For a child their birthday is a big event. The anticipation is clear to see on their faces as the big day gets ever closer. Questions regarding what kind of present they might get occasionally spill from their tiny lips. Of course, the important thing here is to remain tight-lipped about this.
There is a good chance that they will request some kind of party to mark the event. After all, children tend to be sociable creatures in the main. The thing to remember with a party is that they have come a long way from a few balloons and a slice of cake on a paper plate. Nowadays, children want something bigger and better than before. They want to have a day that can be truly remembered, for all the right reasons.
So, if you find yourself giving in to their (relentless) talk of having a party then this blog post is definitely for you. Here we will be looking at some really cool tips that will help you get the job done; perhaps more importantly it will also keep you relatively sane.
Plan as Early as Possible
Most things tend to be better with a little foresight and planning. A children’s birthday party is no exception to this rule.
If possible try to plan at least 6 weeks ahead of the big date. This can save a lot of disappointment especially if you decide that you want to hold your party “off-site”. This way at least you can be sure to secure your venue of choice on exactly the day that you need it.
Special considerations should be made if your child happens to have a birthday at peak times of the year. An example of this would be something like Christmas or New Year. Remember, other dates can get also busy; although this might have more to do with the country that you are from.
Remember what’s Important to Your Child
Assuming that you are not planning a surprise birthday event you can enlist a little bit of help from your child.
The golden rule is not to ask them too much about what they want, as this can easily lead to disappointment. As an example, boys could very easily turn around and tell you that they want their “favourite football player” to attend. Younger girls might even tell you that they want a “REAL rainbow and a REAL unicorn”.
Perhaps the best way to tackle the subject is to ask them what they want to do at their party. You could also enquire as to what colour they would like things to be. Fortunately these requests shouldn’t prove to be too difficult to handle.
Outsourcing is Your Friend
Naturally you will want to keep the attendance numbers sensible. However, don’t be naïve and think that little “Jonny” or “Katie” will settle for just a handful of friends. Remember, this is their big day and they will want to share it with as many people as possible.
The important thing here is to know that outsourcing is actually your friend. Going it all alone is likely to add to that grey hair collection of yours. So, give some thought to the help that others can provide. This could be things like making the cake, a face painter or children’s entertainer.
The Main Event
Most parties tend to work best when there is a something to bring all of the children together at the same time. In the old days it would have been “pass the parcel” or something similar; however this probably won’t cut it nowadays.
A great way to achieve the above is to organise a children’s entertainer. Not only will this keep a smile of the little one’s faces for longer, but it will also give you a break from being centre of attention.
If you do want to go down this route then it is essential that you find someone reliable. The last thing that you want is to make the booking only to receive a call 30 minutes before the event to hear that they won’t be coming.
Word of mouth can be great, so speak to other parents and ask them what they used. Better still attend some birthday parties with your child to see for yourself.
Even if there is no-one that you know who has used an entertainer recently, all is not lost. A simple Google search should provide you with a few suggestions.
The best way of course it to find one that is relatively local, this way there is less chance of non-show. So as an example if you lived in or around the capital, then you might search for “Children’s Entertainer London”.
Don’t Aim for Absolute Perfection
The final tip here is one that will have you breathing a huge sigh of relief.
There is no need to aim for absolute perfection. Put simply, the children won’t have the script on what is meant to happen.
So if something impromptu occurs, don’t fret too much. As long as everyone is having fun then the day will be a success.
Getting stressed over every little thing that doesn’t go 100% according to plan is a sure-fire way of delivering a bad party. Yes, in all likelihood something will go wrong, but that’s just life.
If you need some more supporting information on why aiming for perfection isn’t always that good then why you shouldn’t strive for perfection is a great read.
The Wrap-Up
Having read the ideas and suggestions shown above it is likely that you will feel more confident in getting that party organised.
The important things really are to make it fun, plan early enough and always remember that you don’t have to do everything yourself. Follow these suggestions and there is a great chance that your child’s birthday party will be the highlight of their social calendar.
Featured images:
License: Creative Commons
image source
License: Creative Commons image source
License: Creative Commons image source
Your author (Sally Jones) was struggling for ideas for her daughter’s birthday party, until she bumped into Captain Fantastic at the opening of a new Kiddicare store in London. She believes that outsourcing part of the event will take a lot of the stress away from parents, plus provide a better party for the children.