10 Fun & Stress-Free Tips for Planning Your Kid’s Birthday Party
Hi!
I’m Vicki, a mum of two and a creative designer and Etsy shop owner.
Over the years, I have picked up a fair few tips on planning parties for my children. I’ve organised some parties that I have vowed never to do again and some that were an absolute breeze. So I thought I would try and capture some of my top tips to ensure you can have a stress free and easy birthday party experience.
Sometimes it can seem like planning your child’s birthday party can feel like you’re organising a mini-festival, but don’t worry—I’ve got you covered! Here are some top tips to help you survive… I mean, thrive through the process while making sure everyone has a blast.
1. Pick a Theme
Kids love themes, whether it’s unicorns, superheroes, or dinosaurs. A theme gives you a jumping-off point for decorations, cake, and games. It can really help pull your child’s party together.
But remember— If your unicorn party ends up with a Spider-Man piñata, no one will care (least of all the kids!). One year we had a mashup of Harry Potter and Pokemon… Sounds strange but it did actually work.
2. Set a Realistic Guest List
You might be tempted to invite every child from class, but smaller groups can often be easier to manage and more fun! Plus, fewer guests means fewer goody bags to fill—Yay!
I’ve found, in my experience, that whole-class parties are really popular with younger children. We certainly had a few whole-class parties for our children from the age of 5 until they were about 7. The benefit is that every child is included, and it can be a lot of fun. The downside is that it can be a bit stressful, tiring, and rather expensive.
3. Plan Ahead
Give yourself at least a month to plan, but don’t start so early that your child changes their mind about the theme! The perfect time is around 4–6 weeks, which gives you time to get supplies, send invites, and stay sane.
A top tip here is to secure these top 4 things first:
- Venue
- Date
- Time
- Entertainment
Once you have these 4 things secured, everything else will fall into place.
4. Location, Location, Location!
As I mentioned before, a large whole-class party can be overwhelming, and if the thought of lots of kids running wild in your house makes you panic, consider an external location. In my experience, a small gathering at home is lovely, but there’s a lot to consider when hosting.
Hosting outside the home ensures you won’t have to worry about your house getting trashed! Consider holding your child’s party in a local park, community centre, or even a soft play area.
Check out Sharesy for local community venues that are absolutely perfect for birthday parties. They have everything from school halls and playgrounds to church halls and soft play areas.
5. DIY Decor—But Keep It Simple
Pinterest is great for inspiration, but don’t stress yourself out over creating a balloon arch that rivals a professional’s. I have found great homemade garland ideas on pinterest. We’ve all been there right?
If you want to keep it simple and stress free, source your themed decor online, you can get amazing themed decorations, such as plates, balloons and banners. Add some colourful streamers, and a nice tablecloth and your party will look fab!
You can also go all out and get a party decorator in, this will massively reduce your stress but will obviously be more expensive than doing it yourself.
6. Timing is Everything
Two to three hours is the magic window for most kids’ parties. It’s long enough for games, cake, and presents, but not so long that kids and adults get restless. Top tip for baby and toddler parties: try to avoid nap time if you want to minimise crankiness.
From our experience, mid-morning or mid-afternoon works best. Scheduling the party around lunchtime allows you to offer entertainment first, followed by food and cake.
Here’s how our party planning schedule usually looks:
- 11am–1pm: This timing allows for 60–90 minutes of entertainment, followed by food and cake.
- 2pm–4pm: Typically, children will have eaten lunch beforehand, so you can jump into the entertainment, followed by food and cake.
7. Keep Food Kid-Friendly (And Easy for You)
Stick to simple snacks that kids love—think pizza, fruit platters, and cupcakes. If you want to be fancy, cut sandwiches into cute shapes. But if all else fails, remember: kids will eat anything with sprinkles on it! For a super simple and easy food idea- order pizza from your local pizza delivery company. This is a really cost effective way to feed the kids at your party and make everyone happy.
8. Organise Games & Activities- (Have a few go to games up your sleeve)
Plan 2–3 simple games (think treasure hunts, musical chairs, or pass the parcel) but don’t feel pressured to schedule every minute. Kids love free play, and sometimes they’ll make their own fun just running around. Less is more!
When we have organised larger parties in the past we have opted for an entertainer. This is an added cost but it saves you lots of stress in the long run. By having an entertainer, you get to prepare the food and drinks knowing that the kids are having fun.
I do find that I need a few games up my sleeve for when the entertainer has finished. That lull between children going home and after they have eaten can go either way. This can become a chaotic time, where the kids run wild. Check out my comprehensive list of games here. With these trusted games you can keep them entertained until their parents collect them.
9. Cake!
You don’t need a five-tier, custom-baked masterpiece. Whether you go homemade or store-bought, just make sure it tastes good and has candles! Let the kids sing, snap a photo, and remember that at the end of the day, cake = happiness.
10. Party Favours Without the Fuss
Goody bags are a nice touch but keep them simple: a small toy, a sticker sheet, and maybe a sweet treat. Parents everywhere will thank you for not sending their kids home with noisy whistles or mountains of candy!
Check out our Etsy store for cute themed party invitations and gift favour tags. We can help you take the stress out of planning your party!
Happy party planning! 🎉