Smart Celebrations: Tips for Planning the Perfect Kid’s Birthday Party
Bella Breakdown
We all love to celebrate our kids’ birthdays. It is a special time to commemorate how far they have come, to remember the day of their birth, and to just party! One thing every kid remembers is their birthday party with their friends and family every year. Planning a birthday party that is fun and economical can be done without too much stress when you plan ahead. Get ready to mingle with these helpful tips!
Budget
The first thing to do is to set a budget and decide how much you have to spend. Then you need to divide your budget into categories. Some of these categories are food, decorations, venue, activities, and anything else that is important to you.
Guest list
The first thing you need to do is decide who to invite. You have to decide whether you want to keep it a small family affair (although many people have quite large families), to make it friends only or to do a combination of both. Remember that the more people you invite, the more expensive the party. Invite people who are important to your child. It will be more meaningful that way. One thing to remember is that some schools have a rule about how many children you invite in the class. When I was a teacher, if a child invited half of the class they must invite the entire class. They were not allowed to exclude just a few children. This was so that no one felt left out.
Party Invitations
Of course you can absolutely have these custom made and printed, but remember they’re going to end up in someone’s trash can. Instead you can make them on the computer and print them out yourself or do the simple handwritten ones that you buy at the store and fill in yourself. Have the invitations go with the theme of the party. Since everyone is so into technology these days, another way to invite people to your party is to do an Evite or email. This way you can directly contact everyone who has not yet responded a week before the party.
Food!
I think that this is the most important part of the party. Having delicious things to eat will give your guests something to remember. You can serve just punch and cake or you can have an entire meal. The options are endless! If you are having parents attend with their child, having a signature cocktail for the grown-ups (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) is always a bonus. Don’t make them too strong as you want your guests to be able to get home safely. Also, if adults are invited, be sure to have both “kid” food and food for the grown-ups.
Activities
It is really important to have activities to keep the kids occupied. You can keep it simple by having old-fashioned games such as pin the tail on the donkey and having a piñata. You can go more extravagant and rent a bounce house or other types of entertainment.
Regardless of how large or small your child’s party is, remember that this is a day to celebrate them. Be sure to enjoy it!
Meet The Bella Behind the Blog: Kristen Farley is a mother of three and a domestic goddess. She is a former teacher who enjoys spending lots of time with her kids, healthy eating, volunteering at school, and mommy blogging for the masses.
Be on the lookout for more of Kristen’s expert advice and brilliant tips!
