Kids Birthday Parties – Tips for a Fabulous Celebration

Kids birthday parties can be as simple or complex as you want to make them. You can pick a theme and carry it throughout the decorations and food, or you can keep it simple by making a simple cake and decorating with generic (but still fun) decorations. Here are a couple of tips for a fun, child-friendly event.

First of all, it is important to be organized. Even if the celebration is going to be simple, organization is the key to a successful, well-run event. In the weeks prior to the party, make a list of whom you would like to invite. To minimize an out-of-control guest list, you may want to limit the number of guests to the age of the child. For instance, if your son is turning eight, allow him to invite eight guests. You will want to invite the guests at least two weeks prior to the event, so make sure to allow for this in your planning.

Next, you should decide how you will decorate for the celebration. If you want to have a specific theme, you can plan the decorations and food (at least the cake) to coordinate with the theme. Ask for your child’s input and involve them in the process. Many children have lots of ideas that they would like to see happen for their celebration. To find decorations, consider looking at a party supply store or online decoration supplier.

Once you have a theme and a guest list, you can focus on the cake. Traditionally, cake is served at some point during kids birthday parties. Will you make it yourself or purchase one from a bakery? Cable television shows have made specialty cakes more popular than ever before. Obviously, you can stick with a more simple cake. There is no right or wrong choice. The most important aspect of the cake is the taste. If your cake looks great but tastes sub-par, that is the part that most people will remember.

You will find that kids birthday parties run much more smoothly if you have a plan for the actual day of celebration. Where will the party take place? Will you play games? If not, how will you entertain the children? Planning ahead will alleviate much of the stress that you may feel if you are otherwise unprepared.

One last aspect of many kids birthday parties is the loot bag. Loot bags are small bags (usually plastic) that are filled with candy and small trinkets for the guests. Yoyos, stickers, candy and noisemakers are all common items used for filling the loot bags. While not a necessity for the party, it is a nice treat for the guests to have something to take home with them when they leave.