Our birthday was a very important date when we were kids. It was the day we felt very special, got many gifts and ate delicious cakes and sweets. It is such a pity that most of the adults don’t give anymore the proper value to this very special occasion. We should keep the same spirit and enjoy our B-days like we did it before.
Growing up around very creative people, I was lucky to have nice birthday celebrations with creative decoration, cool games, delicious cakes and special party foods. Probably most of you had also unforgettable birthday parties and now you would like to recreate those moments for your kids, nephew, nieces and godchildren. Guess what? You can do it! Just make sure to start planning it in advance and everything will work fine on the big celebration day!
Choose a theme
In my opinion, this is the first step when organizing kids birthday parties. Choose a theme considering the interests of the guest of honor. It can be a movie, super hero, fairy tale character, cartoon, sport or simply a color. Once you have selected it, start shopping or producing your party decorations.
Pick a date
There is nothing better than a birthday party on the real birth date, but sometimes this is not possible due to work, school schedule or many other reasons. If this is the case, try to select a date as closer as possible to the real B-day.
Choose the venue
At home or somewhere else? It depends on the size of your home and guest list. I prefer celebrations at home, I think they are more personal and cheaper, but I understand that sometimes it is better to rent a party room or even a house to fit all guests. It is up to your budget and availability to coordinate all arrangements for the party.
Make a guest list and send out the invitation
It is a kid’s celebration and the party should have a few mini guests. Invite your kid’s classmates, neighbors, cousins and friends. Send the invitation at least two weeks prior the party and make sure all guests are aware of the theme. If your family is too formal, I would suggest two different birthday celebrations: one for the kids and a lunch or dinner party for the family. It might sound too much work but sometimes is better to organize two separate events and make all guests happy than having your grandmother or mother-in-law feeling less important at the kid’s celebration.
Plan activities
A child’s birthday party needs to have some entertaining activities but it doesn’t mean that you have to hire a clown or a magician. You can plan all activities on your own or with a little help of another adult. Depending on the time of the year and the weather, you can organize fun adventures outside or inside your home: treasure hunting, picture challenge, cupcake decoration, group painting, open air cinema, manicure and make-up, among many other activities.
Plan the menu
Kids enjoy pizza, hot dogs, popcorn and sweets. I know it is not really healthy but it is a very special day for the birthday boy or girl and he or she deserves it! Plan ahead your menu, some of the dishes can be bought in advance and stored, others need to be prepared on the party day. If adults are invited, make sure to offer them some adult food.
Select the music
This is a kid’s birthday party and once again look into his or her interests. If they are too young to have a special music taste, you can select playlists on iTunes for example.
Souvenirs and thank you notes
It is nice to take home a little souvenir to remember the great time we had at a party. Kids like it too! You can buy ready kits or make it part of the birthday activities: DIY party souvenir! Another idea is to take pictures of the celebration and mail them as thank you notes: very simple and memorable souvenir.
Party decoration ideas
Here less is more, you don’t need to over decorate your venue. Select important elements and be creative!
Photo credit from the top to the bottom:
1. Resourcedir.directory, 2. Karina Truniger, 3. Craft Couture Studios, 4. Mommy Testers,
5. Karina Truniger, 6. Andréa Cocchiarale, 7. Karina Truniger, 8. + 9. Craft Couture Studios
