Squishmallows have become one of the most requested birthday party themes for kids and adults alike. With over 2,000 adorable characters, dreamy color palettes, and endless DIY possibilities, throwing a Squishmallow-themed party is surprisingly easy to plan and even more fun to attend. Here are the best squishmallow birthday party ideas to make your next celebration unforgettable.
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Key Takeaways
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Set up an "Adopt a Squishmallow" station where each party guest picks their own cute plush to take home — it doubles as the main activity and party favor in one.
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Party supplies are now officially licensed by brands such as Treasures Gifted, with banners, cake toppers, and backdrops available online.
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Match your color scheme to the tag colors—teal, pink, and light blue—for a coordinated Squishmallow theme, even without branded supplies.
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Budget-friendly options start at $50- $75 using DIY decorations and clip-on favors, while premium setups with full-size plushies run $200 or more.
10 Cute & Fun Squishmallow Birthday Party Ideas
1. Set Up an "Adopt a Squishmallow" Station
This is hands-down the most popular squishmallow party idea — and for good reason. Set up a table with a variety of Squishmallows in different characters and sizes, then let each party guest choose one to "adopt" and take home.
To keep costs manageable, use clip-on plushies (approximately 3.5 inches) or 5-inch minis instead of full-size options. You can even print cute "adoption certificates" with each person's name, their new plush friend's name, and their birthday. Need help picking characters? Check out our Squishmallow master list for inspiration.
Pro tip: We offer free U.S. shipping on every order, so adding multiple plush picks to your cart for the adopt station is easy and budget-friendly.
2. Use Squishmallow-Inspired Invites
The first thing you should prepare is the Squishmallow-inspired invites you will be sending to your guests. If it’s a children’s party, you may use the child’s favorite Squishmallow characters. However, if the birthday celebrant is an adult, we recommend using the Squishmallow font style and font color instead.
You may or may not use Squishmallow pictures, but be sure to use pastel colors in the invitation’s fonts!
3. Decorate the Venue with Squishmallow Balloons
There are many Squishmallow balloons you can purchase either through online stores or local stores. Some balloons are shaped and designed exactly like the Squishmallow characters, while some can be customized and use printed names and pictures.
You can hang the balloons by the door or make the venue look more stylish by hanging the balloons on the ceiling. Scatter them to make the ceiling look more awesomely cute.
Read: How to Wrap Squishmallows
4. Use Squishmallow Plates & Cups
Children’s parties typically use character-inspired plates and cups. However, it isn’t a crime for adults to use Squishmallow-inspired utensils like plates and cups for their birthday parties.
To make every guest’s table more presentable, we recommend putting a few real Squishmallows. You may DIY create a cute sash that says, “Happy Birthday Squish-Buddy!” and put it on each Squishmallow. Decorate the sash with pastel-colored ribbons, too!
5. Create a Squishmallow Photo Booth
For a lot of party guests, a photo booth is one of the highlights of every birthday party. Making memories with family and close friends is already exciting — and adding your favorite cute characters makes it even better.
Use thick cardboard to build a Polaroid-style frame painted in soft colors, with a "Happy Birthday" message at the bottom. Set up a backdrop using a themed banner or a streamer wall. Ask friends to bring their favorite plush from home as a photo prop, and you will have an instant hit. This is one of those squishmallow party ideas that fans of all backgrounds love.
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6. Serve Themed Food, Drinks, and Treats
You can also serve themed party food like cupcakes, fries, and jellies. For the cupcakes, use fondant icing to mimic the faces of popular characters, or save time with cardstock cupcake toppers — just print images on cardstock, cut them out, and tape them to toothpicks. This is a cute idea that kids and girls love.
For drinks, try lemonade or fruit punch in pink, blue, and lavender tones — add fun labels like "Squish Juice" to each cup. Pastel-colored smoothies and milkshakes are another hit with party guests.
Other on-theme food ideas include colorful macarons, pink-and-blue cotton candy, and character-shaped cookies made with round animal silicone molds. There are so many food and drink ideas to discover when planning this kind of themed celebration.
7. Bake a Cute Birthday Cake
You have a lot of options for your birthday cake. For a straightforward approach, use pastel-colored buttercream icing and place Squishville mini figures on top as cake decorations. The mini figures are reusable and often look better than custom fondant work — plus they cost a fraction of what a bakery charges for a sculpted cake.
If you want to go all out, order a character-shaped cake from a local baker. Custom fondant cakes typically run $100-$250 from bakeries, so the Squishville mini approach is a smart way to save time and money. Either way, the cake is always one of the highlights of any birthday party — kids, teens, and fans of all ages love gathering around for that moment.
8. Prepare Squishmallow Party Games
Make your birthday party come alive by letting everyone play themed games. Here are some of our favorite ideas:
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Stone Hunting: Paint medium-sized stones to look like popular characters, hide them around the venue, and have players race to find the most stones. Whoever collects the most wins a prize. Kids go wild for this one.
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BINGO: Create custom BINGO cards featuring different characters in each square. Free printable templates are available online, or you can make your own.
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Hidden in Plain Sight: Place Squishville minis around the party space and challenge everyone to spot them all. This works great for younger fans and girls.
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"What's Your Squishmallow Name?" Quiz: Set up a quiz or spinning wheel that assigns each person their alter ego based on their birthday month, favorite color, or personality.
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Trivia: Test your party guests' knowledge with questions about characters, squads, and lore. Our most popular Squishmallows guide is a great source for trivia questions.
9. Set Up a DIY Craft Station
Give everyone a hands-on activity by setting up a craft table with theme-related projects. Coloring sheets featuring popular characters keep younger fans busy, while older party guests can decorate plain tote bags or pillowcases with fabric markers in a cute, colorful style.
Another fun idea is a "Design Your Own" station where party guests draw and name their dream character on blank templates. This pairs well with the adopt station — friends can design their character first, then pick the closest match from the real collection. It is one of the most creative squishmallow party ideas you can offer, and the designs make an adorable post-party keepsake.
10. Hand Out Cute Party Favors
Do not forget to prepare party favors for everyone. You can use a DIY favor bag or a store-bought one in coordinating colors. Pack them with stickers, candy, and cookies.
Here is how to scale favors to your budget:
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Budget-friendly ($2-$5 per person): Stickers, temporary tattoos, and candy in a themed bag
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Mid-range ($5-$10 per person): Clip-on plush picks (approximately 3.5 inches) paired with candy and stickers — a simple favorite for kids
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Premium ($10-$15+ per person): 5-inch plush characters inside a decorated bag — or let the "Adopt a Squishmallow" station double as your favor
Browse our Squishmallow collection for clip-ons, minis, and full-size plush perfect for party favors. We ship free across the U.S., so stocking up is easy.
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FAQs
How Much Does a Squishmallow Birthday Party Cost?
A Squishmallow-themed party can fit almost any budget. On the low end, a DIY-heavy party using homemade decorations, printed cupcake toppers, and coordinating plates from a dollar store costs around $50-$75. A mid-range celebration with licensed party supplies, a homemade cake, and clip-on plush favors runs about $100-$200.
Premium parties with custom cakes, full-size adopt stations, and professional decor can reach $300 or more. The highest cost is usually the adopt station — buying individual plush picks for 10-20 friends adds up fast, so consider clip-on or mini sizes to keep costs down. You can also discover deals from small businesses on Etsy that pack themed party bundles at a better price.
Will Fans of All Ages Enjoy a Squishmallow Birthday Party?
Absolutely. The Squishmallow theme appeals to fans of all ages, and the party activities scale easily. For younger fans (ages 3-5), focus on sensory play, crafts, and the adopt station. For those ages 6-9, scavenger hunts, BINGO, and trivia work well alongside the craft station.
Girls and older fans (age 10 and up) tend to love the adopt station, trivia challenges, and photo booth setups. This collecting phenomenon spans all age groups, so adults enjoy hosting these celebrations just as much as younger attendees enjoy attending them.
Where Can I Find Squishmallow Party Supplies?
Officially licensed party supplies — including banners, cake toppers, cupcake wrappers, and backdrops — are now available from Treasures Gifted and other licensed vendors online. For plates, cups, and napkins, consider pastel options in teal, pink, and light blue at party supply or dollar stores.
Editable invitation templates are available on Etsy and Canva. For the plush characters themselves, our collection offers a wide range of characters and sizes with free U.S. shipping — perfect for stocking an adopt station or picking up favors in bulk. Take your time browsing to find the perfect match for your squishmallow theme.
Time To Throw the Squishiest Party Ever
Planning a squishmallow party is all about leaning into the cute colors, squishy textures, and fun characters that make this birthday party theme so loved by kids, girls, and fans across the board. Whether you go all out with an adopt station and custom cake or keep things cozy with DIY decorations and a BINGO game, the goal is a birthday party celebration that feels as huggable as the plush characters themselves.
Ready to start planning? Discover our Squishmallow collection to find the perfect plush for your party — from clip-on favors to full-size centerpieces, all with free U.S. shipping.
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Reference:
- https://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/baking-101/what-is-fondant/
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https://www.toynk.com/blogs/news/squishmallow-master-list
