Hosting a birthday party can be challenging. In fact, the organization, hosting, and managing deeds can all drain your energy, leaving you tired after the party is over. Moreover, missing a step in your planning can result in a poorly organized party. This can throw your hard work down the drain. However, proper planning in advance can help beat this issue.
In this regard, here are some useful factors that can help you throw a stress-free birthday party for your child:
1. Note down your guests
A guest list can be a lifesaver. You won’t miss any names, which is pretty common when you plan a party regardless of its size. If you organize a large party, you don’t want to miss someone and receive a complaint call from that friend or relative smack in the middle of the celebration.
On the flip side, if you want to throw a small party, a guest list will help you cut down unimportant members. Therefore, don’t forget to note down a list of the guests that you plan to invite.
2. Search for ideas online
Pinterest is a treasure trove of ideas concerning kids’ birthday celebrations. Alternatively, you can surf the internet for birthday ideas and themes. Simply enter keywords in your browser’s search box.
For instance, you can type in ‘kids birthday party ideas,’ ‘children birthday party themes,’ or ‘birthday party ideas for kids’. This will deliver tons of ideas. Make sure you don’t spend a lot of time on the internet though.
Once a birthday theme or idea aligns with your budget, preference, and kid’s liking, close your search engine. This is important because too many ideas can confuse you. So refrain from searching new themes every time you turn on your computer for party planning.
3. Select a birthday venue
If you plan on celebrating your toddler’s birthday at your home, then you don’t have to worry about this factor. However, if you want to organize the party somewhere outside, then you need to look for affordable places.
This is the reason that a location-specific search can turn out to be helpful. You can easily call a venue or check its website to learn about the charges and entertainment plans offered by the birthday venue. You can also ask around for a good location in your circle.
Try to book your venue in advance. Certain locations tend to be busy, so if you are not careful with early booking, then you may have to look for alternatives. What’s more, last-minute reservations can also land you in a situation where all places are full, culminating in a serious party crisis.
4. Prepare your house for the birthday celebration
If you aim to celebrate your child’s birthday party, then you need to start working on your house before the celebration. Some of the steps that you need to take include cleaning the windows and the space where you will host the party.
Clear out the guest area too. Not to forget, clean the washrooms. It is best to take on this work well before the party so that you are not occupied with a ton of cleaning work on the birthday.
5. Shop for the party props
Get all the party decoration ideas before the birthday. If you are on a budget, you can easily save some here. Start looking for party decorations well in advance of the celebration, say, six months before the birthday.
In this way, you can purchase items when they are on sale or come in lucrative offers. You need to ensure that the decoration items match the theme though. Or, you can prepare creative props at home as well.
6. Prepare a plan for the food that you will serve
A simple solution is planning what you want on the menu and calling a catering service for handling the rest. However, if you are cash-strapped, then you can handle the food department yourself.
Alternatively, you can combine the two ideas – prepare some dishes in your kitchen and leave the rest on the catering service’s shoulders. Whatever you choose, make sure that you plan a variety of food.
A good trick is to be careful about food allergy mishaps at the party. To this end, ask for any dietary restrictions from the parents of the kids you invite. It is always fun to have colorful dishes and a patterned tablecloth to ensure that your young guests eat. Don’t forget to add finger foods that are easy to eat for kids.
7. Get your kid on board
Unless you are throwing a surprise party, you’d want to know what your child wants for his or her birthday. Kids have their ideas. Some insist on superhero themes, while, others like the jungle theme better.
The final pick has to be your child’s. After all, you are planning a party for him. Ask your kid about not only the theme but also which friends he wants to invite and what is his idea of a good menu and, most of all, which cake he wants to cut.
8. Plan and send out invites
Lastly, you need to cross out invites from your list of party to-do things. Select the design that suits your budget and place an order for the cards. Make sure that the finalized card design aligns with the birthday theme.
Alternatively, you can go for e-invites. These don’t take long and are free as well. A survey by Parents.com based on a participant pool of 1,500 people learned that 73% of the hosts send paper invitations for their child’s birthday party. You can either be a part of these parents or opt for digital invitations.