When my daughter Mallory asked for a Sanrio-themed birthday party, I quickly realized this was going to take some extra creativity. Back in 2023, Sanrio characters like Kuromi, My Melody, and Cinnamoroll weren’t nearly as mainstream in the U.S. as they are now. There weren’t many party supplies or decorations available, so I dove deep into research to learn about the characters and brainstorm ways to bring the world of Sanrio to life for her special day.

The result? A kids versus adults Hello Kitty birthday party filled with laughter, competition, and so many adorable activities. 

Party Decor

Since Sanrio party supplies were hard to find, I got creative:
	•	We showcased Sanrio items Mallory’s uncle brought back from Japan, displayed on shelves alongside homemade Hello Kitty favor bags.
	•	My favorite decoration was a Sanrio Christmas tree, perfect for a holiday season birthday.
	•	We made custom ornaments from Sanrio Perler bead kits.
	•	Added more Sanrio ornaments from Amazon.
	•	Finished the tree with a handmade pink Hello Kitty bow tree topper crafted by my mom.
	•	The food table was decorated with pink accents and Sanrio-themed balloons.

1. Sanrio Coloring and Sticker Station

While waiting for all the guests to arrive, I set up our kitchen island with:
	•	Printed Sanrio coloring pages
	•	Baskets of crayons
	•	Sanrio stickers and plain paper

This gave the kids a calm activity to dive into right away and built excitement as they spotted their favorite characters.

2. DIY Sanrio Tattoo Parlor

Next, we moved into the front room where I set up a temporary tattoo station.
	•	A table covered with Sanrio tattoos
	•	A case of baby wipes (I added extra water so they’d be extra wet — no cups needed!)
	•	A small trash can for scraps and used wipes

The kids loved this so much that some went back again and again, eventually covering their arms with full Sanrio “sleeves.”

3. Hello Kitty Ears & Face Painting

Beside the tattoo station was a basket of Hello Kitty ear headbands I had crafted from felt. Next to it, I placed a cute Hello Kitty makeup mirror and a couple of black and yellow face painting crayons. Guests added whiskers and a nose to complete the look — the transformation was adorable!

Dance Party Kick-Off

To officially start the party, we turned on Hello Kitty-themed dance music with a disco ball graphic on the TV screen, tossed pink balloons into the crowd, and had a quick dance break to set the mood.

Then, we split into teams: kids versus adults!
	•	Since there were more adults, my dad joined the kids’ team as an “honorary kid"
	•	The winning team would earn unlimited playtime at Batz-Maru’s XO Arcade, a prize we’ll get to later!

4. Keroppi’s Lily Pad Relay

This was our first competitive game.  I made large laminated lily pads out of green cardstock using my Cricut. I added no-slip stickers to the bottom for safety.

How to play:
	•	Each team lined up on opposite sides of the play area.
	•	Players stood on their lily pads, with one extra lily pad placed just ahead of the first player.
	•	Together, they advanced their trail by moving the back pad to the front, working their way through the house to three checkpoints.
	•	At each checkpoint, they placed stickers to mark progress.
	•	The first team to have every member complete all three checkpoints won!

Kids’ team advantage: They got a 10-second head start.

5. Pin the Bow on Hello Kitty (and Skull on Kuromi)

A Sanrio twist on the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.”
	•	Players were blindfolded with a Hello Kitty sleep mask.
	•	Kids had to stick a bow on Hello Kitty and a skull on Kuromi.

The twist:
	•	When a kids’ team member played, their teammates could shout helpful hints: “Up! Down! Left!”
	•	When an adult team member played, the kids were allowed to lie and mislead them while the adults stayed silent.
	•	This got hilariously loud and had everyone laughing nonstop.

6. My Melody vs. Kuromi Cupcake Wars

We turned our garage into a full-on Cupcake Wars arena, with one table decorated for My Melody and one for Kuromi.
	•	Each team decorated four cupcakes per person: two inspired by My Melody and two by Kuromi.
	•	The finished creations were added to massive display stands for judging.

I go into full detail on how to run this activity in this separate blog post.

7. How to Draw Hello Kitty

Immediately after dinner (see our Sanrio party menu blog post for themed food ideas), we gathered everyone for a relaxing break before diving back into the competition.
•	I handed out paper pads and crayons.
•	We followed along with a YouTube tutorial on how to draw Hello Kitty step by step.

This was a fun, low-energy activity that gave everyone a chance to unwind while still keeping the theme alive. Guests took their drawings home as extra keepsakes from the party.

8. Cinnamoroll’s Cinnamon Roll Toss

My mom and I made an entire box of realistic-looking felt cinnamon rolls, complete with painted icing!

Setup:
	•	Blue and gray baskets zip-tied together into a cluster.
	•	Blue baskets earned points for the kids, gray baskets earned points for the adults.

How to play:
Players lined up and took turns tossing cinnamon rolls into the baskets.
	•	If a roll landed outside the cluster, it went back into the pile to be tossed again.
	•	Once all rolls were in baskets, we counted points to determine the winner.

Kids’ team advantage:
	•	They stood closer to the target than the adults.
	•	There were six blue baskets versus only four gray baskets

9. My Melody’s Small Gift, Big Smile Gift Shop

For this sentimental activity, each guest made two beautiful bead bracelets:
	•	One to keep for themselves.
	•	One to gift to a friend or loved one.

I went overboard with prep for this station:
	•	Bracelet kits pre-sorted by Sanrio character, complete with enamel charms and themed beads.
	•	A full slideshow tutorial played on the TV, walking everyone step-by-step through bracelet creation.
	•	A gift wrap station with pre-cut wrapping paper, bows, tags, and jewelry boxes for the gifted bracelets.

Note:
While this activity was meaningful and fun, it took much longer than expected. If I were to redo this party, I’d choose either Cupcake Wars or the bracelet activity, not both.

10. Batz-Maru’s XO Arcade Finale

The night ended with the big reveal: the kids’ team had won the overall competition!

Their prize was unlimited play on Batz-Maru’s claw machines.
	•	I used small, inexpensive claw machines from Amazon and filled them with Sanrio goodies like keychains and snap bracelets.
	•	Guests collected their prizes in homemade Hello Kitty favor bags I had crafted.

Before heading home, each guest also received a box of their four decorated cupcakes to take with them.

Why This Party Worked

This party was full of laughter, creativity, and friendly competition. Even though it required a lot of prep, the joy on the kids’ faces made it all worthwhile.

If you’re planning a Hello Kitty or Sanrio party, you don’t need to go quite as over the top — but even a few of these activities will make for an unforgettable event!

Want to learn how to make giant custom signs like the ones featured in some of the photos above? Check out my step-by-step tutorial here!