How to Plan Your Child's Birthday Party |
| Your baby’s first few birthdays are really milestones that mark the anniversary of becoming parents. You blow out the candle(s), open the gifts and guide your little one throughout the birthday celebration. This is a chance to create memories that will last a lifetime, so remember successful birthday parties don’t happen, the good ones are planned. The secret is keeping the party manageable, yet flexible. Here are a few of the important details that need your consideration. |
The Invitation Don't feel you must create a theme to
build the party around. Your party already has one theme-it’s a
Birthday Party! Your invitation can center around favorite stories,
interests, songs, or characters. There are a wide variety of party
invitations on the market at very affordable prices. You can
choose from "fill-in-the-blank" styles, print them yourself or have
your invitations custom printed. A custom printed invitation makes a
wonderful, personalized keepsake of your child’s special birthday. |
The Date 
Weekends are great, especially if you want help from your spouse or
baby-sitter. A small child won’t care if the party isn’t on his birthday.
If your child’s birthday falls on a holiday, make sure you send out the
invitations extra early or consider having the party on another day. Also be
sure to first check the date with guests without whom the party wouldn't be
a success, such as grandparents, godparents, or best friends and make sure
their schedules are free. Otherwise, you might be having two parties! |
The Time
For a one-year old, keep the party short.
A good way to ensure your party won’t run all night is to only serve
cake and ice cream. They are really the main components of a party
anyway. Remember to consider nap times and other schedules too.
A happy child after a nap will love being the center of attention.
For older children, keep an eye on the clock, their energy levels
and their interaction abilities with other party guests. A
cranky guest of honor is no fun for anyone. |
The Decorations
These are the magic that transform your home into a special place, and they don’t
have to cost a lot. You can decorate with crepe paper streamers, (attach to
your walls with toothpaste, it will wash right off), balloons with curled
ribbon tails to bounce on the ceiling (buy helium balloons the day of the
party), and inexpensive posters (attach with rubber cement, it will rub
right off). The cake can be your centerpiece with party hats, blowers and
party favors arranged around it. |
The Birthday Cake For kids, the cake is the party, and a
"squash cake" (a small cake especially for the birthday person)
is a must! Put it on their highchair tray or sit them on the
table with their squash cake between their legs. Some children
will be very dainty and gently touch it and taste it and not
make much of a mess. But other kids will pat and hit the cake,
dig their fingers in for a handful, and even put their face in
it for a big bite. A video camera is a must for this! It will
probably be your favorite part of the party, especially if
you’re lucky enough to have a child that’s not shy with the
cake! (A garden hose and extra change of clothes are usually a
good idea too.) |
 The Party FavorsFavors are definitely a must at any age. From simple sacks filled with a variety of small items to personalized party pails or boxes, there’s something to fit any budget. Pass out the favors as your guests are leaving. They will love diving into them on the drive home. |
Entertainers Don’t let the entertainer be a surprise to
your child. It could prove to be terrifying instead of terrific.
Consider the age, interests and attention span of the children
present. A one-year old might enjoy a puppet show, a brief visit
from a clown, or a story teller. Local or regional magazines
that focus on kids are great sources of ideas for party themes as
well as finding the perfect entertainer to hire for your party. |
 Capturing the MemoriesAt least a day before the party, make sure you have charged your video camera battery and have checked your still camera batteries or digital camera memory available. Make sure you have plenty of video tape and film set out in plain site so you know where it is when you need it! Some disposable cameras sitting around for your guests to also capture the action can yield some of the best pictures of you, the parents, with your child. |
You might also like: ...What to include on Invitations ...Building Your Party Timeline |
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