Planning the perfect birthday party for your child isn’t always an easy task, as there are so many different steps that you need to follow to ensure you can host the most amazing event!
No matter what their gender or age might be, the most enjoyable part of a birthday for little ones (besides getting some fun presents!) is their party. This puts a huge amount of pressure on your shoulders to get things right, but fortunately it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might expect to succeed in your party planning endeavors.
Setting a date a few months in advance will give you time to plan properly, and the build up will give your little one chance to go nuts with excitement as the big day approaches. Whether you’re DIY-ing at home or pulling out all the stops in a show stopping party, in this article you will find some of the best tips, tricks and ideas to help you make sure your child has the best day ever.
So, what are you waiting for? Read on to discover more!
Involve Your Child In The Planning Process
One of the best steps that you can take if you want to simplify and take some stress out of the process is to involve your child in the planning of their party.
It’s more than likely your little one will already have some ideas in their head of what they want at their birthday party. Some of these may be slightly outlandish and not particularly achievable, as things like unicorns are obviously hard to come by, but you will definitely be able to decipher some great things to include on their special day.
Ask them to write down a few different locations or maybe some themes that they would prefer, and then you can scan through them and decide which of those you think would be the most fun and exciting but also the most achievable or accessible/affordable too. Allowing them the opportunity to help with the party planning process will get them even more excited in the build up to their special event, so it’s always a good idea to get them involved. It can also stretch out the whole experience, from being just a few hours of joy to months of anticipation and excitement – what’s not to love?!
Figuring Out Who To Invite
Depending on the specific kind of birthday party you’re planning on throwing, you need to establish a guest list that includes all of your child’s favorite individuals.
It’s vital that you can ensure their best friends are free on the day you’ve chosen for their birthday bash, as they’re going to be upset if their best buds aren’t around on their special day. Think about how many people you’ll be able to invite in total before you consider which other guests will attend, as the size of the group that you can invite will be influenced by the type of party you’re hosting as well as its location. If you’re hosting a small get-together like a sleepover, then it’s a good idea to invite either 4 or 6 kids – make sure it’s not an odd number as you don’t want anyone to get left behind (pairs always work better).
If you opt for a larger event such as a disco, then you can consider inviting their classmates or some of their fellow sports team members. This way, you can involve nearly everyone they know, and create the ideal environment for fun friendships to be built. However, it’s important that you can recognise that there may be individuals that they simply do not like or get on with. This is totally fine as not everyone can be friends, even as adults, so be sure to ask them beforehand whether there’s someone who they would prefer not to attend. Don’t ruin your child’s special day simply to be inclusive.
Deciding On Your Budget
One of the biggest deciding factors that will influence almost every decision you make regarding your child’s birthday party is your budget.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot to spend – there are so many different DIY options that you can consider, and you can even get your child to help too! Spending some quality time with them crafting decorations or baking a delicious celebration cake will be such a lovely experience, and it can also help to make the day even more satisfying for them when they know they contributed towards its creation. It’s much cheaper for you to create these items rather than buying them from a store and they’ll be totally unique too, so it’s a win-win situation.
If you don’t have any budget limitations then you don’t need to worry about making your own party decor, but it’s still a good idea to use your money wisely. Be confident to barter with party planners and other providers, especially if you’re going to place a large order. You might be able to get a few hundred dollars off, so it’s definitely worth your while.
Handing Out Party Favors
It’s a typical tradition to hand out party favors to your birthday party guests when they leave, so they have something to take home with them that reminds them of the fun they had.
The contents of their ‘party favor bag’ should depend on the theme of the event itself. For a day of arts and crafts, you could choose to include some paint brushes and water colors. For a wild day at an outdoor adventure park, you can add some wild animal figurines or some animal print temporary tattoos. Don’t forget to include a piece of the birthday cake, as this is a party favor staple! Party favor bags can be a super affordable way to ensure your kids’ birthday party finishes on a positive note.
Providing Entertainment
Attempting to keep your little ones occupied isn’t easy at the best of times, so when you have an entire group of children their age running circles around your feet, you have to invest in some quality games and entertainment that they can get involved with.
The type of entertainment you provide will likely depend on the location of your child’s birthday party, but there are a few go-to’s that you might like to consider. First off, treasure hunts are always a tried and tested winner – all children will want to get involved, especially if they’re going to be looking for something like candy! In addition to treasure hunts, another fantastic option to consider, if the age of the children allows, is a bouncy house. Incorporating an inflatable bounce house into the birthday party festivities can provide endless entertainment and excitement. Kids of all ages love bouncing around and having a blast with their friends. This approach to entertainment is sure to keep them entertained for hours.
You might also want to think about hiring a professional childrens entertainer, as a magician or a superhero would certainly grab your kids attention and leave them with some brilliant memories! Make sure that you get a couple of marquees printed with a unique birthday design that you can use to provide cover for outdoor entertainment. This way you can party on, come rain or shine.
Sourcing The Best Gifts
Last but by no means least, sourcing the best gifts should be your final priority when you’re planning the perfect kids birthday party.
It has to be said that one of the main reasons children feel so much excitement for their birthdays is the chance to get drowned in presents. This doesn’t mean that you need to go above and beyond to source hundreds of gifts for your child, but it’s a good idea to spend some time sourcing a number of presents that you know they’re going to like. In many cases they’re more bothered about quantity or size rather than quality, especially when they’re younger, so an enormous box of Lego or dolls and dolls clothing can be an affordable yet amazing gift to go for.
If you’re not sure what to get for your child for their special day, then take a look online for inspiration. There are so many good ideas that you can utilize, and you can pinpoint recommendations for your child’s specific gender, age group and preferences. If you’re totally stumped and don’t know what to choose, then simply take them to your local toy store and tell them to choose whatever they would like (within reason – of course!). It’s important they can recognize that their party is also a present in its own right, as you’re spending a lot of time and money to throw their special birthday bash.
Final Thoughts
Planning a great children’s birthday party isn’t always a simple task, as it’s hard to get every little detail as perfect as possible. However, when you can simply focus on the experience as a whole rather than the smaller details, making sure your child feels special on their big day, then your event will go off with a bang! With the tips and tricks that have been carefully detailed above, you’ll be able to plan and execute something spectacular for your little one to remember for years to come. Good luck in your quest to arrange the most amazing birthday party for your child – take some pictures and document the experience!