How to Plan a Stress-Free Kid's Birthday Party

Planning a kid’s birthday party can feel so much more stressful than a party for grown-ups. Unlike adults who are happy with some decent grub, music and drink, kids pay attention to the décor and activities too. Sometimes, the stress of planning and the execution of a birthday party can take away from the most important part of it – celebrating your little one’s milestone itself. 

Read on for our top tips on how to plan a stress-free party so you can celebrate another year well-spent with your child.

1. Plan The Party At Home:

While planning an excursion can be fun, planning your kid’s birthday party at home removes the hassle of booking a venue, along with the other things that go with it like carting decorations and food over, off your hands. This also allows you to use the week leading up to the party to prep and get the house ready for the party.

If the weather permits, planning your party with some outdoor activities in the garden can reduce some of the post-party cleanup as well as let the kids expend some of their bountiful energy outdoors. Bonus points if you tie up the activity with the party theme. For example, you can plan a mini treasure hunt for a Pirate Treasure themed birthday party.

2. Plan a Theme:

A themed party helps keep your party planning in focus – from the food and activities to the themed party favours. Planning a party around a theme chosen by your child loves is the easiest way to get them really excited about their birthday (if they aren’t already). 

Party decorations packs like this Disney Princesses Decorations Party Pack can take care of having to individually pick and choose decorations that match each other and your chosen theme.

3. Limit Your Guest List:

It’s so easy to want to show off your little one and want to invite everyone you know. Or your child may want to invite his or her entire class. However, it’s not always possible. By limiting the number of guests, you reduce the amount of work you have to do as well as control your budget better. You can also make it a kids-only party, so you don’t have to worry about creating separate menus for the grown-ups and kids. 

Pro tip: Making a big deal about it being a “kids-only party” can make children feel like they’ve been invited to an exclusive party and remove the guilt behind not inviting their parents.

4. Keep the Food Simple:

Keep your food menu simple. Kids love mini-sized things. So why not make bite-sized versions of their favourite foods like mini pizza slices, tiny sandwiches, little burgers in slider buns, and cupcakes? Snacks like fries, popcorn, cheese and apple slices go down well. This makes it easy for their little fingers to hold on to the food as they move about and less cleaning for you after.

While decorations certainly look nice around the house, decorating the table can create a focal point for your theme and make it look “fuller” than it is. You can add dimension to your table by putting boxes under the tablecloth to create varying heights. Check out this Frozen II Birthday Tableware Party Pack for 16 or this Star Wars Tableware Party Pack for 16 Guests for some ideas.

5. Party Favours

Goodie bags are something all kids look forward to. Doubling up some of your party decorations as party favours lets kids feel like they are taking a bit of the party home with them, and saves you some money to boot. Another option is to include a kids’ party activity that has something for them to take home after as a memory. For example, these Disney Mickey Mouse Coloring Rolls with Crayons can keep your little guests busy for ages and gives them something to decorate their rooms with once they get home too. 

Birthdays are meant to be a celebration. With the right planning and props, you can enjoy hosting a kid’s party too.