Your child’s birthday is a highlight of their year. Planning a memorable birthday party can be an overwhelming but fun undertaking. If you are brave enough to host the party at your home, be sure to consider the following when planning your child’s party:
SPACE: What type and size of space do you have for activities? Do you have space for games and/or crafts? Will it be inside or out?

TIME OF YEAR: Will you be having your activities inside, outside or both? If you are having outside activities, do you have an inside or sheltered backup?

NUMBER OF CHILDREN: Be sure that you limit the number of children that you can accommodate within your party space. Take into consideration the type of activities that you can manage for the number of children.

AGE OF BIRTHDAY CHILD & GUESTS: Be sure to select age-appropriate activities. If you have a range of ages, then focus on activities for the age of the birthday child.

THEME: Let your child choose his/her own theme – if you want a different theme and you can’t sell it to your child, keep reminding yourself that it is his party. Simplify your party planning by implementing your theme with decorations, paper goods, and goody bags. Your activities do not need to be based on the theme because some themes are difficult to develop activities around. If you want a complete theme package, there are websites that package and sell theme parties such as a Harry Potter party complete with invitations, activities & games, props and directions (see websites below).

FOOD: The food usually depends on the time of day. If your party spans a mealtime, you may want to offer them something simple like pizza, an assortment of sandwiches or an assortment of healthy snacks. If the birthday child likes to cook, you could have the guests create their own healthy snack as an activity such as mini-pizzas made with pita rounds or English muffins and different toppings (be sure to allow for baking time). If you are serving food, I would ask about food allergies when the children arrive. Usually, children do not eat much at a party because they are too excited about the other activities. Keep it simple!

LENGTH OF PARTY: Length of party depends on the age of your guests. A two-hour party is usually plenty of time to entertain your young guests (see example party plan)
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ACTIVITIES: Depending on your party space available, ages, time of day, number of guests, and length of party, you can organize and coordinate games/crafts, food, cake and presents. See the websites below for some ideas/activities. You will want to determine the number of adults that you will need for help. Be sure you have some other adults to help with the activities.

PARTY PLAN: It is important to have a plan and a schedule so there is enough time for each segment and that you have smooth transitions. An example schedule could be as follows: Allow 15 minutes for greeting and waiting for your guests to arrive, 45 minutes for organized games, 20 minutes for a craft, 20 minutes for food and cake, 20 minutes for presents. Be sure you have enough adults to help you supervise and assist with activities to maximize the fun and safety of the party.

DROP OFF OR PARENTS STAY: If the children are three-years-old or older, state in your invitation whether parents can “drop off” or are welcome to stay. Some younger children three or four-years-old may have difficulty with separation and it is good to have an option for parents to stay. If parents are dropping off, be sure to have a sign-in sheet to collect mobile phone numbers and any other important information such as food allergies. When opening gifts, you can use this sheet for recording gifts.

The following is a short list of websites that have ideas for themes, activities, food etc.
www.activitiesforkids.com
www.thepreschoolplayground.com
www.birthdaypartygameslady.com
www.kidsdomain.com
www.kidsturncentral.com

If you would like to have a fantastic party but don’t feel like hosting the party at your home, there is a local company that will host the party for you – My Gym Children’s Fitness Center. The My Gym staff is dedicated to ensuring a fun, active, safe and enriching experience. My Gym staff decorates, coordinates and supervises all age-appropriate activities, and cleans up for you. For more information on My Gym Children’s Fitness Center’s class curriculum and birthday parties,
go to: www.my-gym.comor call 952-906-0028.

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