The Complete Guide That Makes Throwing a Kids’ Birthday Party Simple

Parents are spending upwards of $28,000 on things like bouncy houses and extravagant gifts throughout a child’s life. After all, if it’s not picture-worthy, did the party really happen?

Even if you’re not trying to break the bank planning your kid’s birthday party, it can be a stressful time trying to get everything done before the day of. If you’re dreading your child’s next party, stop worrying and get ready to make it the best birthday party ever with this planning guide.

Smart parents always accept a little part planning help!

Choose the Party Theme

One of the easiest things you can do when planning a party for children is picking a birthday theme. With so many themes out there, everything else falls into place once you choose one.

From an exotic Wild Rangers safari to a superhero theme, there’s a party for every child. When choosing your theme, think of how easy it will be to find party decorations and other accessories that can be hung around the party area.

The theme is essential because you’ll use it to decide on activities and things like goodie bags for the children that attend the party. Not to mention the theme should be evident even on the invitations you send to party guests.

Find Your Location

If you don’t plan on hosting the party at your house, you’ve got to find a location where you can throw the party. Check the type of venue space you’re renting because some are private while others are public.

In public event spaces, there’s the chance that the space is rented out to more than one party that day. For example, a skating rink will rent out multiple rooms and host several parties at once.

Before renting a location, another thing to think about is the cost to rent it. Smart parenting is about having boundaries, which means not spending an absorbent about on a kids party.

Keep your budget in mind before securing your party space.

Create a Guest List

Speaking of invitations, it’s time to create a list of the children you’re going to invite to the party. If you ask your child who they want to invite, you might easily wind up with a guest list a mile long, and while there’s nothing wrong with this, it can cause issues.

Before you form a guest list, keep in mind your budget for the party and how much it’ll be to feed each person and provide treats for them. Think of priority guests such as older siblings and other family members as you create the list.

Sometimes parties are for families only, but if you’re broadening the list, you can move on to adding close friends. Once you’ve created your guest list, take time to address the invitations and send them out.

Ensure you send them in advance to parents so that they’re aware of the party date ahead of time. Another factor to keep in mind as you add people to your guest list is the venue where the party will be hosted.

Most venues have a cap on the number of people allowed in the space you’ve rented. It’s essential to keep this in mind because the occupancy maximum is for the safety of all present in the building.

Types of Invitations

Speaking of invitations, there’s more than one type. If you want to do everything by hand, you’re taking the DIY route, which is excellent, but can also be time-consuming.

It’s possible to have custom invitations made, but again this can be on the pricey side. However, the advantage of doing it this way is to create an invitation you want, from the color to the theme characters on the invitation.

The last type of invitation is store-bought ones. These typically come in a themed pack and are the most cost-effective type of invitation on this list.

Choose the Food

Smart kids turn into angry children when they get hungry. The next thing on your list is choosing the food for the party.

When it comes to kids’ parties, choose foods that are easy for them to pick up and eat. Let’s be honest; children will spend more time running around than sitting down to eat anyway.

So, when they stop playing for a moment to eat, you want it to be easy for them to grab and get back to playing. Some kid-friendly foods include:

• Fruit
• Hamburgers
• Pizza
• Chicken tenders

Make sure you ask parents if their children have any allergies before deciding on the food you’re going to have at your child’s parties.

Plan the Activities

What’s a party without games and activities to play? Take the time to make a list of games you want to play at the party and gather the materials you need for each game. 

Before choosing the activities for the party, ensure they’re age-appropriate and easy to understand. Consider the party’s location because you don’t want to choose activities that are going to be disruptive or destructive to the space.

Decorate, Decorate, Decorate

Unless the venue has offered decorating services, you’ll have to do this independently. Most spaces will provide centerpieces that you can use, but you might opt for simpler ones if children are running around. 

Children love confetti, and the great thing is it comes in tons of colors you can sprinkle on party tables or put inside balloons. When you select the decorations you’ll use for the party, keep your theme in mind.

Kids’ Birthday Party Guide: Smart Parenting Just Got Smarter

This is the best kids’ birthday party guide out there. From choosing the perfect birthday party theme to planning the activities for the kids to play, this guide has it all.

Before you run off to finish planning your child’s next birthday party take some time to check out the other posts we’ve created on this page.