Mama Mia! How to Host a Pizza Party for Kids.

One of my very favorite, tried-and-true party themes for kids is the classic pizza party. But it doesn’t have to be a boring, regular ol’ pizza party! Put your own twist on it with some new and fun decor, activities, favors and even a DIY pizza station. This party theme will please both girls and boys, young and old, and picky and adventurous eaters alike! It’s funny the way things work out—apparently PIZZA is the new BLACK, because everywhere I’ve gone lately, there have been a ton of pizza-themed things, just ripe for the picking for a perfect pizza party!

Let’s get this pizza party started! First off, you’ll need some delicious invitations to set the mood for your children’s friends. I love these pizza party invitations. You can choose from three different color combinations to match your party!

A DIY pizza station is a super fun activity for your party! Kids of all ages will love making their own pizzas, just how they want them! I used ready-made refrigerated pizza dough from Trader Joe’s and gave each child his or her own little ball of pizza dough to roll out for a personal size pizza.

You’ll need some basic supplies for your DIY pizza station, like multiple rolling pins, cutting boards, spoons for sauce, etc. I also set up small dishes filled with a bunch of different toppings for the kids to choose from, including cheese, olives, basil, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, etc.

If you have limited supplies or a ton of kids attending, try alternating half of the kids at the DIY pizza station while the other half does pizza crafts or other pizza-related games—think pin the pepperoni on the pizza.

If you have multiple ovens, it’s a huge help when it comes time to cook the pizzas—you can even make some of them in a toaster oven if you’re running out of room in your oven. The personal size pizzas are perfect because you can get quite a few in the oven at once. Serving the pizzas on traditional wooden pizza paddles is also tons of fun and makes the kids feel like real pizza chefs!

Speaking of making the kids feel like real chefs, check out these oh-so-cute chef hats! The white paper hats are fun, but the cuteness factor goes waaaaay up when you personalize them. I found these sweet pizza party name tag stickers and fell in love with them!

Setting the perfect table is an important part of planning your pizza party! I started with a red and white checkered tablecloth, typical in old school Italian restaurants. I borrowed the Melissa & Doug Pizza Seasonings Set from my kids’ play kitchen, and it made the perfect centerpiece! I sought out retro, red plastic cups (the ones I remember from Pizza Hut back in the day!) because I knew they would be the perfect accent. I found pizza slice plates and pepperoni pizza napkins that were just PERFECT! Name placecards are a great addition and can be used as food name cards on a buffet as well.

I created DIY embossed wooden utensils as a fun little DIY project for the pizza party. I found this pizza slice rubber stamp and then used red embossing powder and an embossing heat tool to set the stamp. Aren’t they so fun and unique? The kids went nuts for them, too!

I sprinkled this awesome pizza confetti all over my tables as well. I think I’m obsessed with anything “mini!”

And the finishing touch—the most adorable party favors on the planet! Why not send your party guests home with mini pizza cookies? They aren’t pizza flavored (I swear!), but they are delicious (mine were from Katie’s Creative Baking & Dessert Catering on Etsy, but here’s a similar option)! I put them inside mini pizza boxes (mine were from Dazzling Designs on Etsy—they’re not listed in the shop anymore, but here’s another similar option).

You could also display the cookies in a regular pizza box on your dessert table!

Have yourself an awesome pizza party!