Birthday Party Planning 101: Having An Unforgettable Kid’s Party

Can you guess the number of birthday parties you have been to?

A dozen? Or, fifty?

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Now, tell us how many celebrations you actually remember! Is that smaller than the number of birthday parties you have attended?

Birthday parties are always so much fun! You get to mingle with your family and friends, eat loads of delectable food along with delicious cake, dance to your favourite songs, and much more. But to make a birthday party memorable, it needs to go above and beyond the usual celebration style! So, if you plan to host an unforgettable birthday party for your little one, this article is all you need to read.

Steps To Plan An Unforgettable Birthday Party

Throwing a birthday party or, for that matter, organising any event can be stressful and overwhelming. But if you plan and strategize correctly, it can be a lot easier and more fun. Let’s read about some essential points that you must keep in mind while planning a birthday party:

Make Note: Plan! Plan! Plan!

Make a plan. List down everything from A to Z that you want and need for the party. This checklist will help you keep a track of everything that needs to be taken care of. This will help ensure that you do not miss out on anything important.

Key things that you can add to the list are:

A. Determine The Party Budget

Set a budget for everything from food and venue to return gifts and décor. This will help eliminate the options that are out of your price range. A great way to help divide the budget into planning is – Divide the budget into three parts:

1. Pre-Party Cost: This will cover neglected expenses like the cost of travelling to the venue to book it, the cost of travelling to get décor items, booking a cake, purchasing return gifts, getting your little one’s birthday dress, etc.
2. Party Cost: This will cover every expense like the cost of venue, food, décor, return gifts, party costumes, etc.
3. Miscellaneous Cost: This is very important. Keep aside some money from your budget to use in case your original budget is insufficient or in case you need to pay more due to unavoidable instances. For example, there will be children present at the birthday party, and by chance, a kid breaks a ceramic plate, you may have to bear the cost of the plate.

B. Select The Party Venue

Decide where you wish to organise your kid’s birthday, whether you want to celebrate it at home or hire a venue. If you are going for an outdoor venue, make sure it’s near your home as you must be on time on the special day; after all, you are the host! If you are looking for an outdoor venue, you can pick from the following options:

1. Themed parks
2. Your terrace
3. Kids play zone
4. Adventure parks
5. Restaurant chains like Pizza Hut, etc.

If you want a home-like feel, you can celebrate your child’s big day at your own or their grandparent’s home, closed hotel space and more, based on what falls in your budget and works out in terms of what’s close to everyone.

C. Pick A Theme For The Party

Go for a themed birthday party, as people will remember that they got dressed up for a special theme for your child’s birthday. You can choose anything from your child’s favourite cartoon to their favourite activity. Themed birthday parties are in trend right now and can really make a difference when it comes to hosting an unforgettable birthday party. You can pick up your child’s favourite theme or just go ahead and pick from our list below (Popular birthday party themes, curated just for you!)

Birthday Party Themes For Girls

1. All Pink Party
2. Disney Princess Party
3. Shimmery Party
4. Fairy / Unicorn / Mermaid Party 
5. Jewellery Party
6. Superhero Party
7. Camping Party
8. Painting / Pottery Party

Birthday Party Themes For Boys 

1. Dinosaur Party
2. Space Party
3. Superhero Party
4. Harry Potter Party
5. Car-Themed Party
6. Pirate Party
7. Safari Adventure Party

D. Party Time

Once you have decided on the venue, pick a suitable time when you want to begin the celebration. If your child’s birthday falls on a weekday, you probably want to celebrate in the evening, as children have to attend school in the morning. If it’s a Saturday or Sunday, it’s at everyone’s convenience!

E. Get Creative With Party Invitations

An unforgettable birthday party can be backed by an unforgettable party invite!

After determining your guest list, you need to put in some thought for the party invite. First, choose the method of sending invites. It can be an e-invite or a hardcopy invite. If you wish to give it a personal touch, go for personalised invites.

1. If you are planning a themed birthday party, why not design an invitation card based on that theme? It will be adorable, and people will look forward to attending the birthday party.
   Check out this Ocean Animal Themed Birthday Invite:
   
2. If you are inviting around 15-20 guests, go for handmade invites. This will definitely touch people’s hearts when they see the effort you’ve gone through!

Check out this Handmade Birthday Invite:

1. E-invites are a great way to save paper and support the environment. You can create anything from a simple e-invite to a video or a GIF e-invite. It’s quick, and it comes in handy. Above all, you can save your spending on hard-paper invites this way, so YAY!
   

Make sure to send out the invites at least a week in advance so that people can plan accordingly.

F. Food & Cake

The next step is to arrange for food if you are throwing a party at home. If you’re celebrating at a venue, it is best to give the expected headcount to the venue staff so that they can arrange for food accordingly. Don’t forget to have child-friendly food!

Now comes the best part, the cake. Just like the invites, booking the cake well in advance is recommended, so that you can avoid any last-minute hassles. You can choose a customised cake or a normal one based on your budget. To make it more special for your child, you can bake a cake at home. People will definitely remember your special effort for your child, making it an unforgettable birthday party. If not, here are a few cake options you can choose from:

1. Themed Cake
   
2. Fruit Cake
   
3. Fondant Cake
   
4. Pinata Cake
   
5. Cupcake Cake
   

G. Décor & Return Gifts

If you are throwing a party at home, you definitely need to stock up on the party supplies and favours to decorate your place. If you are celebrating at a venue, they will probably do it for you, but do check with them and inform them on the kind of décor your need. If it’s a themed birthday party, the décor will be based on the theme of your choice. If not, you can go for a simple balloon décor along with fairy lights.

Also, you need to buy some return gifts for your little munchkin’s friends and other guests. To make it more memorable, go for a DIY return gift. Make something special for your guest like baking some muffins, or even getting books for kids and adding in a “thank you” card. Your guests will love the personal touch and appreciate your efforts.

PARTY CHECKLIST

Indeed, the most important point is to make a checklist of what all needs to be done and rechecked. This will help ensure that you do not miss out on anything important. Make a planner of all the things mentioned above and plan an unforgettable party for your little one.
Here are a few planners you can take a cue from:

Tips For Birthday Parties

Baby & Toddler Birthday Parties

• Plan according to your child’s habits of napping and eating.
• Arrange for age-appropriate food and drinks for children.
• Ensure to have a ton of games and toys in store for kids so that no one gets moody or cranky.
• Adult supervision is important.

Preschooler & Primary Kid Birthday Party

• Pick a theme for the party based on your kid’s likes and interests.
• Plan ahead in advance as theme parties require a lot of time, or hire a party planner.
• Cut down on games and arrange for engaging activities like a magic show, paint the face, and more.

Older Kid Birthday Party

• Ask your child what kind of party they want. At this stage in life, children generally want an adult-like party with dancing, music and more.
• If it’s not a surprise party for your child, include them in tasks by giving them some easy responsibilities like blowing the balloons or deciding the food menu.

While hosting a birthday party, make sure you and your little one have a lot of fun! Plan and throw not just an unforgettable birthday party, but one that will strengthen your bond even more!