How to Plan a Child’s Birthday Party in 16 Steps - A Comprehensive Guide
Birthdays are a wonderful and joyous time for children – especially small children. And what’s not to love? You get cake, candy, other treats, lots of gifts, balloons, and you get to invite your friends. Not to mention the additional privileges that come with getting a little bit older. A lot of my childhood memories (while very good) have become quite muddled over time, but I still remember many of the birthday parties I had back then. An especially fun birthday was when I turned 9 years old. My mom had planned my birthday party at a skating rink – which was one of my favorite activities back then – and I was able to invite all my friends.
But unfortunately, the task of putting together such a party may not always feel wonderful and joyous for the parents who have to plan them. I planned my daughter’s 1st birthday party, and it took a lot of time and mental agility (not to mention $$$). Here are the steps that I followed:
Pick a date and time for the birthday party. I always think it’s a good idea to plan a birthday party (or any event) during the weekend. Ideally, the Saturday before the actual birthday. That way, you don’t have to worry about things like school, work, etc. being a deterrent for people attending the party. I don’t think there is anything sadder than a sparse birthday party for a child.
Set your budget. Decide on a dollar amount you are willing to spend on this party and stick to it. It’s also a good idea to plan how much you’re going to spend on each element of the party, such as the venue, food, cake(s), etc.
Pick a venue. The most budget-friendly venue is going to be your home or a relative’s home. If you or a close relative has a spacious home or other bonuses, such as a pool, fire pit, a big backyard, etc., that may be a good location for a birthday party. But, if you don’t, there is nothing wrong with foregoing those features, and your child’s birthday party will still be fabulous. If you have the budget for a non-residential venue, some ideas can include:
A park with a playground - you can typically reserve a pavilion for an affordable price.
Somewhere near a beach, or on the beach.
An arcade.
Bowling alley.
Skating rink.
An event venue.
Pick a party theme. We chose mermaids as our daughter’s theme for her 1st birthday. There are so many ideas out there – just think about what your child likes most. Here are a few ideas:
Woodland creatures
Sea life
Disney (Minnie and Minnie, Frozen, The Little Mermaid, etc.)
Superheroes
Dinosaurs
Cars
Rockets/outer space
Sports
Circus
Barbie
Tea Party
Trains
Safari
Create and send out invitations (incorporating the theme you chose in the previous step). Personally, I prefer digital invitations to physical ones. For my daughter’s birthday invitation, I used Canva to create a super cute mermaid-themed invitation in a matter of minutes and then sent it (via text or social media) to everyone we wanted to attend the party. The process was easy and painless. But if you prefer paper invitations, Canva gives you that option, too.
On the invitations, be sure to include whose party it is, the date of the party, a phone number or email address that everyone can RSVP to, a physical address where everyone needs to show up, and what kind of attire is required.
Make food arrangements. Decide whether you want to make food, have a potluck-style party, have food catered, or do something else entirely. It’s a good idea to make this decision a month or two in advance. Here are some food ideas:
Pizza - pretty typical for a kid’s birthday party, but no one will hate you for it and it’s pretty easy and inexpensive to make it happen.
BBQ - think ribs, brisket, grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, cornbread, etc.
Burgers and hot dogs.
Mini sandwiches with various fillings.
Chicken tenders/nuggets & fries.
Tacos & chips.
For snacks: cupcakes, ice cream, candy, popcorn, fruit & veggie platters, charcuterie boards, chips, etc.
Foodware: you’re going to need disposable plates, forks, spoons, knives, and tons of napkins.
Don’t forget to consider beverages as well. You will need the drinks, probably multiple coolers, ice, and cups. Drinks should probably include water, soda, and juice.
Decide on any activities you want to have for the party and make arrangements. For example, board games, corn hole in the front or backyard, bouncy house, face painting, pony-riding, contests, balloon animals, etc.
Buy or create the party decorations. If you’re crafty and/or have a Cricut at home, now’s a good time to use it as decorations can get rather expensive. But there’s no shame in running to Party City for the decorations, either. Amazon will probably have most of what you need, too. Do yourself a huge favor and decorate the night before the party. The day of the party is going to be too chaotic to have to worry about the decorations, too.
If you’re planning on having helium balloons, places like Party City can have them delivered to the party venue the day of the party. If you just want regular balloons, then I would recommend blowing them all up ahead of time.
Buy or create the party favors. Party favors are a must for kids’ parties, in my opinion - you can’t just let the visitors walk out empty-handed. They can include:
Bubbles
Candy
Slap bracelets (all the rage when I was growing up)
Slime
Mini puzzles
Flavored chapstick/lip gloss
Play-Doh
Stickers
Buy or bake the cake (the same day or the day before the party). My personal favorite flavor for birthday cakes is Funfetti, but you should decide based on your child’s favorite kind of cake. Be sure to get a big enough cake to serve all the guests.
If you want to play music, consider what kind of music you’ll want to play. You’ll probably want the music to be kid-friendly and upbeat. One idea would be to connect your phone to some speakers and find a kids’ playlist on Spotify (or another music streaming service) and let it play on shuffle the whole time. I would recommend keeping the volume low enough for everyone to hear each other and to avoid any sensory issues for little ones.
Think about chairs. Kids probably won’t care about sitting down, but the parents and your older relatives probably will. Make sure there is a fair amount of seating so that no one gets uncomfortable.
Buy a bunch of to-go containers. By the time parties are over, there is almost always plenty of food/snacks left over. Rather than letting all of it rot in your fridge or throwing it away, let your guests take it home with them to avoid food waste.
If your child’s party is outside of your home, think ahead of time about how you’re going to get all the gifts back to your house. This may not seem like a big deal, but if your child receives enough gifts, they may not all fit into a small car. For my baby’s first birthday party, we had to squeeze all of her gifts into my husband’s SUV (and it was FULL).
Every so often during the party, plan on slipping away for a little while to get a mental break. Parties can be overwhelming, especially when you’ve got a house or venue full of people and multiple of them are talking to you at the same time, while your child is tugging on your pants to get your attention. By the end of my daughter’s birthday party, I wanted to run out of there. Walking away for a few minutes every so often probably would have helped.
Delegate! As always, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Assign tasks to different people - your spouse/partner, your parents, your siblings, your in-laws, your friends, if they’re willing. Everyone in your child’s life loves them dearly and should want to help (at least that’s how it should be). For example, my husband was in charge of food (a huge task off my shoulders), my mom and sister helped with decorations, and my brother-in-law graciously let us use his house as the party venue.
Don’t forget to enjoy it. This step can be so easy to forget when you’re trying to create a magical day for your little one, but it’s important to remember that their birthdays are a bit of a milestone for you, too. That’s a whole nother year of raising your little one and getting to watch them grow, which is the best thing we can ask for in life.
Planning a birthday party for your little one(s) can be a stressful and overwhelming, but can result in an unforgettable day that your child will remember well into their adult years. By incorporating the steps above, you’ll be making party planning a much smoother and happier experience.
XOXO, Alexis.