There is a lot that goes into planning a successful birthday party. Finding the best date, the location, the invitations, the food, games, cake and theme can all be overwhelming. Here are a few birthday party planning tips to make your event more successful.
BUDGET:
Before you begin making too many decisions set a budget for the event. You want the birthday party to be fun and memorable but that doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot of money to do it.
THEME:
When you have a theme for the party it is easier to plan the decorations, games, food and party favors. Between your local party stores and the internet you can find everything you need to plan a party around a specific theme. Of course you can also just stick with the traditional “It’s your birthday” theme as well.
PARTY LOCATION:
Consider all aspects of your birthday party location.
A party outdoors in your backyard or at a local park can be a lot of fun and will allow children to run and have a great time with lots of energy. If your party is outside what is your back up plan for rain, wind, or scorching sun?
Having a party in your home is a wonderful idea that can save you a considerable amount of money. If it’s a children’s party they typically have better behavior in a home environment. However, be sure to remove any valuable or breakable objects before the party in case of accidents.
If you would prefer to have the birthday party at a location other than your home be sure that you plan and make reservations well in advance so you are sure to get the location you want. Be sure to run through a checklist of what is available at the venue so you know what you will need to bring with you. (Music, prizes, food, cake, a lighter etc).
PARTY TIME AND LENGTH:
If your party is around a meal time people will assume you will be feeding them a meal. Consider if you want a meal or light snacks or simply cake and ice cream. For a toddler birthday party one to two hours is plenty of time. For older children two to three hours is sufficient for a birthday party. Adult parties can last as long as you would like however if children are involved giving an end time to the party is a good idea so people have an idea of when they should be leaving.
NAME TAGS:
When having a birthday party all of the invited guests might not know each other or know spouses or children, name tags are useful in this situation. It is also a good idea to use nametags for a children’s party so that you and other adults will be able to use each child’s name when addressing them.
HOW MANY GUESTS TO INVITE:
I have found that for children’s birthday parties a good rule to follow is to invite as many children as the age of the birthday child. For example, if the child is turning 5 he may invite 5 friends etc.
ENTERTAINMENT:
Any birthday party is more fun with games and prizes. Be sure to consider the age of the guests when planning games. If it is a child’s 1st birthday party games are not needed unless you want to plan some for older children or adults who might be present. Pinatas, crafts, and cupcake decorating are all good forms of entertainment as well.
FOOD:
One of the most important elements to a party is the food. If you are serving a meal for a children’s party think easy finger food. Pizza, hotdogs, or sandwiches are big hits at children’s parties as well as adults parties.
FIRST AID:
Children can get hurt during all of the excitement of a birthday party. It is wise to have a first-aid kit on hand just in case.
VOLUNTEERS:
Ask for help in decorating and running the party. Whether the birthday party is for an adult or a child parties can be exhausting so having a few extra sets of hands will be helpful.
BIRTHDAY CAKE!
Birthday cakes are a big part of the birthday party how else would you sing happy birthday and blow out candles? Some birthday cakes are more elaborate than ever! However, not everyone is serving birthday cake at their parties these days. Due to allergies, the expense of a custom birthday cake, and the non-healthy aspect of a birthday cake, have caused people to be a little more creative with the birthday celebration. Here are a few alternative birthday cake ideas for adult birthday parties or children’s birthday parties:
An ice cream cake is a great alternative to a birthday cake for a person who simply doesn’t care for the taste of a traditional cake. Most ice cream stores and some grocery stores carry delicious ice cream cake.
Birthday cup cakes are a fun alternative to a typical birthday cake. They are small and individual so party guests can even decorate their own cake. If transportation is required cupcakes are much easier to transport safely than a large cake.
For adults a chocolate fountain is a fun alternative to a cake for your party. A chocolate fountain can be rented for the party. It will add a beautiful visual to the party as well as a terrific smell. Pretzels, fruit, and angel food cake can all be dipped in the chocolate for a delicious dessert.
A parfait or trifle with layers of fruit, cookies, pudding, whipped cream etc, will be beautiful and delicious instead of a cake. Search online for recipes.
A fruit pizza with a healthy crust can be a great healthy alternative to a cake. Add some exotic fruits to make it more fun.
A giant cookie would be a hit with kids and with some adults. You could make it yourself or buy one at a local bakery or grocery store. They can be left plain or decorated with icing.
Ice cream sundaes are a simple cake alternative. Scoop ice cream into individual cups and then allow everyone to top their sundae with their favorite toppings.
What about a candy cake! Get a piece of foam or box about the size of a cake and decorate it with individually wrapped pieces of candy. They can all be the same kind of candy or you can design is with a variety of candies in a variety of colored wrappers. Children or adults can pick off several pieces of their favorite candy.
Remember to consider whose birthday it is when deciding on the type of cake or birthday cake alternative. If it’s a child’s party and your child won’t eat fruit, like mine, a fruit trifle would probably not be a big hit at the party and might instead cause a melt down. However, if the party is for your best girl friend she might absolutely love the trifle.
