We’ve all been there. Our child is a year older, and we feel pressured to throw a birthday party that will wow the kids, the other moms and the birthday child.
Our child has been waiting all year for this party, so we want everything to be perfect. We want a unique venue that no one has ever chosen before, a fresh theme that has never been thought of and activities that will stimulate the kids. And we want all of this on a manageable budget with minimal effort.
No wonder we’re stressed.
But a party does not have to be perfect or elaborate to be successful. A successful party is simple; it needs to equate fun. It’s that easy.
These steps can help you plan a fun and stress-free party for your child:
1) Decide what kind of party you want. Do you want a small and intimate party at home with immediate family, a party with classmates, or a larger party with friends, family, classmates and friends from dance/soccer practice? Do you want a formal or informal party? Indoors or outdoors?
Weather permitting; South Florida is a great place to host an outdoor party. You can have a pool party, rent kites at Haulover Park, throw a beach party, barbeque at a park, or choose a water park.
Some county water parks are open on weekends through October for those considering splash-and-slide parties.
But take weather into consideration. You might want to consider indoor options like a bowling party, an ice skating party, an indoor gym, arcade or bounce party.
2) Choose a theme. A theme will help you choose decorations as well as venue and activities, so choose a theme your child likes. Theme suggestions include Hello Kitty, Legos, Pink & Purple, Baking/Cooking, Space, Sports, Cars, Puppies, Superheroes, Arts & Crafts, Fireman, Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Butterflies, Sesame Street and more. You can even ask your guests to come dressed in the party theme.
3) Who will be invited? To decide, ask these questions:
* How many people will the venue comfortable accommodate?
* How many children can you adequately supervise?
* Do you prefer an all-girl or all-boy party or mixed?
* Do you want to include the whole class or only some of your child’s classmates? If you invite the whole class, invitations can be given out in class. If you invite only some of the children, mail the invitations instead. But don’t invite the whole class and exclude just a few kids. Be sensitive.
* Do you want to include siblings? Some parents might not have care options for siblings, therefore you might want to accommodate extra guests.
4) Send out invitations. Your invitations set the mood as to what kind of party it will be. The fancier the invitations, the fancier the guest will expect the party to be. Invitations should include the name of the birthday child, how old they will be, the date and time of the party (including an end time), whether it is drop-off or not, a location with address and directions, and a phone number or email for RSVPs. Give a deadline for RSVPs. Invite only as many children as you can handle and afford. Expect a few more than your RSVP list.
5) Decide activities. The activities or entertainment will reinforce the party theme. Choose an activity that is age-appropriate and one that your child enjoys and is good at. Decorations can be bought at a party store or you can make your own. The birthday child might even want to help.
No longer are the entertainment and activity options limited to playing games. There are a lot of options, including:
* Flying kites at the park or Haulover Beach in Miami
6) Plan the food. The food can be part of the party theme, but choose kid-friendly foods. If the party is during mealtime, guests will expect meal. Between mealtimes, self-serve snacks, drinks and a birthday cake is perfectly acceptable. The easiest and most popular food is pizza, but be creative with options like self-serve tacos and burger bars. Parents will appreciate it if you limit the sugar.
7) Make a budget. If money is not as issue, you can hire a party planner who can take care of every detail so all you have to do is show up. But for many, budget is an issue. You do not have to spend a lot to have a fun party. Kids don’t care how much a party costs; they just want to celebrate with their friends. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be special. If your child’s birthday is close to a friend’s birthday, you can share the party.
8) Return the favor? Goodie bags are OPTIONAL – not a MUST. No one will be talking about how they went to a party, and there were no goodie bags. You might want to use your budget for the party, not the party favors. However, if you use goodie bags, remember there is no right or wrong. Kids will be happy with whatever they get. You can have a pinata, and give the guests small bags to take home the goodies they collect. Be creative – pinatas don’t have to be filled with candy. You can fill them with trinkets, erasers, rings, coins, whistles, etc. Kids enjoy breaking the pinata and collecting whatever comes out.
Remember to involve your child. Kids usually know what they want when it comes to their party. Listen to them. Think about the last party you went to that was fun. Was it because of the money spent on the party or because the atmosphere was relaxed?
As parents, we want to make our children’s parties special, and as long as the focus is on the birthday child, it will be special. If you and your child are having a good time and celebrating this day, your guests will have a great time, too.
