For many children, there are few things more anticipated than their birthday party. Children think about their birthday year-round, and have ever-changing ideas about having the perfect party that would rival Cinderella’s ball in it’s grandiosity.
To make all the excitement translate into a party as perfect in reality as it was in your child’s imagination, can be quite a task. However, with a little conscious planning, you can pull off a birthday party that will be fun and memorable for you, your child, and her guests.
Here are five tips to make sure your child’s party is as stress-free for everyone as it is fun.
1. Don’t Go Overboard: Be realistic about what you can do and what your child and her guests can handle. While your child may have a hundred ideas running around in her head, remember that she is going to have fun simply getting together with her friends in celebration of her birthday.
If you try to do too much, or create too much hype about this being the party of the century, it’s bound to lead to some overwhelm and/or let down when it comes to the actual event.
Talk with your child about what things are really important to her and make wise decisions about going with her top two or three ideas that feel realistic and fun for her personality and age. Remember that in day-to-day life as parents we make choices about which of our children’s wishes are granted, and apply this to party planning too.
2. Be Conscious of the Time of Day and Length of the Party: As adults, we can party all night! The same does not hold true for children. After a certain amount of time, the fun is going to turn into exhaustion and crankiness. The last thing you want is for what started out as laughter and fun memory-making, to end in bickering and tears.
Always have a set ending time for the party. For most ages, don’t make the party last longer than two hours. In planning, this may seem short to cram everything in, but remember tip number one, and resist the urge to plan too much.
Consider having the party earlier in the day rather than late afternoon when even older children start to get a little tired. For younger kids, definitely plan around nap time.
3. Have a Plan: Plan the party to fit within the space you have. If you're holding the party at a shelter in the park, you may not have to have much of a plan at all, as the playground will provide as much entertainment as you need. You can also have some jump ropes and balls available, or organize a game of tag to take advantage of your outdoor spaces.
If you have a more confined indoor space, don’t plan overly lively activities that will cause a lot of noise and commotion. This is when some of the children may feel stressed or anxious and tempers will start to flare.
Offer the children a couple of choices at your indoor party, and make sure everyone is invited to be included, but not forced to participate. Gauge the personalities of your child and his friends. You may want to offer a game of musical chairs, and also have a craft going on for the less competitive child.
Don’t plan too many activities, as you want the children to feel relaxed and not rushed to get through everything before being pushed out the door. And if you don’t get to something, don’t worry about it. Go with the flow of the party and be aware of the mood in the room so you can adjust accordingly.
4. Open Gifts After the Party: For starters, there really isn’t time to open gifts during the party. In addition, the excitement of the new toys can cause jealousy among the children who all want to see and open and play with each gift, or have their gift opened first by your child.
Saving gift opening for the privacy of after the party can avoid hurt feelings if one child’s gift isn’t as well received. It will also avoid any negative comments your birthday boy might publicly make, since children of all ages are lacking in the filter of what’s socially appropriate at times.
Make sure your child sends a nice, personalized thank you note so his guests will know the gift was appreciated and enjoyed. You may include a picture of your child with the gift, or let even the youngest of children at least help in writing or designing the thank you note.
5. Communication is Key: Communicate early and often with all of the service providers involved in making the party happen, including the party venue and any rentals and catering that are involved. Be clear about what your expectations are and know what the providers’ expectations are.
Ask questions if you have them, don’t assume the way you think things should be. Double check that everything’s in place and on target a day or two before the party.
Work with experienced companies like kidspartycharacters.com, who have a history of demonstrating their love for making your child’s party exceed her expectations.
At kidspartycharacters.com, we can eliminate the stress of dealing with several different companies by taking care of all your entertainment needs. We have packages that include over 200 of your child’s favorite characters, as well as balloon artists and face painting. Our goal is to make your child’s party magical for him and easy for you.
Find out how hassle-free your party can be with just a phone call or a few clicks of the mouse by visiting kidspartycharacters.com, and get started making your child’s next party dreams come true today.
Need some ideas and inspiration? Connect with us on Facebook to take a look at some of the fun parties we’ve helped bring to life.
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