Disclosure: collaborative post
Planning a kid’s party is generally something parents either relish or dread. The thought of having a hoard of hyper children running around the house or garden is too much for some people to bear, and going to a sweaty, germ-ridden soft play center is out of the question. For others, throwing their heart and soul into planning the smallest details fill them with joy. Whichever category you fall into, these tips will help you to plan the perfect kids’ party.
Choose a date
It can be difficult to find a date when all of your child’s friends are available due to busy schedules and other children’s birthday parties. So, a few months in advance, the first thing to do is set a date for the party. Sending out party invites at least a month before the event usually ensures a good turnout and decreases the probability that their closest friend will have other plans. If you want to be certain, send out a save the date email well in advance.
If you need to book a venue or an activity, it helps to do so in advance to avoid disappointment. Popular venues will book up fast, so avoid disappointment and scrambling by making sure you book in advance.
Choose a time
It can be difficult to determine how long the party should last, as it will depend on the age of the children and the activities planned, but as a general rule, parties should last about two hours. This is long enough for the kids to have fun without getting tired or bored – and will help to preserve your sanity!
When your children get older and want to do something more intrepid, such as have a sleepover, keep in mind that you have a lot more hours to fill, so plan your activities accordingly. Not everyone needs to be amused all of the time, but you will be surprised at how much better your party will run if you plan enough activities to keep everyone entertained.
Invitations
Whether you make your own, buy generic shop-bought invites or look at invitation printing, there are some key details that you need to include in your invites.
- Name of the child – be sure to include last names if there is more than one with the same name in the class
- Location of party
- Time and date. Don’t forget to put the end time unless you want kids lurking around for an indefinite amount of time
- Contact telephone number
- Include an RSVP date – Don’t give parents too much time to respond because they will likely add it to their to-do list and forget all about it.
- If it’s a costume party, make sure to mention it on the invitation. It’s never fun to be the kid who doesn’t dress up!
Guests
Decide whether you expect everyone’s parents to stay or to drop and fly!. This will affect the amount of food you need to prepare as well as the number of extra hands you may require. As a general rule, you can assume that if a child is under the age of five, their parents will stay; however, if the child is over the age of five, it becomes less clear, so make sure you ask or make a note on your invitations that indicates either way.
Siblings are a tricky issue. Unless otherwise specified, the invitation is strictly for one child, but some parents will ask if they can bring siblings. While this is a little sneaky, expect it and plan on a few extra children for whatever activity you have planned, for the amount of food you prepare, and always have a few extra party bags on hand.
Make sure you have enough adult helpers to ensure a smooth operation. An extra pair of hands is always useful.
Catering
The food you’ll need to prepare will be determined by the time of day the party is held. Despite the fact that every party necessitates some level of party food! Of course, you’ll have cake to finish things off, but keep the main course simple and balanced. Finger foods are easy to prepare and usually go over well; just make sure you have a healthy choice to accompany it. Not every child will be satisfied with crisps and pizza, though the majority will!
When it comes to drinks, some parents are adamantly opposed to their children drinking fizzy drinks, while others are opposed to juice. So it’s a good idea to consider your options. Having some bottled water on hand as an alternative, or sticking to sugar-free squash, can help to solve this quandary.
