26 KIDS BIRTHDAY PARTY TIPS AND IDEAS

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"26 Birthday party tips and ideas"

Here are some of our party ideas.

We assume you intend holding a good old-fashioned party with a professional entertainer, great food, a few games and a cake.
Children deserve the best and often the best doesn’t need to be super expensive.
These tips are designed to make your party stress-free and enjoyable for host parents, birthday child, young and old guests alike.

TIP ONE: You don’t need to hold the party on the child’s birthday

In fact you don’t need to have the party anywhere near the child’s birthday.

• As we are busy entertainers, my children regularly had their birthday parties weeks or months later. One boy always had three birthdays – his actual birthday, a party at his biological father’s and our party weeks later. He didn’t complain!

• If your child has a birthday in December or January, they are not good months to hold a party. December is so busy, many of your potential guests will be unable to attend. Many New Zealanders go away in January. The solution is to hold the party in either November or February.

• Similarly, if a child’s birthday falls in the school holidays, Easter or some other busy period, it would be wise to move the date.

TIP TWO: Set the date early

This will give you more time to plan and prepare.  

• It will also enable you to get the right entertainer at the right time.
• If you decide to book a hall, you will have more options.

Notify guests three weeks beforehand. Families tend to book up their weekends so it's best to plan ahead..

TIP THREE: Choose the right venue

Nothing beats a home party but if your house is too small or your guest list too large, it might be better to hold it at another venue.
The options are:

• A hall
  There will be plenty of room and you will have no messy home to clean.
  However, the best halls get booked out months in advance.
  You usually pay by the hour so add at least 3 hours hall hire on to the length of the party (90 minutes to set up and another 90 minutes to clean up.)
  SUGGESTION: Check out the acoustics before you confirm your booking – they are important.

• A preschool
  They are set up for children and have a play area.
  School age kids might find this babyish.

• A restaurant, playland, aquarium, swimming pool or similar.
  Often their party rooms are tiny, the food is expensive and you lose that personal touch.

• The great outdoors (a beach, park or wilderness)
  There is normally no electricity (unless you hire a generator) so that rules out an entertainer. (Trust us, an entertainer outdoors with no microphones will not cut it!)
  It can be a hassle lugging food and equipment in.
  SUGGESTION: Your party will be weather and wind reliant so have a backup location. Clearly tell your guest’s parents when you will make the decision about going ahead or not and how you will notify them should there be a change.

TIP FOUR: Arrange the starting time around food

• Do you wish to provide lunch or afternoon or dinner?
  Starting at 10am means morning tea.
  An 11am party means lunch.
  A  2 - 3.30 pm party means afternoon tea.
  Anything later means dinner.

• Very young children generally have early afternoon naps so take this into consideration.
  
  SUGGESTION: How about a 9am start? Children get up early and they will be bright and fresh.

TIP FIVE: Choose a theme

A theme ties everything together and helps focus creativity.
You can easily have themed:

• invitations
• decorations
• food
• games
• birthday cake
  
  SUGGESTION: Avoid a gender specific theme (such as ‘fairies’) if both sexes are coming. It would be far better to have ‘fairies and wizards’.

TIP SIX: Don’t make the party too long

Three hours is max (less for very young children.)

TIP SEVEN: Work out a programme

There are two classic formats:
     OPTION I:            Entertainment first (Programme could be: entertainment, food, a few games, cutting the cake.)
     OPTION 2:           Food first (Programme could be: games, food, entertainment, cutting the cake.)

Both these options work but we prefer option one mainly because it allows the entertainer to warm the party up for you.

TIP EIGHT: Keep the first 30-minutes free

Allow the first half an hour to meet and greet your guests as they arrive.
Put a few nibbles and drinks out and have a simple activity for children to do as they arrive.
EXAMPLE: At one party, the children decorated a mural, which was hung up as a backdrop for the entertainment.

TIP NINE: Choose your entertainers wisely

An entertainer can make or break the party so it pays to  be selective.
The best entertainers will entertain your adult guests as well.
Make sure you receive a written confirmation which clearly states the price, the performance start time 
and the duration of the  performance.
Select your entertainer by:  

• Reputation.
• Other parent’s recommendations.
• How experienced they are.
• Their references.
• Can the performers deal with your guest’s age-range?
  You don’t want a show that is either too sophisticated or too basic for either ends of the age spectrum.
  It takes special skills to engage and intrigue a wide age-range and to make it look easy.
• How interactive will the performance be?
  Some performers have a modicum of interaction (e.g. the birthday child comes up and holds something). The best shows have everyone involved throughout the show.
• Although price is a consideration, don’t go for the cheapest performer - remember you tend to get what you pay for. (Similarly, don’t go for the most expensive merely because they are the most expensive!)

Dealing with performers:

• They are professionals. Treat them with respect
• Start on time.
• Don’t serve food during the performance, especially ice-cream cones and drinks! If food is out, cover it for the duration of the performance.
• If adults are drinking alcohol and socialising, make sure they do so in a different room.
• Never allow children to touch and play with performer’s props and magic tricks. They are not toys. If you see this happening, encourage the children to stop.

TIP TEN:  Ask your guests to dress up

• If you have a theme that doesn’t lend itself to dressing up ask your guests to wear a certain colour.
• Take a group photo and, if space permits, have a parade.
  SUGGESTION: Insist your adult guests dress up too!

TIP ELEVEN: Invitation etiquette

• If your child was invited to somebody else’s party, you normally return the invitation.
• Get your child to personalise the invitations either by writing their name or a drawing on them.
• Post out invitations unless you are inviting the whole class or preschool. This helps to avoid other children feeling left out.
• You don’t need to invite everybody, though some do not understand this.
  SUGGESTION: If you wish to limit numbers, have a gender-specific party. “Sorry we’re not having any boys because it’s a fairy party.”

TIP TWELVE: Use the party to instil some manners

• Explain to the birthday child that their guests will all have turns and - the party is for them too.
• Teach your child to be grateful and to say “thank you” when opening presents.
• Encourage your child to write the thank you notes the following day.

TIP THIRTEEN: It is difficult to run a party by yourself

It is challenging to welcome guests, put food out and run a game with the children all at the same time.
If possible have three adults running the party:

• The host who welcomes guests and oversees everything.
• Somebody to look after the adults, making sure they have adequate refreshments.
• Somebody to oversee the children.
  
  SUGGESTION: If you are a solo parent or your partner is away on business, get some friends or family members to help out. I have seen nannies and babysitters discreetly hired to help out.

TIP FOURTEEN: Don’t play with the new presents at the party

When there is an unholy opening of packets by all and sundry, bits go missing and toys get broken.
Get your child to unwrap each present as guests arrive, thank the guest then put them away so they can be enjoyed later.

TIP FIFTEEN: Decorations don’t have to be elaborate

EXAMPLE: Green and blue crepe paper streamers give the impression of a sea theme.
Blow up a packet of balloons and have them lying about.
(Also attach some balloons to your letter box.)

TIP SIXTEEN: Get older siblings to help

If older children are bored, they can wreck a party. Remind them beforehand that the party is for their younger brother or sister not them. Give them some responsibilities e.g. put them in charge of some of the games.

TIP SEVENTEEN: Plan the games in advance

Websites abound with suggestions for games. You don’t need many.
The classic ones are the best:

• Pass the parcel.
  Have an adult working the CD player.
  Provide a treat in the middle that all can share.
  SUGGESTION: Be creative with the layers.

• Pin the tail on the donkey.
  When themed, it becomes a patch on the pirate, tail on the mermaid, crown on the princess, hat on the wizard etc.

• Musical statues (musical chairs can get rough!)

• Simon says.
  When adapted, it becomes ‘Fairy Queen says’, ‘Space Captain says’ etc.

• Treasure hunt.
  Have a prize at the end that can be shared.
  SUGGESTION: When there is a huge age range, designate a particular group to find
  the next clue (e.g. children under four, girls over seven, six-year-old boys.)
  This prevents the hunt being dominated by the eldest children.

• Obstacle course.
  This is always a hit. Use whatever is around.
  EXAMPLE:
  At our last party, children had to hit a hanging paper plate with a ball, thread a hose through a plastic cup handle, move a plastic egg from under a brick to a nest, bang the compost bin with drum sticks, roll a Swiss ball round a stick, brush two bits of wood, sort some hoops into colours and kick a trainer soccer ball.

• Piñata.
  Works best if children are not blindfolded and line up to have one hit each.

MORE GAME IDEAS:

• Get children to throw shoes into an empty paddling pool.

• Vegetable bowls.
  Children roll vegetables down a path (pumpkin, onions, cabbages.) The odd shapes go off different directions (far more interesting than balls.)

• Put ten or more small objects in a box (e.g. toothbrush, hot-water bottle, teddy bear, pineapple, wooden spoon.) Children put their hands into the box and have to guess (without looking) what the objects are.
  
  
• Sponge relay.
  Children are divided into two teams. Each team has a bucket of water, a sponge and an empty plastic jug on a chair ten metres away. One by one, each member of a team fills the sponge with water, races to the jug and squeezes the water into it. The winning team is the one that fills the jug first.

TIP EIGHTEEN: Organise a special activity

EXAMPLES:
I have seen a special mermaid room and a disco dancing area both work well.

SUGGESTION 1:
Black Hole (for a Space Party):
Put tarpaulins over the shower and floor in the bathroom (or small room), black out the window and have two radios in the room playing off-station (one in a foreign language.) Give a child a torch which they switch on after the door is shut. They must locate and retrieve a moonrock (a small stone painted red) from the shower cabinet. Once found, they replace the moonrock and the next person has a turn.

SUGGESTION 2:
Shop:
Set up a table with a variety of items – gingerbread men, cupcakes, packets of raisins and corn chips, $2 shop goodies (pencils, hairclips, stickers etc.)
Children win tokens (or stickers) when they complete an activity or win a game. When a bell is rung, the shop is open and they can buy something. Children adore choosing their own prize.

SUGGESTION 3:
Fishing:
Children take turns at lowering a fishing line over a deck. An (unseen) adult places something on the hook, tugs the line and the child winds in their catch. Make sure some of the items are booby prizes such as an old sock or an empty cereal packet!

TIP NINETEEN: Make use of your backyard  

If you have a backyard or deck, it would be a pity not to use it.
However:

• You can’t always rely on the weather so have a backup plan.
  Example: Organise an outdoor treasure hunt and a backup indoor version. (You will probably end up doing both!)
  

• In the summer, shade is essential.
  Beware of positioning children (AND PERFORMERS) in direct sunlight for the duration of the show. If you know this will be a problem, schedule the party either early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

• Entertainment generally works better indoors.
  The sound bounces off the walls and ceiling and doesn’t get lost.
  It is also easier for the performer to engage.

TIP TWENTY: Be creative with the food

• Children remember the entertainment and activities more than the food.
• They eat surprisingly little if they’re having a great time.
• You don’t need to load kids up with sugar. There are many healthy options.
• Themed food is not difficult. A lot depends on how it is presented and labelled.
  EXAMPLES: Carrot sticks become mini wizard wands, crackers topped with cream cheese and a blueberry could be alien doorbells.

TIP TWENTY-ONE: The cake need not be a work of art

If you are whizz at cake design and decoration, this is a bonus.
If not, there is a plethora of design ideas on the internet.
The party is not about the cake. The bottom line is, you don’t need to go out and buy an amazing gateau – sometimes even the simplest things work.
EXAMPLES I HAVE SEEN WORK:

• A pirate raft: a square chocolate cake with a sail and pirate flag stuck on top.
• A giant fairy cupcake: a plain cake with pink icing and a sparkly cake wrapper.
• A princess’s palace: four ice-cream cones pushed into a sponge and covered with icing.
• An ice-cream cake with lollies and candles stuck on top.

TIP TWENTY-TWO: Make sure somebody is taking photos

It is almost impossible for you to take pictures of your own child’s party.

TIP TWENTY-THREE: You don’t need to hand out expensive loot bags

It is good though to give children piece of birthday cake to take home.
 SUGGESTION:  At one party, the hostess gave each child a small plant as they departed.

TIP TWENTY-FOUR: Send out thank you notes

A short note, specifically mentioning the present given finishes off the party experience nicely.
Get your child to participate in this.
SUGGESTION: Mark each present as they are opened so you remember who gave what.

TIP TWENTY-FIVE: A tight budget is no reason for abandoning a party

We have given you many ways of economising without affecting the quality of the party.
OTHER SUGGESTIONS:

• Cut down on the food. The children will not notice.
• Make it a children’s only party so you don’t have to feed the adults.
• Have a joint party with a relation or friend whose birthday is close to your child’s. This also doubles the energy and excitement.
• If you have two children whose birthdays are within a couple of months of each other, have a combined party between the two dates.
• Ask a relative or friend to provide the cake.

TIP: TWENTY-SIX: Don’t forget to enjoy yourself!

Birthday parties are fun.
Apart from Christmas, nothing is anticipated as much by children.
Holding a terrific old-fashioned party is a superb gift to a birthday child – they will remember it for the rest of their life.
The better organised you are, the less stress will be involved.

We hope this e-book is useful and will help you have a fantastic party.
All the best from
Star and Fish
xx

Download a free e-book version
"26 Birthday party tips and ideas"