With your little one’s birthday just around the corner, you are excited about your kid being a year older. There are a few jitters too as you have to plan a spectacular birthday. A small bit of planning and creativity can go a long way in making the party delightful and fabulous. Don’t worry it will neither be expensive nor stressful. So, let’s get started.
Photos in this article are by Brittany Busk Photography
Who are the guests?
This is the first question for which you should seek a good answer. All your planning like theme, venue, activities and to some extent menu will depend upon the number and type of guests coming in the birthday party. If your child is less than 7 years, you should invite her friends along with their parents. A 7 to 8 years old kid is old enough to decide whom to invite, seek his help in preparing the guest list. The list cannot be infinite, so apply the rule age plus one. So, if the child is 9 years old, you invite no more than 10 of her friends.
Pick up a theme
The ideas are endless as far as themes for kid’s birthday parties are concerned. What does your child like? Build a theme around his favorite TV character or sports star. Try to involve your children too in the brainstorming sessions. Still feeling perplexed, look online for ideas. Pinterest is a great place to find countless birthday party ideas.
Colors to go for
Now that you have a theme in mind, it’s time to select the colors. Remember, you can play with colors. So, think out of the box. For instance, if the theme is Spiderman, everything needn’t be blue and red. Although there is no harm in being traditional. Your guest of honor can also help you to select colors.
Home or away
Ideally home is the best place to host your kid’s birthday party. However, if the guest list is pretty long, you can opt for a venue other than your home. This will mean, you will have to make the booking in advance as well as carry everything for the party and do the decoration too. I prefer to have parties in my home, but for my daughter’s birthday, we selected our neighborhood clubhouse as the venue. The good thing was that it was available free of cost. Moreover, I forgot many things at home, but that wasn’t a big deal as I could walk back and bring them.
Setting up the table
Things that you need for the table like plates, napkins, straws, spoons, vases, jars and dishes should be well-coordinated with the theme and color selection. If there is a possibility of going over-budget, stick to your old clear or white paraphernalia. They tend to match with almost any theme and color.
Decorations
Streamers, bunting, paper lanterns, balloons, wall stickers, paper flowers and swirls are some of the things you will need for decorations. While a lot many deliberations are needed as far as food, cake and favors are concerned, so don’t overthink or overdo. Keep it simple and ensure the guest of honor also contributes.
What’s on plate?
While deciding upon the menu, be sure not to include too many items and also keep the portions small. With welcome drinks avoid being experimental. When kids are involved, it is advisable to be traditional with food. Don’t forget to take into account food allergies and dietary restrictions of the invitees. The cake can be simple, homemade without extravagant adornments. The topper should be unique and the best you can get from the market. That is enough to make the cake to stand out.
Games and activities
Popular games for kid’s birthday parties are bingo, musical chairs, Chinese whisper and guess how many. Origami boat race, balloon burst, bubble warp race and drama game are few other good options. Select activities in accordance with the space available and age of kids. For instance, older children prefer swimming and video gaming.
Favors for the party
The favors should be preferably interesting and useful. Books, puzzles, art kits and notepads make a great choice. You can ask your kid to make favors for his friends. This will help to add a personal touch to each favor. You can opt for the charity route too. Make donations on behalf of each kid attending the party. The child gets a certificate for the good gesture and some candies or cookies too.
It’s party time, sit back and relax
You have worked hard to ensure every block is in place, but sometimes things don’t go as planned. Go with the flow and have a blast. Celebrate with your child her big day and make sure she has fun all through the day.
Conclusion: Hosting a birthday party shouldn’t be a big deal. All you need to do is to be organized and start the preparations early. Make a party budget and stick to it at all costs. Instead of decorations, focus on food and activities, for kids are interested in only these two things.
Mary Brown is a writer for Admiremoms.com. Kids are the center of her universe, but still Mary finds time to pursue her hobbies which include crocheting, sewing and gardening. She loves to socialize and dreams of traveling the world. Her work-from-home job not just gives her the sense of accomplishment, but also ample amount of time which she prefers to spend with her children. As a mom and lady of the house, Mary knows the challenges a woman face while shouldering both these responsibilities competently. Through her writings, she intends to inspire women to live a more fulfilling life where apart from being a mother and wife, they have a unique identity of their own.
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Danielle is the owner of Today's the Best Day. She strives to provide creative and uplifting content in order to enrich the parenting experience for women everywhere. Danielle hopes to help you and your family to make every day the best day! 
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