Out of hosting all kinds of parties, hosting a kid’s birthday party is surely one of the most challenging parties to host. There are many things to think about. And there are also many kinds to take care of as well as keep entertained. However, even though it requires a lot of thinking, research, effort, and money, parents still do it as they know how happy their kids are. Nevertheless, with some practical tips and tricks, you can learn how to host an awesome birthday party for your kid. And not lose your mind over it along the way. The key lies in being well-organized, prompt, and simple.
So, if you have your kid’s birthday party coming up, keep reading to learn all about organizing an awesome birthday party everybody’s going to like. And the one you’ll survive with flying colors! You should start with the budget, that’s the first thing. Then, you should consider the guest list and decide who to invite as well as where. After that, you should choose a suitable theme and decorations. This will also dictate some activities as well. As far as the food is concerned, it should be simple and kid-friendly. You mustn’t forget to set the time of the party together with the duration. Additionally, you should consider whether to have a gift-opening at the party, whether to invite parents as well and whether to prepare goodie bags to take. And lastly – don’t forget about the cake, it’s the highlight of every kid’s birthday party!
1. Set the budget
Before starting with any kind of organization, you should set the budget. It is the golden rule of event hosting and the base of every successful event planning. You just need to be aware of the fact that you can organize a birthday party for your kid on any budget you have available. However, in order for it to be successful, you should know exactly how much you can spend, so you can start planning accordingly. Setting the budget will help you decide on the number of guests, type of activities, food, and other things.
The point is to be realistic and you won’t make a mistake that way. Either way, there’s no need for overdoing it and incorporating too many activities. Kids just need plenty of open space, some snacks, drinks, music. When it comes to some extra activities, you can include one or two; for instance, you can hire face painting artists or a bouncing castle. It’s universal – kids adore these, both boys and girls!
2. Consider the guest list and location
Regardless of your kid’s age, it probably has a lot of classmates, if not friends. There are plenty of kids either in its kindergarten group or in school. Besides that, there are probably also some kids from the neighborhood or different playdates as well as cousins, who would be suitable to attend the party. Your budget will set the number of guests you can afford to invite, so choose accordingly and wisely. Both the budget and the guestlist dictate the remaining aspects of the party. When you have the guest list completed, you should think about the location. If you have enough space in your home or yard, you can host it there as it’s more budget-friendly. However, if you can afford it, you can host it somewhere else – many parents consider it the easier way to go. It can be some kid-friendly venue such as a playroom or a bowling alley.
3. Choose a suitable theme
What follows is choosing a suitable theme. Every kid has something he likes or even adores. For boys, it’s usually cars, dinosaurs, or superheroes, while girls prefer princesses, fairy-tale themes, and things alike. There are also some universal things, though. You can even discuss this with your kid and see its preferences, even though you are familiar with them. When you have decided on the theme it is time to get busy and find different things for the party with that theme in mind. So, try to find some birthday banners, table cloths, party hats, and other party trinkets that will fit in perfectly with the chosen theme.
4. Think about the activities
When organizing a kid’s birthday party, it’s important to have a detailed plan. So, you should plan for some activities. Of course, that doesn’t mean that every minute should be planned. There should be some free play – either indoors or outdoors. Ideally, it would be outdoors in the yard, as kids could be running around on the grass, and there would be fewer chances of them getting hurt. You should also plan for other aspects of a typical kid’s birthday party, such as the cake, playing some party games such as musical chairs, watching the magician, or face painting.
5. Order some kid-friendly food
As far as food is concerned, you should go for some simple, kid-friendly food. This includes some sandwiches, mini hot dogs, pizza, or some finger food. Do your research and find out more about the best snacks to have at your kid’s birthday party. You can also have some fruit – the food doesn’t necessarily have to be unhealthy. Parents usually order catering as they don’t have time to prepare all the food themselves due to other obligations they have, regardless of the number of attendees. We suggest serving it on a table, with some paper plates and napkins along with some party decor. Also, go for plastic cups to avoid potential broken glass.
6. Set the time
Kids’ birthday parties usually have a time limit and there is a good reason for that. These kinds of parties usually last from 2 to 3 hours, and it’s more than enough. There’s just about time for everything: free play, some organized activities, cake, face painting, gift opening, or whatever you have planned. And it’s just about the right amount of time you can handle all the kids!
7. Gift opening: yay or nay?
The question of whether to include gift opening at the party is debatable and different parents have diverse opinions about it. Before deciding on it, you should try to weigh the pros and cons. First of all, there is a popular trend concerning gift giving going on. Some parents decide to go for ‘please, no gifts’ on the invitations, promoting this no-gift policy, which is also fine. If you go for this policy, then gift opening is not recommended. When you think about it, there are probably more cons than pros of gift opening, so it’s perhaps better to leave that for when the party’s over.
8. Don’t forget the cake
The cake is the highlight of every kid’s birthday party, so you should put an accent on it. Opt for the one that fits in the theme and that is tasty for the kids. Don’t choose something you’re not sure whether kids will like. Usually, a chocolate or fruit cake works the best. It’s an essential part of a kid’s birthday party as there are candles to blow out, fireworks, and excited kids singing the Happy Birthday song.
9. Should you invite parents?
This is entirely up to you. However, have in mind that if you do invite them, you’ll have to organize some food and entertainment for them, too. So, if you’re not up for it, then stick to just the kids.
10. What about goodie bags?
Handing out goodie bags is certainly a nice way to say thank you to all the guests. However, it is not necessary, so you can organize it if you feel up for it. It is usually a small token of appreciation such as a bag filled with some candy and perhaps some small toy, a photo, or something alike.
If you start on time and follow these simple tips and tricks, you are bound to organize an awesome party, without any pressure and stress, so both you and your kid can enjoy it to the full.