Throw your own super-awesome kids’ birthday party for your son or daughter with these ten tips learned through years of organizing hundreds of parties for parents and kids as the owner and chief party planner for Help Is on the Way party planning.
I’ve compiled a list of things you may want to do to keep a houseload of kids entertained from the time they arrive at your home until the time they leave—aka, the time the parents keel over!
1. Plan every detail.
Make sure you plan every detail, as you will need to fill their time completely. If you don’t you may be in some trouble half way through the party. If you are doing a 2½ hour party you will want to do at least one hour of food and presents so that you will have 1½ hours left with the kids for other things.
2. Create a budget.
Budget an amount you feel you can afford so that you know how many children your little Cindy or Timmy can invite.
3. Send invitations well in advance.
Send out the invitations well in advance so that you are able to plan the perfect party and hopefully come out unscathed!
I recommend sending them out about four weeks prior to the party so that busy parents have time to reply. Make sure you set your “Reply By” date about two weeks before the party, just in case you have to follow up with a few parents.
4. Decide on a theme.
Decide what theme you would like to do for your child. Is your daughter very girly, or son very rough-and-tumble? Is there something they really like such as Spiderman, Batman, spa treatments, etc.?
5. Stock your supplies.
Check out some kids’ birthday party stores such as Party City, the local dollar store and other stores that have party supplies to see if you can purchase things that would go with your theme such as costumes, activities, loot bag stuff and decorations.
6. Order food and cake.
Unless you are one of those incredible mothers who will be cooking for the children on the day of the party, you may want to order the cake and/or food about a week in advance to avoid any frustrations.
7. Plan the activities.
Time to decide on all of the activities to do with the children to keep them entertained! You will want to do some research on what kind of games, crafts, or other things to do with the kids.
Search websites like Birthday Party Ideas and Disney Family. (You can find party activities and game ideas at Help! We’ve Got Kids, too!) These will definitely help with your party planning.
8. Plan length of activities and games.
Make sure you estimate how long each of the activities you do will take. On top of that plan on having extra crafts/games to do just in case you have time left over at the end before the kids go on their merry way home!
9. Keep track of time.
Keep on top of the time to make sure the children are ready to go home once the parents have arrived.
10. Take a break.
Maybe send the kids to grandma’s after the party is over so that you have time to rest! And if the planning is getting overwhelming, contact a birthday party company to do some or all of the planning for you.
Sandy Penn is the owner of Help Is on the Way, which plans and organizes kids’ themed birthday parties with à la carte actvities at affordable prices in Durham, Kitchener-Waterloo, and the Greater Toronto Area.
Republished and adapted with permission from www.helpisontheway.ca.
READ MORE LIKE THIS:
- A to Z birthday party planning checklist
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Live in Toronto or the GTA? Plan everything you need for your child’s next party—venue, food, loot bags, and entertainment—with our Toronto & GTA birthday party directory.
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