10 Meaningful Adoption Decoration Ideas for 2023

Welcoming a new family member through adoption is an exciting occasion and one that many families mark with a party and eye-catching decorations! Are you about to bring home a newborn, welcome an older child, or adopt your foster child? Show your new child how much they mean to you with these fun adoption decoration ideas!

Baby Adoption Party Decoration Ideas

Throwing a baby shower—or adoption shower—is a great idea for adoptive parents of children under two. Celebrate with either of our suggested party themes (below) and play classic games like "guess what's in the handbag,” “bottle chugging,” and the “speed blindfolded diapering” game. At the door, welcome your guests with a personalized adoption day sign that you can later keep as a memento of the day.

1. In Our Hearts

Your adopted child might not have grown in your belly, but during the (often long) adoption process, he or she certainly grew in your heart! For your adoption shower, make cute heart decorations—heart invitations, pink or red cupcakes with hearts on top, and display a recent photo of your family in a heart-shaped frame.

2. Ray of Sunshine

This is another gorgeous theme for an adoption party for a little one. Hang up yellow and orange streamers, serve bright yellow fruit, and cut out suns from yellow cards to fill your space with color and joy. You can paste a photo of your little one inside a large paper sun, as well!

Older Child Adoption Party Ideas

For an older child—including a foster child who is now officially joining your family—you can really go to town with a fun adoption party theme. Choose a theme and decorations that match your adoptive child's personality and interests. They are sure to remember the occasion as one of the best days of their life!

3. Missing Piece of the Puzzle

Adoptive families often feel that the new child that they're welcoming into their home is the "missing piece" they have been waiting for. Decorate your home with puzzle pieces and make puzzle-themed invitations. You can print out a photo of your newly completed family and cut it into giant puzzle pieces for your guests to find and put together again.

4. Officially Ours

Does your new child love sea creatures? Create an under-the-sea theme to celebrate the fact that your child is now “O-Fish-Ally yours!” For decorations, you can put a large blue backdrop on the wall covered with paper cut-out fish, turtles, and any other marine animals your adoptive child likes. Then, suspend blue streamers from the roof to make your child and guests feel like they are actually under the sea!

5. Book Party

For an adoptive child who loves reading books, consider a book party. You can create snuggly book nooks with bright cushions, put up colorful, large-size book covers on the walls, and make a book-shaped adoption-day cake with the front cover of your child’s favorite story.

6. Superhero Party

Show your new child that he or she is "super" to you with a superhero party—complete with superhero balloons, visual displays, masks, costumes, and edibles. Lots of superheroes were adopted, including Superman and Spider-Man, making this an especially neat adoption party theme.

7. Cultural Party

Adoptive children come from all around the world. In 2021, American families adopted children from 72 different countries! Help ease your child's transition with a party celebrating their culture of origin. For a child from China, for example, you could string up bright red paper lanterns and create an indoor garden with pots of lush ornamental bamboo. 

8. Flowers in the Garden

Does your adoptive child love being outdoors? Throw him or her a "flower in our garden" party in your backyard with picnic blankets and outdoor games. To make the occasion extra special, plant some flowers that will bloom at that time every year, or plant a tree together in the backyard that will grow with your child. 

9. “Building our Family” Lego Party

For an older child who loves Lego, celebrate the fact that you're "building your family" with a Lego party theme. Set up several Lego sets around the room that your guests can build during the party and bake a brightly colored Lego cake with pieces that fit together. For ambiance, you could even put the Batman Lego movie on in the background!

10. Family Zoo

A "welcome to our family zoo" party theme is lots of fun for adoptive children who love animals. For very little ones, soft toy animals are perfect, but for older children, why not take the fun to a petting zoo? Decorations could include animal masks, safari Jeeps, spots, and stripes. Or go all the way with full-body animal costumes! Families can really have a lot of fun with this adoption party theme.

Tips for Throwing a Successful Adoption Party

You've chosen an exciting theme and found fun, lively decorations. Now, put on the best possible party with these tips!

• Choose a meaningful name for the occasion. You can call it Adoption Day, Homecoming Day, Gotcha Day, Family Day, or maybe Finalization Day to recognize that it's been a long journey. Call the day something that’s meaningful for you and your child!

• Wait a little while to celebrate. Living with your adoptive child for a little while before the celebration gives you a chance to see what your adoptive child likes and dislikes. Waiting also gives you time to find out important things like clothing size—a detail your guests will be eager to know! 

• Word up your guests. Your party invitees will want to bring some special gifts for your new family member when they come. Tell them the child's gender, age, clothing size, shoe size, and interests to help them find the perfect gift.

• Include your child in the preparations. Cooking, baking, and decorating the house together are great bonding activities and help your child feel like part of the family from the get-go. It might be the first time that he or she has hosted a party and will be something he or she can be immensely proud of!

A Day to Treasure Forever

No matter which theme you choose for your adoption party decorations, the most important thing is that the event is meaningful and fun for your family and your new child. 

Every adoption journey is different—no two stories are the same! Your child’s adoption party is a chance to celebrate your own story, in your own way, and create memories that you and your child can treasure for the rest of your lives.