Planning a birthday party for your child is an experience in itself, both for the child and the parents. A well organized party creates life long memories. So it is important to plan properly to create a successful party and leave a lasting impression. Here are some useful party planning tips that will help you organize a great party!
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Choose a theme
A theme brings life to any party. Get your child involved in selecting a theme. This will make it extra special for your child.
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Decide on the venue
Choose the location. You can either choose to party at home or choose a venue in a nearby banquet hall or hotel. I prefer home parties, because they have a personal touch and you can just get so creative with the décor and the overall effect of the party to match your chosen theme. A party at home on the plus side, costs less and is more enjoyable. If you decide to celebrate outside your home, be sure to make bookings well in advance. Also when choosing the venue, take into consideration the weather, especially if you are planning an outdoor party!
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Set the date and time
Choose a date and time that works best for your family and also your guests. A birthday falling on a weekday is better celebrated on a weekend. Also choose a time that is suitable for your child. You don’t want to choose a time when your child is more likely to be cranky. For smaller age groups wrap up the party in 2 hrs. For older kids, you can extend it to 3 hrs.
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Guest List for the party
Prepare your guest list well in advance. Decide on how many guests should be invited. For a child’s birthday it is better to invite only children and not relatives and family friends. If you want to invited friends and relatives, allocate separate time slots for 2 parties. After all it’s your child’s birthday, so it has to be a party for your child and not you! As a rule of thumb, the no. of children invited to a party should be your CHILD’S AGE PLUS 2. So for a six year old, it will be 8 guests and for a 9 year old 11 guests.
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Party Invitations
Ensure you mail out your invitations 2 weeks prior to the party. Ensure you give out all important details about the party in the invitation, such as start and finish time, when parents should pick up the kids, RSVP information etc. It is always better to have invitations based on the theme of the party, so the guests know what to expect and it sets in the excitement and the right tone for the party. There is nothing like customized DIY cards.
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Party Menu
Plan the type of foods and drinks you will serve. You will also need to decide on the cake for the party. Try and plan out a cake based on the chosen theme. Also plan out the menu to suit the theme. Take into consideration the ages of the children when planning out the menu. Choose foods that are simple, great to taste and simple to make. Also, often the mothers of younger kids will accompany the child in the party, so you will need to have a few dishes for them as well.
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Party Favors
You must purchase party favors for each child coming to the party. Choose gifts that match the theme and pack them in creative ways that correspond with your theme. Buy age appropriate gifts as well.
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Games
Plan some fun games that are appropriate for the age group and also games that suit the theme. Have some prices for the winner. The internet is a “pitara” of ideas. Just get creative!
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Activity or Craft
A nice and fun way to keep children occupied during parties is to have a craft activity planned out for the party. It’s a great way to begin a party as you can keep the kids occupied while you greet other parents when they come to drop of their child!
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Plan a schedule for the party
It always helps to have a schedule, but at the same time be flexible with it. Plan what the kids will do when they arrive, when they will eat, when they do all the other activities and when the cake will be cut.
Planning a party can be taxing, but it is worthwhile! And if you don’t have the time to plan a fab birthday, get in touch with polka dot celebrations and we will organize the most wonderful birthday party for your child. Hope these party planning tips will help you be more organized the next time you plan a birthday party for your child. 🙂