Birthday Party Planning Basics

birthdayinabox — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:45:12 GMT

Birthday Party Planning Basics

Whether your child is approaching a milestone birthday like 1 or sweet 16, or any birthday in between, it’s nearly time for another birthday celebration! Make your child’s upcoming birthday bash unforgettable with these basic planning, food, decorating, and entertainment ideas.

Let’s Get This Party Started!

Begin your party planning by deciding on a theme for the party. Get your child involved by asking him or her for ideas, or consider one of the following:

Animal Theme Party – If your child is an animal lover or has a favorite animal cartoon character, then consider making that the focus of the party. For example, if your child loves dogs, you could throw a puppy party. Or, if Blue is your child’s favorite dog, you could throw a Blues Clue party.
Character Theme Party – A character theme party is perfect for the child who loves cartoon, movie or book characters like Spiderman, Dora the Explorer, Elmo, the Backyardigans, or other characters.
Nature Theme Party – Whether your child has a passion for space, the ocean, or any bit of nature in between, it could potentially make a great party theme. Consider ideas like a garden party for your flower child, an ocean party for your little fish, or a safari party for your little explorer.
Other Theme Party Ideas – If your child loves stories of fair princesses and valiant knights, then regale him or her with a princesses and knights party. For your little beach bum, consider having a luau. Or, strike a chord with a musical theme like Baby Einstein for a toddler or High School Musical for your *** or teen.

Once you’ve chosen a theme, selecting party supplies is a breeze. Just make a list of the items you think you’ll need—like plates, cups, napkins, balloons, and other decorations—or print out a premade party supplies checklist so you don’t forget anything. Then, visit Birthday in a Box to find everything you need for your theme party. We offer more than 100 party themes, thousands of party items, personalized merchandise, and free theme party ideas—all delivered to your door!

If you’re crafty, it’s easy to make your own party invitations. Just fold sheets of colorful construction paper in half, then in half again. Decorate the covers with theme-appropriate drawings, stickers or stamps, and write the party details inside. Or, cut card stock in a shape related to your theme—like a fish for an ocean party—decorate the top of the card, and write the party details on the back. If desired, you can include a cute message above the party details, like “Little Joey’s turning one. Let’s get together and have some fun!” Whether you purchase invitations or make your own, you should mail them about three weeks before the party to give your guests’ parents time to purchase presents and reserve the date.

Planning Your Party Menu

Party foods can include anything from simple pizza or hot dogs to themed treats like animal face cupcakes. Whatever you decided to serve, make sure to keep the following in mind while planning your menu.

Keep it simple. Most small children will not eat something they don’t recognize. You are probably a fabulous cook and could whip up some amazing sliced cucumber appetizers for your daughter’s spa party or serve hickory smoked barbeque sandwiches for your son’s Wild West theme, but it will probably be wasted on the children. Lower your expectations for younger guests. They are much more likely to eat something familiar. Instead of a gourmet treat, a space theme party could include mini bagel “planet pizzas,” and a simple hot dog and hamburger cookout works well for a Wild West party.
Don’t be disappointed if not much is eaten. No matter how much time you spend making cool, creative, theme-related treats, your guests will likely be too excited by games, friends and presents to spend much time at a table. Even the cake and ice cream is likely to go half-eaten.
Lower your nutritional expectations. Fortunately, a birthday party is a special occasion, and a little extra cake and ice cream won’t ruin your goal of raising a healthy child.

Decorating for the Big Day

There are endless possibilities when it comes to decorations for a child’s birthday party. Here are a few general ideas to get your creative juices flowing; any of these ideas can be tailored for a specific party theme.

Streamers – Buy streamers in 2 or 3 bright colors that match your other partyware. Twist the streamers together, and hang them along the walls or wrap them around banisters or floor lamps. You can also use streamers to create curtains across the doorways leading into the main party area, or create a canopy over the party table. To do the latter, attach the streamers to a chandelier or a central point on the ceiling, and then cascade them out to the sides of the room.
Balloons – Tie brightly-colored balloons in bunches of 3, and attach the bunches to the backs of chairs or to balloon weights. If desired, you can incorporate theme-complimentary Mylar balloons into the mix. For example, you could purchase a few dog-shaped balloons for a puppy party, and mix them with latex balloons.
Centerpieces – Buy or create a table centerpiece that coordinates with your theme, set it on the party table, and surround it with a sprinkling of confetti. You can make a centerpiece using materials like construction paper-covered shoeboxes, poster board, theme-related toys, hats, and other objects. For example, you could create a treasure chest for an ocean or pirate party by covering a cardboard box with brown paper and strips of gold foil, filling the box with plastic beads and gold coins, and sprinkling a few chocolate coins around the box for your guests to enjoy later.
Placemats – Set coloring book pages on the party table as placemats, and let your guests color them as an icebreaker activity. Laminate the colored placemats using contact paper, and then send them home with your guests as fun keepsakes.
Banners – Hang a birthday banner at the entrance to the party area to welcome your guests and announce your celebration. For an extra special touch, purchase a personalized banner imprinted with a custom message, like “Happy 5th Birthday, Suzie!”
Party Favors – If you plan to give your guests favor bags or boxes at the end of the party, cluster them on a table with a themed centerpiece, a stuffed animal, or a weighted bunch of balloons at the center to turn your favors into a decoration.
Wall Decorations – Make your own wall cut-outs to compliment your party theme. Draw themed designs on construction paper or poster board, cut them out, and affix them to the walls with tape or other easily-removable adhesive.
Window & Sidewalk Decorations – Use window markers to draw theme-related pictures or birthday messages on windows throughout the main party area, or put themed wall stickers on the walls and windows. You can also use chalk to draw pictures on the driveway and/or the sidewalk leading up to the front door.
Other Decorations – Other decorative accents may include theme-complimentary party blowers, hats, pinatas, toys, or even movie or travel posters.

Planning Great Games & Cool Crafts

All children love to be creative, so the more hands-on projects you have planned, the more successful the party will be. Consider planning crafts and games that go along with your chosen party theme, such as a game of Pit Stop Races for a racecar party or a Lion Face Craft for a jungle party. You may also want to consider the following traditional games to use as filler between activities or as additional entertainment in case the other activities you’ve planned end sooner than expected:

That’s a Wrap!

As your party winds down, show your guests that gift giving goes both ways by presenting them with themed party favors. This gesture will make the children feel special, and your child will feel great about sharing with friends.

After all the celebrating is over and your child has smothered you with kisses for such a terrific party, remember to send your guests thank you notes. Help your child fill in the cards and address them to all the children who attended the party. If desired, you can include a photo from the party with each card. You can spread this project over a few days so it doesn’t become too overwhelming for your child. Just remind your child how nice it feels when he or she receives mail and that the cards and photos will remind the children of the super time they had at your child’s birthday party.

Once the thank you notes have been mailed, you can sit back and relax, knowing that your efforts were worthwhile because your child will always remember the perfect birthday you planned…at least until next year!

About the Author: Birthday in a Box offers a wide variety of children’s party supplies including basic partyware, decorations, party favors and personalized items in over 100 party themes featuring everything from licensed characters to baby shower designs and beyond!

Shop Birthday in a Box

Birthday in a Box
Birthday in a Box packages and ships award-winning children's party kits, placing an emphasis on high-quality, imaginative favors and activities. Whether it’s a complete party, just favors or only a craft, Birthday in a Box delivers exactly what you need to make your child's next party a success. Birthday in a Box many themes reflect children's interests and encourage imaginative play and interaction. The products included in a Birthday in a Box are carefully chosen for their high quality, educa...