As your child’s birthday approaches, it’s a sentimental time to reflect on gift shopping, baby photos, and all that the next year will bring.But if you’re trying to understand, this period can quickly go from sweet to stressful. how to plan a child’s birthday partyLuckily, we have the best tips and tricks on how to throw a party to help you celebrate.
Whether it’s creating an invite list, deciding on a theme, or deciding on meals, there’s a lot to think about when you actually put your plans into action. But sitting down and trying to do it all at once can be overwhelming. Especially when you don’t know where to start or when your list of things to do before you erase something keeps growing.
But don’t worry. We’ll walk you through every step of party planning to make your experience effortless.
how to plan a birthday party
Planning a birthday party doesn’t have to be stressful or time consuming if you’ve organized yourself. You will be able to concentrate on making memories by knowing that the elements of
Below, we’ve simplified the steps and included some timeline suggestions to help you have a good time. planned party like you do in the meantime party!
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start things off with a checklist
- budget
- A fixed amount that you can spend with peace of mind.
- theme
- ornaments
- location needs
- costume/favor
- Invitation
- Number of people (children only, family, friends)
- date and location (indoor, outdoor, etc.)
- time and duration of the event
- Activities (with games/without games/pony riding, etc.)
- food ordering and preparation
- photographer (optional)
create a budget
How much money to spend when planning an event can definitely stress people out. By starting the birthday planning process with a certain amount and, more importantly, sticking to it, the risk of overspending is greatly reduced. Don’t change the theme in the middle or be persuaded by others with a “bigger is better” or “you have to do this” mentality.
If your event is a milestone birthday like a 1st or 13th birthday, or a luxury theme, you may need to start saving money in advance.
Money is high on the list of arguments within couples, so planning a budget-friendly birthday party can help keep tensions low and the planning process running smoothly.
plan pro tips: Set a reasonable budget and start saving up to 3-6 months in advance!
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Theme brainstorming
The themes are so much fun: carnivals, dinosaurs, princesses, superheroes. (Honestly, even grown-up birthdays can be exciting with choices like ’80s bashes, campfire cocktails, karaoke, or board game jackpots.)
You can decorate it with a specific color scheme or match it with a book, TV or movie theme (think “Alice in Wonderland”, “Two Infinity and Beyond”). paw patrol) or you can focus on the theme of the activity (e.g. if everyone goes horseback riding, give every guest a cowboy hat favor).
plan pro tips: Think about what your child likes, not necessarily what’s trendy.
select location
There are no limits to where your imagination can take you. Choose the one that fits your budget and available space, and then allow at least two months to order and purchase the items you need to bring your theme to life.
Decorations, venue rentals, or anything else that needs to be purchased for a themed birthday party could be added soon. A simple celebration of just cake and ice cream is fine.
One of the easiest ways to get the theme just right is to throw a party at home. That way, you can start decorating days (or weeks) in advance!
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However, renting a hall is also appealing as it is an open indoor space that provides a blank slate to bring your theme to life. Pre-party cleaning is off the list when you’re away from home, but cleaning afterward is usually necessary.
If your theme calls for an outdoor location, choose a location that is flexible enough to accommodate unforeseen weather changes.
Now that you’ve set your budget and decided on a theme (or no theme), it’s time to start planning the details.
plan pro tips: Choose a theme that fits your budget!
understand the invitation
There are options for birthday party invitations. If you prefer the more formal method of mailing paper invitations, send the invitations at least four weeks in advance to give them enough time to respond.
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Electronic invitations are becoming more popular because they reach everyone immediately and can be responded to quickly. However, people are busy these days, so send these out 2-3 weeks before the important date so you can adjust your schedule to be able to attend (sending a reminder or two may help) . Whichever invitation you send out, get people to RSVP as soon as possible to make the rest of your planning more accurate.
How many people are you inviting?
A birthday party is a special celebration, and you can choose to have it be an intimate gathering with only your loved ones, or a larger relationship with a large family or an entire class of children.
When you start planning your party, it’s important to know how many people to invite. After all, this number influences food, favors, cakes, and places.
What time is the festival?
A real birthday party can be special, but it’s not always easy. A large celebration is easier to plan and execute with weekend dates. Be clear about start and end times unless you want an all-day event. This will give you plenty of time to clean up after everyone has left. This is a very important thing to remember if you are in a particular location (or her TBH at home). If you don’t clean up well after the party, you could lose your security deposit.
Advanced planning tips: Send invitations well in advance so that you can get a response in time to ensure accurate staffing for meal plans.
Related: 33 Best Happy Birthday Songs
Ordering food and cake
Once you have a tally of your guests, you can decide how to eat.
Catering is easy, but can be expensive. Buying a pizza might be more budget-friendly, but it also gives you a little break.
Another option is to make all the food yourself or ask a family member or friend to bring the plates.
Decide if you’ll just have snacks or an actual meal, and make a list of the items you’ll need to make it all. If the product is perishable, you can start buying it right away and save it for your big day. Fresh items should be purchased the week of the party and can be ready up to 24 hours in advance for optimal freshness. (There are enough things to worry about on the day of the party, so anything you can knock out ahead of time is a bonus!)
Not everyone prepares food for their birthday party, but most have a birthday cake. Do you make it yourself or have it made for you?
If ordering, call the bakery as soon as you start planning your birthday celebration to fit in with your schedule (or fill out the form online). Make sure you get it on the morning of your big day.
If you choose to make one, you can bake it the day before and frost it the same day. Check in with them the week before to make sure they can still make the cake and give yourself a buffer in case something happens.
Also, no matter which route you choose to serve food to your guests, it’s a good idea to check in advance if they have any food allergies.
Advanced planning tips: If you get stuck, ask for help!
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Activity content
With some imagination (and a little Pinterest), there seems to be no limit to the ideas you can keep your guests busy with.
If your theme is ‘Wild Africa’, a small petting zoo might be a good fit. If your birthday is for preteens, create something a little more understated like s’mores by the campfire.
It’s a good idea to think about the specific games you want to set up and play during the event, such as board games, lawn games, or classic games like donkey tail pins.
Arrange activities before your guests arrive and ask friends and family to help get them ready for the morning if needed.
photographer (optional)
If your smartphone isn’t suitable for your special, special birthday, it’s a good idea to hire a photographer. Prioritize checking your budget and calling in the first stages of planning your party. Finding a good photographer is difficult and schedules fill up quickly. So save the date as soon as possible.
Many details go into planning a birthday party. To make it the best ever, keep your list organized, give yourself plenty of time in case something goes wrong, and don’t hesitate to delegate!
Next, 63 funny Happy Birthday memes!
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