An around-the-world theme can make for some colorful and interesting decorations and party activities. Borrowing ideas, customs and food from various countries from around the world will give you a variety of choices and ideas. Whether the birthday boy is about to embark on an international voyage or he is simply interested in different cultures, an around-the-world theme can bring an eclectic and interesting flair to your celebration.

Create an around-the-world themed invitation by cutting a circle out of blue construction paper and gluing it to a piece of card stock. Cut green paper to emulate land masses on earth. Glue the green paper to the blue globe. You can add embellishments such as an airplane sticker. You could also create an invitation by using clip-art images of international landmarks. Include the pyramids of Egypt and the Eiffel Tower. Include images of the Statue of Liberty and other well-known landmarks. Use the clip-art images to create a border and write party information in the center.

Use flags and decor items from many nations to decorate the around-the-world party venue. For example, hang a Mexican sombrero on the wall and decorate tables with Japanese fan centerpieces. Include images and items from every continent and from many nations. You can use knickknacks such as a small Tower of London figurine or small Eiffel Tower model. Use colorful balloons and streamers to bring color to the party.

A cake for an around-the-world themed event can take many forms. Consider using a round cake that is decorated to look like Earth. Use blue and green icing to frost the round cake and to create land masses and ocean water. A map of the world is another option for the theme. Use a sheet cake and feature a map of the world on the top of the cake. You can use small figures to represent certain places on the map, such as putting a small figure of the Space Needle to represent Seattle, Wash. If you cannot find small figures, consider drawing a few key landmarks with icing.

Add around-the-world themed activities to keep the guests entertained. A quiet activity that also serves as an icebreaker is to ask guests to share information about themselves. Ask each guest to tell about a foreign country she has visited, her heritage or a dream vacation location. You can also get guests involved in native games from various countries around the world. For instance, get guests involved in the Australian game of "Stuck in the Mud," similar to freeze tag. For this game, one person is chosen to be "It." If he touches another player, that player must stand still until another player crawls under his legs.

Choose a favor that will be a good representation of the theme. A map of the world, an inflatable globe or a passport cover would all be suitable favors. You may also give a souvenir from your hometown. This is especially meaningful if you have any guests traveling from out of the area to attend the event.