Organising a child’s birthday party can be both exciting and exhausting as the pressure of the extended family and friends lands on your shoulders. Whilst logistics can be tricky, one other small issue is the desire to compete with other parties - make sure your focus is on planning a great day that everyone will enjoy! This does not have to include space travel, cross-country gallivanting or presenting children with diamond goodie bags – sometimes, less is more..
Guest List:
Keeping the party small will be more manageable on the day, however, this can sometimes be hard to do depending on the size of the family and friendship group. Discuss this carefully with the family and decide together who should be invited. Any family politics should not be dealt with by you.
Remember, it is up to you to advise the parents as to whether they should stay or simply drop their children off. This will have a significant impact on you so choose wisely.
Theme, Venue, Decorations:
The time of year will help you to decide on a venue, the decorations and a theme (if you’re having one). In summer, having an outdoor party is an excellent way to get the children running around without causing too much damage. For this, consider the back garden, a local park or adventure/high ropes playground. For themes, you could consider the Olympics or perhaps a magical Alice in Wonderland theme with an exciting picnic.
If you decide to stay indoors, home is still a viable option but be prepared for the devastation at the end of the event. However, setting up a range of activities around the room will keep these little monsters entertained with some organised group games at the end. If this is not for you, look at the local leisure centre, a soft play, bowling alley or perhaps even the local town hall.
Top tips:
Deciding on activities, food, party bags and the finer details are all up for discussion but to give you a starting point, here are some top tips and ideas to help:
☑ Outline the start and end time of the party – 3 hours is plenty!
☑ Activities – musical statues, pass the parcel and pin the tail on the donkey are great. Alternatively, a treasure hunt, craft tables, face painting, dressing up competition or obstacle course can be a lot of fun. For a bigger budget, consider a bouncy castle or an entertainer.
☑ Food – keep it simple. Sandwiches, sausages, carrot sticks with dips, mini pizzas etc. all go down well.
☑ Cake – this could be linked to their favourite character, animal or simply be in the shape of their age. As long as it tastes delicious, they will love it.
☑ Adults – make sure they are catered for too and feel free to ask for their help – they will have to host one at some point.
☑ Party bags – whether homemade or bought, keep them simple and send children home with a token of your thanks.
The main thing to remember is to get your little one involved and have an excellent day. It will be great!