Kids' Parties

Tips for Planning a Children's Party

I love planning parties for children! When my daughters were young, we always had themed birthday parties at our home. now that my girls are grown up, I enjoy planning parties for other children. Here are my 10 Tips for a Successful Children’s Party: 

1. Start planning at least a month before the party date. Choose a date that is near your child’s birthday and make sure you have no other appointments or conflicts on this day. Most people choose weekends, but weekday parties can work if your child is not in school or if it is after school hours.  


2. The time of your party should be based on your child’s age and general activity level. Toddlers generally take naps in the afternoons, so a late morning party would be better for this age group, and the party should not last longer than an hour and a half. Children who are 4 or 5 years old could handle an afternoon party that lasts two hours. Parties for older children could be held in the evenings, and could last three or four hours.

3. Choose a theme based on your child’s interests. Does your child live and breathe trains? Have a train-themed party. Does she love Disney princesses? Have a princess party. If your child is 3 or younger, you don’t have to ask what theme she wants to have for her party. You can pretty much decide based on her interests. If you have an older child, you should have a discussion about what theme to go with based on his or her interests. But remember, YOU are the adult. So, while your child should have some input, you get to make the ultimate decisions about the party.  

4. Use your child’s age as a general guideline for how many guests to invite to the party. For example, if it is your child’s fifth birthday, invite five of her friends. Too many guests can overwhelm a young child and be difficult for you to manage. And no… you do NOT have to invite your child’s entire daycare class. It’s ok to only invite a few closest friends. Just be discreet and don’t flaunt the party in front of children (or parents) who were not invited.

5. Send out invitations at least two weeks before the party date. Make it easy for people to RSVP by including your email address as well as a phone number. Many people won’t RSVP, no matter what you do, so be prepared to make phone calls to follow up on your invitations if you don’t hear back within a reasonable amount of time.

 6. Decide ahead of time if you want parents to stay with their children at the party. If you will be hosting adults as well as children, make sure you have comfortable places for them to sit while the children are playing games. You may also want to have some more grown-up snacks or beverages available for adults who might not want to eat kid food. If parents will not be staying, make sure you have a phone number before they leave, just in case their child gets sick or hurt during the party.

7. Recruit at least one other adult to help you with the party. Do not assume that the parents of the guests will help. Instead, ask your sister, your husband, or your best friend. When the day of the party arrives, you will be glad to have an extra set of hands.  

8. Make an itinerary for your party. Plan activities based on your theme. Start out with an activity that will keep the children occupied while they are waiting for all of the guests to arrive. Offer snacks or a light meal for guests to nibble on during the party. Next, have two or three games related to your theme. Finish the party with the birthday cake and the opening of the presents. Plan more activities than you think you’ll need. If an activity or game doesn’t go over as well as you’d hoped, you can just scrap it and move on to something else.

 9. Set the ground rules in advance and make sure the party guests understand them. Depending on the ages of the children, you might want to make a sign with the rules. For example: 1. Be gentle. 2. Use kind and respectful words when talking to each other. 3. Walk when you are inside the house. Have a plan for how you will handle infractions of the rules and make this clear to the children at the beginning of the party. I know you don’t want to sound like the party police, but trust me… it’s better to think about this before things get out of control.

 10. Have fun! I know it sounds like hosting a party is a lot of work, and at times it can be. But it is also a lot of fun, and something you’ll want to remember fondly when your children are older. Don’t stress out about the little details. Instead, focus on making memories for your family.