How to Plan a Birthday Party for Your Child

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Over the years, I have planned hundreds of parties including birthday parties, bridal and baby showers, surprise parties, graduation parties with over 200 invitees, rehearsal dinner parties, and more. All parties take some planning and know-how. It seems that even kid birthday parties are something that can strike fear into even the most experienced of parents. Let’s face it, these events may sound like fun, but without careful organization, they can quickly descend into chaos! Everyone wants their kiddos to have the best birthday party ever. Gathering together some excitable children and letting them eat lots of sugar usually is how kids parties roll. However, with some careful planning, it is possible to make the whole party experience more enjoyable for everyone – including yourself! Here are some tips to plan a birthday party for your child.

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Make a List to Begin to Plan Your Party

All good parties start with a list. Before you do anything else you need to make a list of everyone you are going to invite. Once you have a good figure for how many people you will be inviting, you can then begin to make lists for everything that you need to do, and make or buy in preparation for the party. On your list will be things such as buy invitations, order cake, plan games, etc. This list will be your new best friend. However, make sure that you update it regularly so that you can stay on track with what you have done and what you need to do. However, even before you make your list you have to make one big decision.

Where Will You Have Your Party

Are you having the birthday party at home or at another location? This question needs to be answered before you jump into planning a birthday party. Over the years, we have had small birthday parties at home or just taken a couple of friends to the bowling alley and out for pizza. We have also gone to places such as Chuck E. Cheese, the park, or roller skating. Outside venues may have minimums you have to commit to when hosting a party. Deciding where your child wants to have their party will help you make your list.

Theme Party? Yes or No

If you are going to have a theme party, that is essential to decide before sending out invitations. If your child wants a princess party or a dinosaur party, you are going to want to have invitations that reflect this. Through the years, we have had themed parties based on Batman, Star Wars, Zoo Animals, Trucks (Bulldozers, Dump Trucks), Dinosaurs, Toy Story, and more. We have also had parties based on colors: Tie-Die, Teal and Pink, etc. Picking a theme is extremely helpful,however, your child may decide on some obscure theme such as kangaroos which may be hard to find invitations or party decorations for. However, with a good working knowledge of Pinterest, nothing is impossible.

Making Your List and Sending Invites

Now that you have your theme selected, you will need to check with your child to see who they want to come along to the party. Then set a limit on numbers to ensure you can safely accommodate your guests at your party venue.

If your child is writing out the invites themselves, check them over afterward to make sure that they have included the details correctly. Remember to include The Who, What, Where, When in your party invite. Who is invited needs to be specified on the invitation or you can have Johnny’s entire family showing up. What the party is for – Your Child’s 10th birthday. Where it will be held, and When – time, date, etc. Double-check the address of the venue and your phone number for RSVPs. 

It’s a good idea to send out the invites promptly, but not so far ahead that they will be forgotten. Generally 2-3 weeks is acceptable for a child’s birthday party. Any earlier than that, and you risk people forgetting about the party. Don’t forget to update your guest list as and when people rsvp, otherwise it can be hard to keep track of who is coming and who can’t make it.

Party Food for Everyone

Party food is often the highlight of a party. Everyone gets excited about eating delicious treats. Feature lots of healthy food within your party menu, so that you don’t have lots of kids on a fully charged sugar rush during the party. To keep the table looking exciting and appealing to kids chop up brightly colored fruits and vegetables as an enticing addition. Carrot sticks, sliced bell pepper, watermelon, strawberries and blueberries all look great as part of a party buffet.

Make sure to keep your foods inline with your theme. Nobody wants to get invited to a Dinosaur party and find pasta salad and fish sticks. Examples of great theming include: Toy Story have Pizza Planet pizza, Slinky Dog Hot Dogs or pasta salad made with spiral pasta, Mr. Potato Head tater tots, Buzz Lightyear Galactic Punch, and Woody’s Cupcakes.

No party is complete without some sweet treats, and chocolate cupcakes are guaranteed to be a big hit with all the kids (and grown-ups too!).

Another thing that is important is to check if any of the partygoers have non-food or food allergies that you need to know about. You may want to ask that on the invitation, but if you ask, you need to be prepared to accommodate. However, many children with severe food allergies don’t come to parties, or they bring their own food. If you consider yourself an expert at food allergies, moms will love knowing you have made or bought special foods for their child.

Decorations

While most people will agree that decorations don’t have to cost a lot or be anything elaborate, many parents go completely overboard and overspend with the decorations. Remember, if you have your theme, and your food planned, decorations can be simple. Colored plastic tablecloths, forks, knives, spoons, cups and napkins may be the only “decorations” you need to buy. Add some cute food name tents to your display, some colored candy, and display your food in a pleasing manner, and you won’t need to get extravagant decorations. This is an area that you can save a lot of money. However, if the sky is the limit, and you want to go all out on the decorations, by all means, spend the money. In fact, if you have time and money, you can make this the party of the century.

Enlist Help in the Party

Make sure that you enlist some party time helpers to assist you with the party. No matter how well you plan the party, no one can single-handedly cope with 30 excitable kids! Check with other parents to see if they plan to drop and go. If they are going to stick around they may be willing to help you out at party time. If you have an idea of how many adults will be at the party beforehand, you can also plan for additional food for them.

Games, Favors and More

When you plan a birthday party for your child and intend to have it in your home, you will be responsible for games, party favors, food and clean-up. The games can be daunting to plan. But with a little ingenuity, a successful at-home party can be a treat for all. Obviously, if you are having a toddler party, your games will be much different than a party for a teen. In fact, teen parties are so much easier. Most teens are perfectly happy with video or board games and pizza and chips.

Whatever the age of your child or theme of your party, make sure to enjoy the process while planning a birthday party for your child. Work alongside the birthday boy/girl to ensure that everyone has a great time, and mom doesn’t overextend herself. If you lack joy in the process of planning and executing the party, no body will have any fun!