carousel-themed extras, but it's the custom-created birthday girl chalkboard, an Etsy find, that really put us over the edge.

Regardless of whether you're a Hello Kitty fan or not, we're betting you're going to love this birthday party, thrown by wedding and event planner Gloria Wong for her daughter Taylor's second birthday.

Although the famed cat features heavily in this party on top of the cake, on cookies, and through the use of her iconic bows (guests were each given one to wear as a headband or bow tie; can you say "adorable?"), Gloria's stylish take on the theme feels totally modern — think of it as kiddie minimalism. Click here for more sweet details.

This Breakfast at Tiffany's-inspired party for Riley manages to be both girlie and chic, much like style icon Audrey Hepburn herself. "I wanted something that was ultimately fun and glamorous, and nothing was better than Breakfast at Tiffany's!" said Riley's mom, Cassidy Freitas. "Also, the theme would combine two of my all-time favorite things: diamonds and breakfast. I felt the theme had been done before, and I wanted to change it up and make it a little more youthful, so we went with the color scheme of mint, peach, and silver instead of the traditional Tiffany blue." A stylish DIY photo booth, a yummy breakfast buffet, and one scrumptious birthday girl dressed as Holly Golightly add to the appeal of this simply stunning party.

Every morning when Oliver wakes up, the first words out of his mouth are "train table!" So given his undeniable love of all things locomotive, his mom decided to plan a very special birthday bash centered around her little conductor.

To add a whimsical vibe to the at-home celebration, watercolor details enhanced a bright color palette while industrial wood and brick accents added to the railway feel. To keep both kids and their parents energized for the fun ahead, three "train stations" were set up for fuel, hydration, and libation. Check out all the awesome details here.

We're totally smitten with this sweet garden setting, clever desserts, and cute birthday boy Henry. "When I started brainstorming ideas for Henry's birthday, the idea to use Peter Rabbit was almost a given," said his mom, Alex Dovel of Alex Michele Photography. "Henry is such a little Peter Rabbit himself: spunky, mischievous, far too clever for his own good, and totally naughty in every single, perfect way."

Alex wanted Henry's birthday party to be special, "filled with color and sweetness, perfect little details, treats and laughter, awesome party favors, and a few games and surprises! Yes, I even got him a real Peter Rabbit! I wanted to celebrate my little bunny with happiness and style," Alex continued. She definitely succeeded! Click here for all the special, sweet, and hoppy birthday details!

A Little Savvy Event used every kid's favorite outdoor overnight experience as a jumping-off point for this cute camping birthday party. Thrown for little Greyson, this party (from the brains who also came up with this sweet puppy birthday party and this vintage-map baby shower) is super clever, using a tree round as a cake stand, fun paper products and signage, and lots of yummy, camping-inspired eats. My favorite element? Mini bundt cakes in two flavors: s'mores and pancake with maple-syrup buttercream and bacon topping. Click here for all the camp-tastic details.

When it came time to throw her son's birthday party, PR pro Tori Johnson couldn't hold back. "When you are a mom who does events for a living, you can pretty much guarantee that you are going to go over the top," she said. "And that is exactly what I did! I just couldn't help myself!" The vintage-county-fair-inspired party contained an incredible amount of details, including cleverly named food and drink tables ("Farmers Market," "Bake Sale," "Pie-Eating Contest"); classic fair games like the beanbag toss, ringtoss, and goldfish bowl game; and adorable extras like gingham tablecloths, mason jars, and hand-painted wood signs. Click here to get inspired!

For over four decades, Sesame Street has been providing children with education through entertainment and humor. So if your little one is part of a new generation of fans, a Sesame Street-themed party is a great idea for your tot's next birthday.

Superhero parties are one of our favorite kid-birthday themes, but what if you want all the super stuff on a less-than-super budget? Leave it to the party divas of Anders Ruff to find the (super) solution.

"The vintage pop-art superhero party that I planned for my son, Pierson, about three years ago is one of our favorite parties that we styled, and we often get the question of 'I love it, but how much would that cost?!'" said Maureen Anders. "I know it was not a cheap party, so I wanted to design a party that had a similar feel and vibe, but that was full of cost-effective and DIY elements so you can be Super Mom while keeping things within a reasonable budget." The result: Jeffrey's spectacular party full of dressed-up store-bought treats, dollar-store finds, and lots of awesome printables. Keep clicking to check out all the super details!

Start your engines! Kids, both big and small, love cars — and it's almost certain that your little one also loves the movie Cars. Throw him a "wheelie" cool party for his next birthday, inspired by the movies.

"Once in a while there is a party, with a capital 'P,' where every little piece just falls into place," New York event planner Keren Precel said. "This race car birthday party was one of those." The totally eco-friendly party was divided into four sections: the pit stop, where the kids got to decorate their own Melissa & Doug race cars; the race track, where little guests could attach birthday wishes to tiny toy cars; the gas station food table; and the trophy section favor table. You have to check out every detail of this party to truly appreciate how special it is.

Amanda of Australia-based event-planning company Red Wagon Events creates absolutely beautiful, detail-filled parties, and the modern penguin party she dreamed up for her son's second birthday is no exception. Full of creative, wintry details, some absolutely outrageous sweets (the three-dimensional igloo cookies are blowing our minds!), clever signage created by Ham & Pea, and the coolest backdrop we've ever seen, this party is penguin perfection.

Mom blogger Smita of The Party Wall dreamed up an imaginative, intricate, and fanciful The Lorax party, inspired by the book and film, for her son's birthday party. Full of characters and imagery from the book, upcycled decor, and eco-friendly activities, this party has an almost overwhelming amount of detail. Some of our favorite parts: the 12-page personalized invitation book (written by Smita in Seuss-speak), the insanely amazing cake, and some awesomely creative, thoughtful extras (kids were given five cents, a nail, and the shell of a great-grandfather to gain entry to the bash).

"I am a planner by nature and knew the day after my daughter's first birthday that I wanted to do a teacups and tutu theme using soft pinks and oranges for her second," said Johanna Saucier, mom to 2-year-old Presley.

"I incorporated teacups in the cake balls and printables and in real teacups purchased from flea market and used for floral arrangements," she continued. "I also wanted subtle and sweet touches of tulle, including the pom garland, tutus for each little girl, and tulle wands." But the details don't stop there. From a DIY dress-up closet and shabby-chic doily accents to a framed photo dessert table backdrop, there are so many ideas we want to steal from this party. Our favorite, though, has to be the tulle-topped ombré cakes that lined the party table. Simply "tutu" chic! Click here to check out all the details of this inspired party.

Kim Stoegbauer of The TomKat Studio has thrown some of our favorite kid parties ever. For her daughter Kate's birthday, she celebrated the milestone with a party that was all about the tot's two favorite things: rainbows and hearts! Kim incorporated the theme throughout the outdoor party with sweet treats, including an amazing cake featuring rainbows inside and out, balloons, clever rainbow-colored drinks, and pool-perfect decor. Keep reading for all of the fun details.

We have a serious party crush on Debbie of Wants and Wishes Design, the mastermind behind this construction-themed birthday party. Moms of boys know it can be hard to translate their guys' greatest obsessions into adorable parties, but this soiree managed to make construction cute. Can you dig it?

Event planner Keren Precel took her inspiration from one of the oldest kid party themes around: the pizza party! Keren put her stylish spin on the theme, creating tons of cute pizzeria-inspired paper products and fun extras, like adorable, tiny pizza-box-shaped favors, which housed cookies designed to look like mini pies! Keep clicking to check out all the other ways Keren turned a kid's favorite dinner into something extra special at this party!

Kate Brown, one half of the Australian-based event and sweets company Kiss Me Kate, wasn't afraid to go to the dark side for her son Josh's birthday party — the dark side of the Force, that is. Enlisting the help of her friends at Anders Ruff for custom printables, Kate created a totally cool Star Wars-inspired party. From an insane Star Cruiser cake to Wookie cookies, this bash has everything an aspiring Jedi needs.

While we've never met Vita, the birthday girl who wanted to be a superhero for her party, we're kind of in love with her. Not only does she rock a cape and mask with serious style, but she inspired this amazing vintage-girlie superhero party!

Kim Stoegbauer of The TomKat Studio throws an abundance of inspired parties, but the mermaid bash she created for her daughter Kate's birthday is one of our all-time favorites. Eight of Kate's friends attended the sweet party, full of blue and aqua, pearl, and iridescent accents; one of the prettiest cakes we've ever seen; and, of course, an appearance by Ariel. Click here for all the undersea birthday beauty, captured by photographer Vicki Lynn!

"For my little guy's birthday, there was never any question about the theme: fossils!" said Gretchen Brittain, mom of three and the creator of adorable party printables shop Three Little Monkeys. "Zach is obsessed with dinosaurs. Obsessed. But not the cartoon variety. He digs real fossils."

Gretchen used Zach's love of fossils and her own addiction to all things vintage to create one of the coolest little-boy parties ever, styled to feel like an old fossil excavation site with a vintage map backdrop, replica fossils, and old books, trunks, and camping gear. Click here for all the dino details.

Kate Brown and Yolanda Cerra, the creative minds behind Aussie event company Kiss Me Kate, never cease to amaze us with their gorgeous parties, and this barnyard-inspired birthday bash for 2-year-old Indiana is no exception.

"Our client Megan approached us to design a dessert table," Yolanda said. "The brief was simple: a farmyard theme with a girlie bent. We achieved this look by incorporating sweet cottage flower prints and a pastel color palette throughout. The party was scheduled in the first week of Spring, so we drew inspiration from flowers, fabrics, and, of course, assorted farm animals." Click here to head down to the farm!

Party planner and mom Michelle Stewart of Michelle's Party Plan-It knows how to create a standout event, and when it came time to plan her son Liam's birthday party, she decided to take to the high seas and bring Mickey Mouse on board! "My son's love of Mickey Mouse and anything water-related, but especially boats, inspired the theme," Michelle said of the event, which she crafted in shades of red, blue, and aqua. "With the nautical theme being trendy right now, it was easy to find decorative items to coordinate." Nautical decor including seagulls, lobsters, and boats, Mickey-themed desserts, and DIY sailor hats are just some of this party's awesome elements, but keep clicking to see them all!