Birthday Party Planning

You have a birthday for a child coming up, but you have no idea where to start for the party.

First of all don't forget that the party is for your child and not you. Most of the decisions should be made by the birthday child, with this being said you will have a much more successful party.

If you are on a budget, pre-select acceptable items for your child to choose from. I usually pick the items for the treat bags and they are a surprise to all.

For the most successful party, start planning about a month or so ahead of time. I sometimes start as much as 2 months early so that I have plenty of time to pick up prizes and treats when they are on sale. It also helps financially not to have a bunch of expenses all at once.

First, choose a theme. It can be anything that your child loves. Don't worry about how crazy it sounds, it will be fun!

Select how many children you would like to have attend. I typically invite twice as many as I would like to attend and about 1/2 show up giving me the correct amount. Remember though that if you hold your party at an entertainment center instead of your house that you will have a higher attendance percentage.

Try to send out the invitations about 2 weeks in advance.

Sit down with your child and select a menu. It does not have to be real fancy and it does not have to be a full meal. You can narrow it down to a few choices and let your child make the final decision.

Just before the party, if you are having it at your house, clean up and prepare. Remove any valuables and set up the boundaries of where kids are allowed and not allowed.

Don't be afraid to ask another parent to help you. I usually have a parent who doesn't have anything to do for the hour or so that the party takes and we usually have fun catching up.

If you are planning an out door party, don't forget to plan an alternative location and plan in case of bad weather. It does occasionally rain on parties! Games that you set up for outdoors may not work indoors.

A week or a few days before the party, assemble your goody bags. I always make up a few extra just in case an unexpected arrival shows up.