With Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, the images of the perfect kids birthday party are always evident in your feed. Themes, invitations, locations, guests, food… it’s practically like planning a major event each year. No need to worry, a successful kids birthday party doesn’t have to be a stressful event! Check out these 6 tips for throwing an awesome kids birthday party without the fuss.
- Head count. Start with figuring out how many kids you’re going to invite. Some suggest inviting the same number of kids as your child’s age, but we say to trust your judgment and invite as many little guests as your house or birthday party venue can handle.
- Time it right. If you have little ones attending, it’s best to have your child’s birthday party take place before 1pm or after 3pm to avoid naptime conflicts (and hangry or cranky kids!)
- Be specific. Set a start and end time for your party. Not only does this help when it’s time to send your guests on their merry way, this can help families plan the rest of their day.
- Patience. Wait to open gifts until after all of the guests have left. With young kids, jealousy is prone to occur, so it’s best to wait until everyone is gone and the air is a bit on the calmer side. Take some fun photos to share with friends and family at a later time.
- Say Thanks. Don’t forget to write down who gave your child what, and then send short thank you notes. If your child is old enough, it’s a fun habit for them to write their own thank you notes. For younger kids, have them draw pictures on each note.
- Host your child’s birthday somewhere where the heavy lifting is done for you, like The Little Gym! The Little Gym takes care of everything from the set up, to the fun, to the clean-up so it’s a party for mom and dad too.
Hosting a kids birthday party, whether it’s at home or a venue, doesn’t have to be an event you dread. Keep it simple, and remember, have fun!