In order to have a smooth and organized party here are some of the things I did that really helped.
1. Decorate your house a few days before
Get into the mood and start the festivities early! Is can be surprising how long decorating can take, so get them up in plenty of time and spend your time on other things other than decorating the house!
2. Select recipes that can be made ahead of time
Pick as many recipes as possible that do not need to be done on the day. Jelly cups, planet cookies and pikelets can all be made ahead of time. By using your freezer your can also save so much time and stress! I used the freezer to keep my rocket sponge cake and mini cupcakes.
3. Organize a games box & party activity box months or weeks in advance
The earlier you think about the games the earlier you can organize all the materials and resources required. Select your games then write a list of all the materials you will need for each game. Collect all these materials in a designated “Kids Party Game Box” that are on your list. Borrow any items that can be borrowed then buy only what is essential. By being this organized you will save money!
4. Wrap prizes and presents in advance
I tend to collect presents throughout the year so I wrap them as soon as I have bought them and just place a label on the wrapping of the occasion it is for and for whom. One thing I have just started doing is wrapping the prizes for games early. This has saved so much time! It it great to have less of these tiny issues to be dealing with the week of the party.
5. Write a schedule for your kids birthday party then reflect
Writing a simple plan will help you to see how your party will flow. This is especially good if you are doing your party at home. I set up different zones in my house as the party went. This was very helpful for keeping the attention and expectation for the whole party. If you write your plan a few days before it is amazing how you get ideas that work even better than expected as you have allowed the time to reflect.
6. Use your guests to help with the party
Often there are older siblings that come along to younger kids birthday parties. If this is the case with your upcoming party, think of ways to involve them! Kids love to have responsibilities and feel special at parties especially when they have younger kids to look up to them. Have you ever tried to line up a bunch of 4 year olds or get them to sit in a circle? Nearly impossible – but with a little help from the older kids this can be achieved! Show your helpers the schedule for the day so they know what is coming up.
7. Consider the amount of invited guests & length of your party
A rule of thumb is invite as many guests as your childs age plus one. Also, bear in mind that when you do invite a child, siblings and parents often stay. Definitely put a time limit on your party. It will help you to have enough activities and games planned to keep everyone enjoying their time.
8. Keep the party moving
The best thing I did with my son’s rocket party was to keep it moving. The schedule of the party had something for the kids to do and every minute was accounted for. When the kids were loosing attention with a game we quickly moved onto the next game. The games only took about 10 minutes but then we moved onto a different space with a completely different activity – craft. Having organized different spaces of the house is also a fantastic idea. The party was slowly revealed as the little ones are taken on a journey, from the outside games to outdoor craft then to a quieter game to allow kids a time to settle before needing to be more focused when we cut the cake. When you plan you kid’s next birthday party think of it as a present being revealed as the day goes on.
9. All the planning is done so relax and enjoy the day
Celebrating the life of your child is one of the most wonderful things you can do. Take the time to enjoy seeing your child enjoy their big day. At the end of the day parties are to celebrate lives and they are about people and not about having the most perfect party!
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