Children’s parties are a lot of fun. However, in the run-up, parents, or people planning the party, can get a little stressed out. But when the day arrives the joy on their faces is totally worth it. Here are a couple of things that you can do to make your children’s party the coolest ever.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
Theme
One of the greatest things about children is that they always are interested in something. It could be astronomy, it could be fairies, or it could be superheroes. Not only that, but if their birthday is around Christmas or Easter, you can do things like hire Santa, or have an Easter egg hunt. Things like this can make the imagination of children run wild, keep the magic alive for them a little bit longer. Not only that, but it gives everybody the opportunity to dress up and have some fun. And when it comes to your theme, you can do great things like having personalized cornhole boards, tableware, print special invites, and get really creative.
Pinterest has a whole host of theme ideas, which can get you started.
List
It is very important that when you start planning, you make a list of everything that you need—paper napkins, paper straws, costumes, balloons, and so much more. Make a list of everything you need and tick each item off as you go. If you are ordering items online, don’t tick the item off before it has arrived. You might not notice something is missing until the big day has come.
Budget
Great birthday parties can be cheap. Or you can really blow a budget. Before you get started, set a budget. This will stop you from spending more than you need to. It is often surprising how much all of those small things like straws, plates, and even frosting can add up. It can be helpful to break it down into a per-person cost, rather than an overall price. So for example, if the party is going to cost $500, but you’re only inviting five children that’s 100 per child. Think about how you can maximize your budget without spending more than you want to.
Date
Unless your child is lucky enough to have a birthday that is in the school holidays, it can be quite hard to fit a birthday party in. Consider having their birthday party the week before or the weekend after their birthday. Fitting in a party after school can be very hard work both for you, other parents and the children attending. They’re often tired and have many extracurricular activities, as well as an early bedtime. And if you’re going to need help from friends or family members on the day of the party, try to make sure it’s at a time that suits them to.
Guests
It is important that you work with your child on this. There is nothing worse than handing invites to everybody when your child only gets on with a select few. They can make the party awkward. There might be people that you are going to have to invite, but where possible, try to let your child pick the people that they really want there. It will make it really enjoyable for them. However, it is always prudent not to only leave one or two of the children out of an entire class. Diplomacy is required here.
Home or away?
The joy of having a party at home is that you can pop some loungewear on and tidy up as and when you feel like it. Not only that but when the children are tired, there is somewhere that they can go to take a rest. However, if you do have space restrictions, you’re going to have to be mindful of how many children you invite. If you do decide to book a venue, you might be able to do cool things like hire a bubble machine, and a DJ. Those are things to think about when you decide if you want to have your party at home if you’re going to hire a space.
Length
While it might be tempting to have two or three days of fun; they can be very exhausting not only for you but for the children too. Typically people like to keep birthday parties around two hours or so. That’s enough time for them to have some tasty treats, dance, and play. However, if you manage to get a full Saturday in the summer, you can make the most of a long afternoon.
Food
It is essential to pay special attention to any dietary restrictions or needs of the children who will be attending the party. Check-in advance or add something to your RSVP where people can mark if they have allergies. As well as being vegan, vegetarian or intolerant. This means that every child at your party will be able to enjoy the food without worrying. And it also means that the parents of the child know that you understand there are limitations to what the child can and can’t eat.
Planning a birthday party can be a lot of fun; you get to indulge in the stuff that you enjoyed as a child and that your child likes too. One day of the year, that is entirely about them when they get to relax with all of their best friends, their family, and play games. Just remember to send the invites a few weeks in advance, so you have a firm headcount before you start buying food and gift bags. One of the best things about the party is they don’t have to blow a big budget, you can do smaller things over time, like using Facebook invites or printing your own. Or making the decorations with your children in the evenings. And add to your list a note to charge up your camera battery and make sure that you have a memory card so that you manage to capture all of the fun on camera.
