A party for your child is both a daunting and rewarding task, and at times, it’s hard to remember that the purpose of the event is to have fun! From planning your guest list to budgeting for supplies, the following seven tips will help you eliminate the stressful side of party planning in order to focus on the enjoyable aspects.
1. Choose Fun And Colorful Snacks
Choose carnival-themed sweets that feature bright pops of color to decorate the table with. It’ll appeal to your young guests, but also help keep your party well within your budget. Choose food items and snacks such as ice cream, cotton candy, slushies or other frozen treats. Plus, selecting foods that are already prepared will make it simple to set things up for the party! You can even rent machines that dispense these food items from slushie making machines to cotton candy machines.
2. Get Acquainted With The Guest List
Your child deserves to enjoy his or her big day, which is why you need to compile the guest list with your child in mind. This entails understanding who his or her closest friends are, and whether you may need to invite someone they don’t get along with just to keep up appearances. Make sure to invite all of your child’s friends and make them feel welcome at the party. For very young children, it’s best to ask parents to tag along and have them supervise the youngsters. Just make sure to have a separate area for parents where they can talk about grown-up things.
3. Create Unique Party Bags
Goody bags or party bags are fun to make yourself, and you can save money by choosing custom options. This also allows you to cater to the needs of the children present based in any age group and interests. Younger kids love candy, chocolate, and mini toys. Meanwhile, older kids may appreciate a book or school supplies!
4. Go With A Theme
A themed party is a great way to make the day fully personalized. Consider what your child is obsessed with, and turn that into the party’s running theme! Whether it’s unicorns or Spiderman, having all of the decorations and snacks match the theme makes the event more memorable. You can also take a DIY approach to decorating by printing out photos of their favorite icon, or choosing colors to match the theme and using an affordable party popper for special occasions.
5. Keep The Kiddos Entertained
Young kids tend to have tons of energy, so keeping them occupied with an activity or form of entertainment is a must! In fact, have something planned that kids can partake in the moment they arrive at the party. This way, they have something to do until it comes time to open presents. Activities also help shy kids or those new to the area get more acquainted with their peers. Choose activities that appeal to everyone such as a bouncy house, a craft station, treasure hunt, dress-up station or photo booth.
6. Create A Fun Playlist
Apart from keeping kids entertained with activities, having a playlist will set the mood for the day. This also saves you a great deal of money because it eliminates the need for a DJ or live music! Set up a speaker and play fun tunes until kids tire out and it’s time to cut the cake.
Since all generations are different, make sure to talk to your child and ask what his or her peers are entertained by. Take notes of what they do for fun and what types of music they like to listen to. Keep in mind, this day is about your child and his or her friends, so make sure to include everything they like!
7. Involve Your Child In The Planning
Let your child have a say in his or her party by allowing them to take control! Whenever possible, let your child have a say in everything from the food to the guest list compiled. This can also help you avoid any potential for disappointment as your child is involved in the planning process. You may wish to take this a step further by allowing your child to also pick their own gift! Allowing your child to take the reins when it comes to party planning will eliminate any fallout and lessen your chances of disappointing them in some way. After all, the goal of the party is to simply have fun and make it inclusive!
