Between hiring a balloon twister and/or a face painter and getting people to RSVP and making goodie bags, planning a child’s birthday party to be fun can be anything but! I’ve seen countless parents turn an event that is supposed to be magical and pleasurable into a huge hassle. I want to help you plan your next birthday party to include all the fun but none of the stress. Follow this tips and your party will be sure to be a hit:
- Decide on a reasonable number of guests. Rather than having 20+ kids, have fewer kids and make the experience more meaningful for each one. This also makes it great easier if you hire some form of entertainment. Balloon twister and face painters, for example, can only do 10-12 kids can hour.
- If you plan on feeding the children, make sure that the food doesn’t require the children to sit still. Finger foods, burgers, and hot dogs are all perfect foods to serve. The kids are going to be having too much fun to want to sit down for long.
- Hire a balloon twister or a face painter! Now, I know you’re probably thinking that’s just another thing to add to my list. However, balloon twisting or face painting artists are only going to make your event run smoother. The artists will take care of setting up and taking down their stations. By entertaining the kids during the party, you’ll finally get some downtime with other adults! Plus, children will love having their face painted or having balloon animals. You’ll have less planning to do regarding other activities. Balloon twisting and face painting is a win-win for everyone!
- Buy a cake. There is nothing wrong with buying a cake; you don’t have to make a homemade three-layer cake that looks like it belongs on the Food Channel to impress anyone. Buying a store-bought cake will take away stress, and stores have so many options I’m confident one will fit your theme.
- Go with nontraditional party favors. Everyone knows that most of those cheap plastic party favors are just going to be thrown following the party. I’m sure you’ve done it before (I know I have). One cool idea I saw at one of my birthday party gigs was a frame party favor. The mom took a photo of the party in the beginning, printed it out on the computer, and simply slid the photo into the frame.
- Schedule your event for the afternoon that way you can setup for the event all morning. Get the birthday child involved in as many pre-party activities as possible. The extra help will be super nice, and it’s a great way to bond.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Similar to hiring a balloon twister or a face painter, you don’t have to do everything by yourself. If you have family coming over, ask them to bring some food.
- Try not to stress out. I’m sure your event will be a hit!
- And lastly, don’t forget the candles!