Birthday Party Planning for Children
If
there’s one thing that children look forward to more
than anything else, it’s their birthday. Planning a
birthday party for your son or daughter is not near as
intimidating if you know what to do and when to do it.
Just how elaborate you want the party to be will depend
on how much time and effort you’re willing to put into
it, and your budget for invitations, food, decorations,
games, and favors.
Unless it’s going to be a surprise, talk to your child to determine what kind of party he or she wishes to have. If you’re going with a theme, this will help you choose your cake and decorations. Here is where you may need to set a few boundaries. Your goal is for every child to have fun but not to cause undue stress in the planning and preparations.
Location
Before you begin organizing your party, you will need to decide on a location. There are several things to be considered. One option is to rent a place or choose a restaurant that specializes in parties. This is handy when you’re short on time and do not want to decorate and clean up. Also, some places insist on providing a cake, others will let you bring your own. Your party may be limited in choices but the cost may justify the convenience.
If you decide to hold the party at home, the burden of work will be upon you but you will have more control. Don’t be reluctant to ask another mother or a relative for help. Your child may also embrace the opportunity to help decorate and assemble bags with party favors. If you’re planning on an outdoor event at a park or in your own backyard, be sure to have an alternative location chosen in case of inclement weather.
Invitations
After you’ve completed your guest list, it’s time to focus on your invitations, which should complement the theme. If you have no particular theme, you’ll have more options but they’re not as personal. It may be difficult to find store-bought invitations pertaining to your theme. If this is the case, you can make your own. Consider hand-made invitations for a smaller guest list or printing them off from your computer if the list is larger. You’ll want to give sufficient notice of your party but don’t want it to be forgotten, so the timing of delivery is important. Mail or hand-deliver the invitations one to two weeks in advance.
Cake
Besides your child, the birthday cake will be the star of the party. You’ll want an attractive cake that will not only look good in pictures, but taste delicious as well. Custom made cakes cost more but allow you to choose the flavor, theme, and type of icing. Many grocery stores have pre-made cakes but they’re generally about the size of a half-sheet, which is quite small. If you’re short on time and didn’t preorder, you may need to buy more than one. Don’t forget to ask the decorator to add on a personal birthday message in your child’s name. Of course, larger cakes with a specific theme will probably need to be preordered at least one week in advance.
Another alternative is to buy a cake and additional cupcakes. It's a good idea to choose cupcakes that are a different flavor of cake and frosting from the main cake. Most kids are happy with either cake or cupcakes but giving them a choice will put an extra smile on their face.
Decorations
Supplies and decorations should pertain to your theme or be in your child’s favorite colors. You can often find “party packs” that include crepe paper, balloons, and a banner for decorating, and matching paper plates and napkins for the cake. Look for these in specialized party stores, discount centers, or online. Need more ideas? Tablecloths, chip bowls, and carefully-placed confetti will add to the festivities. Piñatas are great decorations and also provide a fun activity the kids will not soon forget.