Kids’ parties have come a long way from the cake, party hats and noisemakers of the last generation. Magicians, costumed characters, moonwalk contraptions and professional DJs are often part of a child’s birthday party festivities. The parties get more elaborate, the gifts more expensive, and the bill more inflated, as parents try to give their children a “wow factor” party of their dreams.
Do you have to outspend, outshine and outdo your friends and neighbors to give a nice party for your child? No, in fact perhaps it’s time to bring your child’s party down to his level and throw a fun-filled party just for kids. Here are 10 tips for throwing the best kids’ party.
1. Get input from your kids
If it’s your child’s birthday, let him help decide what kind of party you’re having for him. Your idea might be more creative, but whose party is it anyway? Sit down with your child and go over ideas for his party. Chances are he’ll have some ideas of fun things he’s done at other parties.
While you’re at it, get your child’s help in putting the party together, deciding on a guest list, making invitations, decorating, making snacks and more. Parties are more fun for a child if they had a part in it.
2. Put yourself in your kids’ sneakers
Pretend for a moment that you’re a kid again. What would you consider a fun party? It might not be what an adult would consider a good time. Try to step out of your adult shoes and into your child’s when you’re planning party food, games and activities.
Kids get a kick out of the darndest things. At a Halloween party of mine, I had a “Wrap the Mummy” game planned and had stashed stacks of rolls of toilet paper behind a chair. Much to my surprise, the little kids found the TP stash and were having a blast just throwing it around the room. One 3-year-old was rolling around the toilet paper-covered floor. My game would have been fun, but in a child’s mind, nothing beat the TP free-for-all.
Choose party games that are simple to learn, not too competitive and fun.
3. Keep it casual
There’s nothing wrong with a formal, dress-up tea party for a 6-year-old girl, but if taken too seriously, I’ll bet you a noisemaker she’d rather have a Hannah Montana party.
Casual parties are simply more kid-friendly and more fun. Encourage your guests to wear comfortable play clothes, especially if you’ll be playing outdoor games or making a messy craft. When kids are comfortable and relaxed, they’re more likely to have fun. Kids having fun = successful party.
Keep party food as simple as possible. Kids are not impressed by your culinary talents. They want food that’s easy to eat and tastes good. Chicken fingers, pizza, juice boxes and snacks are easy and popular.
4. Be organized
Just like any project, planning a successful kids’ party takes planning and organization. Send your party invitations out early enough. Kids are overly flexible, last-minute and hate to plan. But as a parent, you know it takes planning, organization and work to pull off a fun party.
Ask for RSVPs on invitations and follow through so you know how many guests you’ll have. Plan for a little more than enough food, favors, prizes and other party items.
Jot down an itinerary for your own use and follow it throughout the party so you’re prepared for extra time or not enough time.
Have a “Plan B” for if it rains on your pool party of if there’s not enough snow for your sledding party.
5. Have a theme
Theme parties are as much fun to plan as they are to experience. Your child can help you choose a theme and think of ways to carry it out through the food and snacks, decorations, games and goody bags.
For fun birthday party theme ideas, find out what your child and his friends like. For other ideas, check out Coolest Kid Birthday Parties (from Yugioh to Magic Tree House), Amazing Moms (Backyardigans, Horton Hears a Who and more), and birthdaypartyideas.com, which lists hundreds of kids’ birthday party ideas with input from parents around the world.
6. Plan for things to do
Cake and gifts do not a party make! Plan some games, a movie to watch, or activities for your party guests to enjoy. Family Fun has some cool ideas for crafts kids can make at parties.
Be prepared with something for guests to do as they arrive, while waiting for the rest of the guests to get there, and something for the end of the party, for the children who are waiting for rides. Set some coloring sheets and crayons on the front porch for children to enjoy on their way in and out. Or let them play basketball or blow bubbles if the weather permits. For large parties, children can make nametags with markers, stickers and glitter as they arrive at the party. On their way out, they can address envelopes to themselves for the birthday child’s thank you notes, adding decorative touches.
7. Be spontaneous
A good host is flexible and spontaneous, willing to toss her well laid plans right out the window if a better idea takes hold. Parties often take on a life of their own, and kids’ parties are not exception. If the whole gang decides it can’t wait until 4 o’clock to eat the pirate ship cake, take a quick photo and let them dig in. They can play treasure hunt afterwards.
8. Not too short, not too long . . . just right!
Parties for children shouldn’t be more than a couple of hours. Kids at different ages have varying attention spans and dragging out a party too long can turn a fun time into a crab festival.
Games should be no more than an hour. It takes only about 15 minutes to light the candles on the cake, sing Happy Birthday, and serve and eat ice cream and cake. If you decide to have the birthday child open his gifts during the party, it takes about a minute per gift.
9. Not too many, not too few . . . just right!
Someone once said a good number of children at a birthday party is the age of the birthday child. A 5-year-old can invite five children to his party, a 15-year-old’s party can handle 15. There’s wisdom in that rule.
Many parents are tempted to invite too many children to a small child’s party. Without adequate adult supervision, you’re often faced with criers, whiners, a couple of wet pants, and a stomach ache. No one has fun, least of all the birthday child.
The number of children at your child’s birthday party is not a status symbol. This isn’t a cocktail party fundraiser at the country club. Particularly for a child’s party, a couple of best friends getting pizza and a matinee can be a party in itself.
10. Get help
Don’t be the only adult at the party. Solicit help from some of the guests’ parents or a friend, to add another set of adult hands to help answer the door, serve food, take photographs, put birthday cake onto plates and supervise games. More help means less waiting for anxious, excited party children.
The Internet is chock full of party ideas for your child’s party.
The Digerati Life blogger has some tips for throwing a great child’s party without spending a fortune.
SimplyBirthdayStuff.com has suggestions for every age child and how to entertain kids at a party.
PassionForParties.com has everything from photo tips to a party checklist for your next kids’ party.
Recommended Reading
How to Throw the Best Kid's Party Ever by Petra Boase and Sue Maggs
LesTout Recommends
Do you have to outspend, outshine and outdo your friends and neighbors to give a nice party for your child? No, in fact perhaps it’s time to bring your child’s party down to his level and throw a fun-filled party just for kids. Here are 10 tips for throwing the best kids’ party.
1. Get input from your kids
If it’s your child’s birthday, let him help decide what kind of party you’re having for him. Your idea might be more creative, but whose party is it anyway? Sit down with your child and go over ideas for his party. Chances are he’ll have some ideas of fun things he’s done at other parties.
While you’re at it, get your child’s help in putting the party together, deciding on a guest list, making invitations, decorating, making snacks and more. Parties are more fun for a child if they had a part in it.
2. Put yourself in your kids’ sneakers
Pretend for a moment that you’re a kid again. What would you consider a fun party? It might not be what an adult would consider a good time. Try to step out of your adult shoes and into your child’s when you’re planning party food, games and activities.
Kids get a kick out of the darndest things. At a Halloween party of mine, I had a “Wrap the Mummy” game planned and had stashed stacks of rolls of toilet paper behind a chair. Much to my surprise, the little kids found the TP stash and were having a blast just throwing it around the room. One 3-year-old was rolling around the toilet paper-covered floor. My game would have been fun, but in a child’s mind, nothing beat the TP free-for-all.
Choose party games that are simple to learn, not too competitive and fun.
3. Keep it casual
There’s nothing wrong with a formal, dress-up tea party for a 6-year-old girl, but if taken too seriously, I’ll bet you a noisemaker she’d rather have a Hannah Montana party.
Casual parties are simply more kid-friendly and more fun. Encourage your guests to wear comfortable play clothes, especially if you’ll be playing outdoor games or making a messy craft. When kids are comfortable and relaxed, they’re more likely to have fun. Kids having fun = successful party.
Keep party food as simple as possible. Kids are not impressed by your culinary talents. They want food that’s easy to eat and tastes good. Chicken fingers, pizza, juice boxes and snacks are easy and popular.
4. Be organized
Just like any project, planning a successful kids’ party takes planning and organization. Send your party invitations out early enough. Kids are overly flexible, last-minute and hate to plan. But as a parent, you know it takes planning, organization and work to pull off a fun party.
Ask for RSVPs on invitations and follow through so you know how many guests you’ll have. Plan for a little more than enough food, favors, prizes and other party items.
Jot down an itinerary for your own use and follow it throughout the party so you’re prepared for extra time or not enough time.
Have a “Plan B” for if it rains on your pool party of if there’s not enough snow for your sledding party.
5. Have a theme
Theme parties are as much fun to plan as they are to experience. Your child can help you choose a theme and think of ways to carry it out through the food and snacks, decorations, games and goody bags.
For fun birthday party theme ideas, find out what your child and his friends like. For other ideas, check out Coolest Kid Birthday Parties (from Yugioh to Magic Tree House), Amazing Moms (Backyardigans, Horton Hears a Who and more), and birthdaypartyideas.com, which lists hundreds of kids’ birthday party ideas with input from parents around the world.
6. Plan for things to do
Cake and gifts do not a party make! Plan some games, a movie to watch, or activities for your party guests to enjoy. Family Fun has some cool ideas for crafts kids can make at parties.
Be prepared with something for guests to do as they arrive, while waiting for the rest of the guests to get there, and something for the end of the party, for the children who are waiting for rides. Set some coloring sheets and crayons on the front porch for children to enjoy on their way in and out. Or let them play basketball or blow bubbles if the weather permits. For large parties, children can make nametags with markers, stickers and glitter as they arrive at the party. On their way out, they can address envelopes to themselves for the birthday child’s thank you notes, adding decorative touches.
7. Be spontaneous
A good host is flexible and spontaneous, willing to toss her well laid plans right out the window if a better idea takes hold. Parties often take on a life of their own, and kids’ parties are not exception. If the whole gang decides it can’t wait until 4 o’clock to eat the pirate ship cake, take a quick photo and let them dig in. They can play treasure hunt afterwards.
8. Not too short, not too long . . . just right!
Parties for children shouldn’t be more than a couple of hours. Kids at different ages have varying attention spans and dragging out a party too long can turn a fun time into a crab festival.
Games should be no more than an hour. It takes only about 15 minutes to light the candles on the cake, sing Happy Birthday, and serve and eat ice cream and cake. If you decide to have the birthday child open his gifts during the party, it takes about a minute per gift.
9. Not too many, not too few . . . just right!
Someone once said a good number of children at a birthday party is the age of the birthday child. A 5-year-old can invite five children to his party, a 15-year-old’s party can handle 15. There’s wisdom in that rule.
Many parents are tempted to invite too many children to a small child’s party. Without adequate adult supervision, you’re often faced with criers, whiners, a couple of wet pants, and a stomach ache. No one has fun, least of all the birthday child.
The number of children at your child’s birthday party is not a status symbol. This isn’t a cocktail party fundraiser at the country club. Particularly for a child’s party, a couple of best friends getting pizza and a matinee can be a party in itself.
10. Get help
Don’t be the only adult at the party. Solicit help from some of the guests’ parents or a friend, to add another set of adult hands to help answer the door, serve food, take photographs, put birthday cake onto plates and supervise games. More help means less waiting for anxious, excited party children.
The Internet is chock full of party ideas for your child’s party.
The Digerati Life blogger has some tips for throwing a great child’s party without spending a fortune.
SimplyBirthdayStuff.com has suggestions for every age child and how to entertain kids at a party.
PassionForParties.com has everything from photo tips to a party checklist for your next kids’ party.
Recommended Reading
How to Throw the Best Kid's Party Ever by Petra Boase and Sue Maggs
LesTout Recommends
