It all starts with peer pressure:

As a parent, we want every moment of our child’s life to be as enjoyable as possible. That may be why so many parents seem to completely lose their minds when planning birthday parties for their children. We go crazy over every tiny detail, from the guest list to setting up gift registries for the children. You do not have to go to these extremes to create a memorable birthday party for your child no matter what your friends and neighbors are doing, you can still make the great memories and give your child a birthday they will remember forever.

Phase One Planning: Involve the birthday child!

No matter what your child’s age one of the smartest things you can do is get them involved in the party planning process! Your child should not simply watch the planning, getting them involved will raise their excitement  level and make for a better party. Invitations, food choices, location and theme are all things they can help with.

Invitations:

When designing the invitations, ask your child what they would like to have, maybe a favorite picture of themselves incorporated into the invitation, or something they draw on their own. If they seem disinterested, perhaps just an Evite!   Make sure to include them in developing the guest list. Most schools require you ask all the students in the class, or some have an all boys or all girls policy. Make sure you know your school policy before you ask your child who will be on the list.

Themes:

Talk about possible party themes for the upcoming celebration. Make sure your child is on board with what you have in mind, do not simply assume that your younger daughter would love a princess party or your son longs for a pirate theme. Try to “pay attention” to their favorite activity, or character, maybe even a favorite food and plan the party around that for an idea. One of our most memorable parties was when Cinderella attended a Dinosaur tea party because the little girl whole heartedly knew that Tea and Dinosaurs were two of Cinderella’s favorite things!!

Venue:

Let your child can discuss possible venues for the birthday party. Perhaps your child has special play center in mind, a place with video games and pizza. Maybe they want to hold their birthday party at a trampoline park where they can run, jump and play with their friends. Maybe your child prefers something a little more unusual, like a birthday trip to an animal farm where they can meet and touch friendly barnyard creatures. Offer to have the party at home, an at home party is typically less stressful and more fun for the birthday child as they are in their “own” space and can enjoy their party in the comfort of home.

Menu:

Let your child help design the menu for their birthday party.  Ice cream, cake, pizza, chicken nuggets, hamburgers, hotdogs, tiny food, fruit salad, a donut party!   As a parent, you will need to take any food allergies into account, I always share my menu with my guests so they know what we will be serving and whether or not they have to feed their children first, or bring their own “safe” food. If you are planning a themed party, you can make the food and drink part of the overall theme. A pirate themed party, for instance, might include a Pirates chest filled with juice, water and other drinks. You can make a princess themed party even more special with a castle shaped cake.

 

Party Timing:

Families today think they have to have an afternoon party, serve a full meal and include beverage service for the adults as well as children. To avoid an entire grocery budget blown on one day, plan your party between meal times. For instance, 9:30a-11:30a is one of my favorite times to host a party, it is first thing in the morning so it leaves the entire day for other activities. Fruit, maybe donut holes with juice and coffee is all that is needed with a birthday cake or cupcake at the end. For children age 2-5 it is best to keep the party short, sweet and on point!

Presents:

To open or not to open when guests are present is always the question. It all depends on the crowd, if it

When it comes to the guest list, remember that smaller is often better for young children. For children in the 3 to 5 range range a large gathering could be overwhelming and even frightening. Keeping the guest list to close friends and family members is probably the best approach.

Keeping in mind the age of the party-goers is also a smart move when planning a birthday party for young children. And hour or so should be plenty of time for the gather toddlers to enjoy a piece of cake and a dish of ice cream.

We hope you enjoyed our advice on how to plan your child’s next birthday party!