Firstly don’t be daunted, all you need is a bit of organisation and preparation and it is possible!
Don’t be afraid to limit the number of kids your child can invite to the party, if you're hosting at home, you probably won’t have the space for everyone in the class. A good rule of thumb for the number to invite is your child’s age plus one. Remember this is your child’s birthday – ask them to invite the children they enjoy playing with.
Send out your invites about 3 weeks before the party, be aware that if you are not inviting the whole class be subtle about handing out invitations. There are some free printable invitations for pirate, princess, animal and dinosaur themed partys in our ‘free printables‘ page. Don’t forget to include a map to the party venue and ask for mums to make it clear if their child has any allergies or special dietary requirements.
Setting the scene – theme it!
It’s much easier to make a birthday party come together if you have a theme. Give your child a few suggestions and ask them to choose, unless they already have an idea you can develop. Don’t be scared if your child asks for a character themed birthday that isn’t available in the shops, think outside the box a bit (a Charlie & Lola party could become a craft themed birthday, a Little Einsteins party could be musical themed, a Spongebob birthday party can be underwater themed and so on).
You can compliment the theme with music and decorations, either bought from the shop or if you’re feeling creative, make them yourself. Again we have created some printable party decorations and accessories to help the process.
Music
Every birthday party needs a bit of music. Don’t forget to take a CD player if you are holding the party a venue other than your home. There are lots of children’s compilation CDs about or you could make your own compilation of your child’s favourite music if you have the time. Children’s TV theme tunes are usually a safe bet, especially for under 5’s.
Decorate it!
You can help create an instant party atmosphere with balloons, banners, themed paper, tablecloths, paper plates and cups, party hats and so on.
Don’t be afraid to make a few decorations yourself, or even get your child to help in the week before, they’ll get quality time with you getting ‘crafty’ and it’ll help brighten up the room! Something simple like paper chains are great and so easy to make! If you’re doing a character themed party and you can’t buy suitable decorations to match in the shops, print off a few characters from the internet, cut them out and stick them to a homemade banner – easy!
Party Bags!
Parents will be grateful if their child is not bringing home a fully stuffed party bag full of plastic tatt, because it's not great for the environment or your pocket. Why not just provide cake, a bag of sweets or one toy and a balloon.