Kid's Birthday Party Planning Tips

Both of my children have July birthdays. This year, my oldest will be 3 and the baby will celebrate his first birthday. In order to cut down on stress, we will be hosting one party for both of them. We will celebrate their special day individually on their real birth date, too, but that will be just for us.

We have always been low-key with our parties. We do them at our home. We have cake, BBQ, salads, and appetizers. For entertainment, we just let the kids have free-range of toys, bikes, the swing set, and the sand box.

When my oldest celebrated his first birthday, we were in the process of building a new home. So, we chose to use a construction theme. We decorated with orange caution cones, orange balloons, and orange streamers. Rather than making a big birthday cake, I baked several different types of cupcakes. I started baking cupcakes two weeks before the party and then froze them. The day before the party, I let them thaw and then I started decorating them with icing and sprinkles. No stress. I just baked when I had a few extra minutes, usually when he was taking a nap. I made a cupcake display using an orange caution cone. I cut circles from cardboard with holes in the center to fit over the cone. The cupcakes sat on the cardboard and became a centerpiece. It was very cute! I also made a "Look How I've Grown" poster where I displayed pictures of my little boy throughout his first year.

This year, we will either be going with a dinosaur or a train theme, or maybe a dinosaur driving a train. We will conveniently plan the party for a Saturday afternoon which falls between their two birthdays in July. We will, once again, have it at our home and BBQ bratwursts and hot dogs. For entertainment, we will probably keep it simple by providing toys and opening the sandbox. Since it will be nice and hot, we may turn the sprinkler on or provide the kids with water balloons or water guns. I'm thinking about doing pinatas, too. I came across an easy and inexpensive way to make them. All you need is a brown paper bag that your child can decorate, fill the bag with candy and small toys, blow air into the bag and tie with a string. Then find the perfect spot to hang the pinata. I'm also thinking about decorating plain white birthday T-shirts for both boys. A hand print with their name and age. This will make a great birthday keepsake! I will do something similar to the "Look How I've Grown" poster. I think I will hang pictures on ribbon and make a photo garland instead - one strand for each boy. Throw in a few balloons and extra streamers and I'm done with decorations!

How To Plan Your Party:

First, set a budget before you start planning for the party. Do a little research on what you would like to do and then figure out if you can afford it. Next, decide on a location. You will save money by having it at your home or a local park. Other neat spots, but they cost money, include Build-A-Bear Workshop, a bowling alley, or even the zoo. Don't forget to send out the invites, I try to get invites out about four weeks in advance. Plan a theme and entertainment. Some fun party ideas include: pinatas, science experiments, a treasure hunt, carnival games, a hayride, Pin the Tail on the Donkey, and musical chairs. Plan for the birthday cake and other food. Will you bake the cake yourself or look at a local bakery? BBQ is easy to do, or you could use a deli or pre-order several pizzas. Are you going to limit the length of the party? You may need to do this if you will be having the party at a special location, but I don't feel it's necessary if the party is at your home. If you do plan on having a stop time, make sure you indicate this on the invitation. Also, plan the party around your child's nap, if at all possible. Your child will enjoy the festivities much more if he is well rested. Last, but not least, document your child's birthday with lots and lots of pictures.

Parents.com has wonderful information for planning your child's birthday party. It has everything from budgeting to decorations to locations.

Parents.com, www.parents.com/fun/birthdays/, Parents.com Birthdays