Planning a Kids’ Party
Even if you’re not all that comfortable with kids, you may find that planning a children’s party is a lot less stressful than planning one for adults. Kids aren’t going to notice or care about the “ambiance” of the event, the sophistication of the decorations, or the indecorous behavior of any of the guests. All they care about is that there is enough cake, fun games, and party favors for everyone.
Getting Started
Give yourself at least a month in advance to start planning a kids’ party. While you don’t necessarily need this much time, starting four to six weeks in advance will save you the headache of waiting until the last minute and realizing you forgot to buy juice for little Johnny’s friend Tammy who is not allowed to drink soda.
The main long-term prep involved in a kids party is purchasing supplies and sending invitations. The only real limiting factor here is the invitations—getting them out a month in advance is your best bet for having a good turnout and minimizing conflicts that other children might have.
Before you send out the invitations, you'll need to decide what day of the week you want to have the party, what time, and for how long. Unless it’s during summer break, Saturday and Sunday are probably going to be your best options. If you expect that setting up will be a headache, Sunday gives you a full day in advance to get it together. On the other hand, Sunday parties will have to start later for kids who have church or other morning activities.
You also have to decide the duration of the party. This will depend on the type of party and the age of the children who will be in attendance. For a larger event like a birthday party, the event will probably be at least two hours. For something like a congrats party for a kid who has just finished an excellent piano recital, the party may be only an hour or so. For kids under age 4, the shorter you make the event, the less likely there are to be issues with behavior and the children getting bored. Length of the party will also depend on if you will be serving a meal or not. If you are, you can expect that the party will be at least two hours, usually more. For older kids, age 7-12, a party that included a built-in event (at a pool or a fun center) and a meal could easily last four hours.
Theme
Kids’ party themes are a lot less work than adults. They don’t have to be nuanced or original and are usually suggested by whatever upcoming event is happening. For birthday parties, the birthday child probably has some obsession that suggests a theme. From dinosaurs, monkeys, and tie dye, to Disney characters, there are a lot of options with pre-packaged party supplies to choose from. For decorations, anything that transforms a space to make it special—balloons, streamers, banners—will be well received by a group of kids.
Who to Invite
Who you’re inviting depends on the nature of the party and your child’s friends. Some parties will already have a built in guest list (parties for sports teams and other groups), while birthday parties mean you’ll have to make the list yourself. For birthday parties, be sure to invite your child’s best friends, of course, and be aware of people your child might be intentionally leaving out of their list—don’t unknowingly play into a clique or leave someone important out.
Invite a few more people than you’d ideally like to have, since some won’t be able to make it due to conflicts. Remember that you can expect to spend at least $5-7 per kid on decorations, food, favors, and entertainment, and closer to $20 if you go all out. Make sure to reconcile your invitation list with your budget.
Where to Have It
If you’re on a budget, your home or another low cost space like a park is a great way to go. The benefits of free spaces are also that you’ll have as much time as you need to decorate and clean up the party. Arcades or places like Chuck E Cheese are good if you’re worried about having enough space or providing adequate entertainment, and can spare the expense.
What to Do
If you have a party with built-in entertainment, like a pool, trampoline, or ping pong table, you need to worry less about games. If not, make sure to have some planned to keep the fun high and the party rolling. And don’t forget to pick up a few small prizes for the winners. Thirty to 45 minutes of structured games is usually enough; actually playing the games will also take longer than you initially imagined.