Welcoming a child into your family through adoption is an exciting occasion! Many adoptive families choose to celebrate and search for adoption party ideas online.
Often called a “Gotcha Day Party,” you can tailor an adoption celebration to your preferences. Typically, adoptive families celebrate Gotcha Day on or near the anniversary of the adoption’s finalization, with many families marking this special occasion every year.
10 Adoption Party Ideas for Your Celebration
If you’re hoping to host a party to celebrate the newest addition to your family, these 10 creative adoption party ideas will make your celebration unforgettable.
1. Plant a Tree
Consider planting a tree to symbolize the growth and deepening roots of your child’s place in the family. This living reminder will grow alongside your child, serving as a beautiful, tangible symbol of your expanding family.
Choose a meaningful spot in your yard or a favorite park, gather everyone together, and make the planting process a special event. Take photos, share stories, and enjoy the moment. Watching the tree flourish will bring back cherished memories of this significant day as the years go by.
Or you might plant flowers that bloom around the same time each year. The flowers will serve as a beautiful annual reminder of this special day.
2. Host a Sip and See
As you adjust to your lives as new parents, you probably don’t want to worry about keeping the house tidy for unexpected visitors dropping by to meet your baby at random times. By hosting a sip and see, everyone can see your pride and joy when you’re ready for visitors.
A southern tradition that’s making its way north, a sip and see is an informal celebration in the new parent’s home. An adoption sip and see allows your family and friends to meet (or “see”) your newly adopted baby or child. You can serve light appetizers and a few drinks for the “sip” part. Adoptive parents typically host this type of adoption party two to eight weeks after the baby comes home.
3. Family Fingerprint Tree
A family fingerprint tree is a delightful and easily adaptable adoption party idea. Create a unique family tree using fingerprints instead of photos. Start with a large sheet of paper and draw a tree with plenty of branches. Write a name under each branch.
Then, have your family members, including your child, dip their finger in ink and press it above their name. Once everyone finishes leaving their fingerprint, you’ll have a meaningful and personalized family keepsake.
4. Host a Book-Themed Party
Consider hosting a book-themed adoption party. Transform your space into a cozy literary haven by creating inviting book nooks with bright cushions and blankets.
Decorate the walls with colorful, oversized book covers featuring your child’s favorite stories. You could even order a book-shaped cake decorated to look like the cover of your child’s most beloved book.
Organize activities such as a storytime session where family members take turns reading books about adoption, a book exchange where guests bring and swap their favorite books, and even a DIY bookmark crafting station.
5. Get an Adoption Day Cake
Take it from us: you’ll definitely want a cake at your Gotcha Party! Celebrate this important milestone with a delicious cake in the guest of honor’s favorite flavor. If you decide to order from a bakery, you can ask them to decorate it to match your chosen theme. Alternatively, you could bake your own cake, adding the extra special ingredient: love!
If you’re hosting a party for your baby, consider having a second cake specifically for “smashing.” You’ll love the incredibly adorable pictures!
6. Missing Piece Theme
Is there anything more satisfying than placing that final piece and seeing a puzzle picture come together? Consider a “You Are Our Missing Piece” theme for your Gotcha Day Party.
Decorate with giant puzzle pieces around your venue, which can be a fun and easy DIY project. Add puzzle piece garlands for extra charm and serve puzzle piece-shaped cookies for a delightful treat. This theme beautifully symbolizes how your child completes your family.
7. Get a Photo Booth
If you’re looking for an alternative to hiring a traditional photographer, a photo booth can be a delightful addition to your Gotcha Day party! It allows your guests to have fun, dress up, and create memorable keepsakes to take home, adding a playful and nostalgic touch to the celebration.
To make it even more special, consider incorporating themed props. For instance, guests can wear cowboy hats and fake mustaches at a western-themed adoption party while posing for their “wanted” posters.
8. “Welcome to Our Family Zoo”
This party theme is a delightful choice for children who have a fondness for animals. This theme offers a variety of fun activities and decorations that cater to different age groups, ensuring everyone has a memorable experience.
For very young children, soft toy animals make perfect companions. These cuddly creatures can be part of playtime and also serve as comforting souvenirs. Consider setting up a cozy corner filled with plush toys of lions, tigers, and bears.
For older children, taking the fun to a real petting zoo can be an exciting adventure. Imagine their faces lighting up as they interact with friendly goats, sheep, and ponies. If a trip to a petting zoo isn’t feasible, consider hiring a mobile petting zoo to bring the animals to your backyard or a local park.
Activities can further elevate the theme. Set up face painting stations where children can get their faces painted to look like their favorite animals. Organize an animal scavenger hunt where kids can search for hidden animal toys or themed prizes around the party area.
A “Welcome to Our Family Zoo” adoption party theme not only celebrates the joy of bringing a new family member home but also fosters a sense of adventure and togetherness. Families can bond over shared activities and create lasting memories in an environment filled with laughter, love, and a touch of wild fun.
9. Flower in Our Garden
If your child loves being outdoors, you might throw them a “Flower in Our Garden” party in your backyard, with nature as a backdrop for a day of celebration. Set the scene with picnic blankets spread across the lawn, creating cozy spots for guests to relax and enjoy the festivities.
Incorporate an array of colorful flowers in your decorations, from fresh floral arrangements to flower-themed paper lanterns and bunting. You could even have a flower crown-making station where children and adults can craft their own beautiful headpieces.
Set up a small craft station with flower pot painting or nature-themed coloring activities to keep little hands busy and engaged.
10. Movie Night
There’s nothing better than a family movie night with everyone you love snuggling up under blankets and enjoying loads of popcorn and candy. This cozy activity is one of our favorite adoption party ideas.
Choose from Disney classics like Lilo & Stitch, The Jungle Book, and Tarzan, which beautifully capture the essence of finding and creating a family. Add to the lineup cherished films such as Three Men and a Baby, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Stuart Little. These are just a few examples from the found-family genre, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
Create a warm, inviting atmosphere with plenty of blankets and pillows for a true snuggle fest. Assemble a DIY popcorn bar offering toppings like melted butter, cheese, and caramel. Include a candy station with a selection of your family’s favorite treats.
Consider incorporating themed activities between movies. Have a trivia quiz based on the films you’re watching or a craft station where kids can make movie-inspired art. If you have the space, setting up an outdoor movie screen under the stars can add a magical touch to the evening. String lights and lanterns can add to the ambiance.
Tips for Your Adoption Party
Time it Right:
Lifetime recommends waiting to celebrate until your baby is home with you and the adoption is irrevocable. While your love for the birth mother’s baby might be growing, that baby is not officially “your baby” until revocation is over. It’s important to respect and honor the birth mother and her child by being ethical in all your choices.
If you’ve adopted a child, wait a little while before holding the celebration so you can learn their likes and dislikes and decide which of these adoption party ideas to take. Waiting also gives you time to learn important things like clothing size—a detail your guests will be eager to know!
Be Honest:
If your guests ask you for gift ideas, be honest. Don’t feel embarrassed to ask for more diapers or even a gift card for your favorite restaurant since you may not have the time to cook.
“My sister offered to set up a meal train for us after we brought our newborn son home after ICPC cleared,” shares one adoptive mother. “Since sleep was hard to come by and we were getting used to parenting a newborn, it was so nice not to have to worry about cooking!”
Set Up a Registry:
Consider setting up a baby registry and including a link on your invites. By waiting to celebrate until after you bring your child home, you’ll have a better idea of what size clothing you need, as well as travel gear, feeding supplies, and all the extras. This is especially important if you are open to adopting an older child!
If you already have all of the baby gear you need, you might encourage your guests to make a donation (instead of gifts) to their favorite charity, such as the Lifetime Adoption Foundation.
Be Careful Online:
Lifetime encourages you to be sensitive to your child’s birth mother about posting photos from your adoption party on social media. Even though she’s excited for you, these photos may remind her that your celebration is her loss.
Include Your Child:
If you’ve adopted a child, make sure to include them in your party preparations. Cooking, baking, and decorating the house together make great bonding activities and will help your child feel part of the family from the get-go. It might be the first time your child has hosted a party, and it will be something they can be immensely proud of!
Celebrating Your New Family with an Adoption Party
Whichever of these adoption party ideas you choose, the most important aspect is ensuring the event is meaningful and enjoyable for your family and your new child.
Every adoption journey is unique—each story is one of a kind! Your child’s adoption party is an opportunity to celebrate your distinct journey in a way that reflects your family’s values and love.
This special occasion is about creating cherished memories you and your child will hold dear for the rest of your lives. Embrace the joy and significance of this moment, as it marks the beginning of a beautiful new chapter in your family’s story.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on October 25, 2018, and has since been updated.
Heidi Keefer is a Content Creator for Lifetime Adoption and has over 15 years of experience in the field of adoption. An author of thousands of articles and social media posts over the years, Heidi enjoys finding new ways to educate and captivate Lifetime’s ever-growing list of subscribers.
Heidi has a keen eye for misplaced apostrophes, comma splices, and well-turned sentences, which she has put to good use as a contributor to Lifetime’s award-winning blogs. She has written and published hundreds of adoption articles which explore the various facets of domestic infant adoption today.
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