While many of us adults let our birthdays pass by without too much fanfare, kids are keen to celebrate every single birthday surrounded by friends, presents, and food. You may have fond memories of your birthday parties from childhood, but as a parent, you’re only now understanding how much work goes into them. Fortunately, there are some ways to plan a great kids’ birthday party that will make the big day much easier.
1. Choose the right theme
Choosing a theme for your kid’s birthday party will help you find a focus for decorations, games, the cake, and everything else. Rather than being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options out there, pick a theme and stick with it to streamline the process.
As for choosing a theme? Ask your kid first of course, but come to that conversation prepared with some ideas in case their first choice isn’t workable. Classic themes for kids include superheroes, video games, pirates, princesses, and unicorns.
Many factors like the venue, the season of the year, and the busyness of parents can make it hard to find the best details for the event. So try some options that are versatile and can easily fit the situation. Custom blow up inflatables, for instance, can be the perfect addition to any child’s birthday party. There are a wide variety of options available to match any theme, from classic bouncy castles to more specific designs like slides and obstacle courses. Inflatable solutions can also be customized with your child’s name or favorite character to make the day even more special. Best of all, they are a great way to keep kids entertained for hours on end.
2. Offer affordable gift suggestions
Other kids will bring presents to the party, but it’s up to their parents to buy them. A note or email with the party invitation for parents that suggests some affordable gifts takes a lot of stress out of the decision for those parents and makes sure your kid doesn’t get duplicate gifts.
If you’re planning a kids’ birthday party and want to keep things affordable, there are several subscription boxes that make great gifts. One of the most popular is the Disney Subscription Box. This box sends your child a box filled with fun surprises each month. There are options for both boys and girls, so everyone in your family can get something they love.
Our suggestion is to email parents with affordable suggestions, link to toy websites like Wicked Uncle, and perhaps suggest a spending cap to ensure all gifts are equal on the day.
3. Plan plenty of games
Games are an essential component of a successful kids’ birthday party. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to kids’ party games. Musical chairs, pass the parcel, and pin the tail on the donkey are classics for a reason.
If you want to think a little more outside of the box, try to link games back to the theme. Change that donkey to a supervillain or unicorn, create a themed treasure hunt, and make the music for musical chairs align with the theme.
4. Pre-pack the party favours
The day of the party will be busy, busier than you expect. Don’t leave packing party favours till the day off. Pre-pack those bags of goodies, though perhaps leave them lined up and open to pop in a slice of cake (if there are any leftovers).
What goes into a kid’s party favour? Sweets, toys, and craft materials are all classics but might end up in the bin pretty quickly. Consider keeping your party favours on theme too or check out lists of alternatives to party goody bags to offer something more unique.
5. Expect dietary restrictions
Even if you have the least fussy kids around with no allergies or intolerances, that’s not the case for everyone. When planning the food for your kid’s party, expect dietary restrictions and don’t count on parents telling you beforehand.
Gluten and dairy intolerances, allergies, vegetarians and vegans are just some of the restrictions you’ll come across, so make sure there are some gluten, dairy, and meat-free options on offer. An email to parents beforehand to warn you about any restrictions or allergies will also go a long way.