I am a mom who never celebrates her birthday but for my daughter, I turn into a professional birthday party planner on a budget.
These are the steps I learned throughout all the birthday parties I planned:
– Pick a date & time: I always do Saturdays unless her actual birthday is on a Sunday. The popular times are 11 am-1 pm or 1 pm-3 pm; this way you are increasing the chances of most friends to attend. Parents will thank you for not taking over their entire day & two hours is plenty of time. I typically cut the cake at 1:30 pm to allow for a 30mns of cake eating & goodbyes.
– Pick a location: if you are doing it at home then you just saved a lot of $$$$. But if it is a gymnastics, a trampoline park, or a public playground then you need to reserve the date as soon as you pick a date. I booked her gymnastics location for her April birthday in September of the year prior. I only was able to get the date because someone else didn’t pay the deposit but I did. I know crazy times we live in.
– Choose a theme: if your child is old enough to choose then great if they are young then pick their favorite Disney or cartoon character. For mine, we did Mickey Mouse clubhouse when she turned 1, Frozen for her 2nd, Frozen for her 3rd, The Little Mermaid for her 4th, Princesses for her 5th, Barbie for her 6th, Flamingo Beach party for her 7th and it is gymnastics for her 8th. As you see it could get repeated or no longer your choice.
– Entertainment/Activities: If you book a venue like Urban Air or a gymnastics place then the activities are covered. If you do it at home then this is what I did: I bought a bunch of small canvases, and paint from Michaels for a painting activity; I ordered the plain cupcakes from Publix & bought icing from Michaels for cupcake decorating; rented a bounce house. I also did a pool party and I highly suggest hiring a certified lifeguard( I hired my neighbor’s son who was a certified lifeguard through the park district); it was worth the $60 I paid for the two hours.
– Guest list: write down the names of the kids you are inviting; most likely they will all show up. Keep in mind you are hosting a kid’s birthday party so stay focused on the kid’s fun.
– Food: now that you have the count you know how many pizzas, water & juice boxes you will buy. Keep it simple with cheese pizzas, if you are like me then make sure to ask if anyone has allergies & you can plan a separate meal for that specific child. The kids are usually so excited they don’t eat much. I always have a fruit platter available.
– Decor: I always order from Partycity online or Amazon; I also do goodie bags from those two places. It is extremely easy to buy a pack of bags & goodie bags. If you are doing a bag that matches a theme then make sure it is gender friendly or do girls’ bags & boys’ bags. For us, my daughter loves putting the bags together & writing each friend’s name on the bag. It makes it more special and even if the friend who can t make it will get a goodie bag.
– Create an Evite: nowadays nobody is doing paper invites; at the beginning of the school year we get a parent’s contact list & which I upload on my Evite account. Create a free Evite with details like date, time, address & what to expect; for example: lunch & cake will be served. I send the invite 2 months ahead of the birthday or at least 6 weeks ahead. This way I get a count early enough just in case I need to adjust my food plans or if it is a venue that needs a headcount since some of them charge extra per kid.
Now that you planned the party, you can sit back & enjoy it with your kid. If you have a friend or a mom who loves taking photos make sure to ask them to take as many photos as possible or hire a photographer for 30 minutes during cake cutting.
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amalshort 