Tips for Planning Amazing Kids’ Birthday Parties
Tips for Planning Amazing Kids’ Birthday Parties
If your kid is just reaching that age when they are making friends of their own, that means you are entering the complicated world of birthdays parties. Gone are the simple days from our childhoods when you just gathered a bunch of neighbourhood kids in the backyard, served them cake and left them to play. Kids birthday parties might seem simple and effortless when you are just a guest. But when you are the one throwing the party and making sure everyone is satisfied and having fun – well, things can get tricky.Here are some tips on how to throw the ultimate birthday party for your little one, that everyone will enjoy.
The guest list
By the time your child is 4 or 5, they already have a group of friends. Children typically start expanding their friend group once they start school. Before that, the guest list mostly consists of your friends’ and family members’ children. Talk to your kid about who you’re going to invite. While some close friends and relatives are non-negotiable, however, close your child might or might not be with their kids, school friends are a different story. This is the part of your guest list where you can relinquish control over who gets invited. Your child knows best about relationships at school. You could invite the entire class, or let your kiddo pick and choose – whatever they decide. You can send invites by email, but your little one might like it better to be included in the process. They can choose the invitations they like best, write the names and help hand them out. If there is a particular theme that should be observed in terms of costumes, or any other important details that guest should know about in advance, either note it on the invitation or shoot a quick email to all the guests in advance.
Food and drinks
The snacks provided should be kid friendly, but don’t forget about the parents either. Again, while making your own snacks and even baking a cake is an option if you are worried about finances. It’s far easier to buy snacks and not get tied up in the kitchen on the day of the party. Choose plenty of foods that are age appropriate (no choking hazards, like hard candy). Ask the parents in advance if their kids have any special dietary requirements and especially food allergies. If even one of your guests has a severe allergy to a particular food, it’s better to exclude it than to risk. Remember to allocate some pleasant sitting space for the parents.
What about the gifts?
While there are probably certain things you like and need, and others you would never buy your child under any circumstances, birthday gifts are not something you should particularly fret over. Don’t make a wish list, and don’t go around hinting to your guests about what they should or shouldn’t get you. It’s also bad form to open the gifts at the party. Why? Well, because the 5-year-old crowd is not particularly famous for their maturity and generosity. Opening the gifts in front of everybody could cause jealousy, envy, tantrums and fights among the tiny guests. It could also put the parents in an awkward situation as some of the gifts might be much cheaper or more expensive than others.
Choose the venue
Choosing the right venue is one of the most important tasks. Although throwing a party at your own home or backyard sounds like the easiest and cheapest idea, bear in mind that is a lot of work. You will need to tidy and clean both before and after the party, make sure the space is childproofed, and organise the entertainment. Leaving kids to just play without an adult providing structure can quickly turn into chaos. That is why a specialised space that provides plenty of entertainment is a godsend. Throwing a party at a specialised venue, such as a movie theatre, a jump trampoline park, or at the swimming pool will keep your little guests entertained and busy.
Provide entertainment
Whether you are planning on hiring someone to entertain the children, or not, don’t expect them to just start spontaneously playing by themselves. It’s also not the duty of attending parents to entertain their kids. If you are not hiring a professional, make sure there you have plenty of party games planned in advance and prepare anything you might need for them. Improvisation can be highly stressful, especially when you have a couple dozen impatient kids. The games should be short and sweet: don’t expect your guests’ attention span to last for more than 5 minutes for each game.
At the end of the day, what matters most is that you keep the kids safe and that everyone has fun. Don’t fret about the details, and allow yourself some time to enjoy your child’s birthday too.