Public Servant Lifestyle

Make your child's party something to scream and shout about (you know they will anyway). A good rule of thumb when planning a to keep things under control is to invite as many young guests as your child is years old. There are loads of other things to bear in mind though, if the whole thing is going to go off without a hitch...

Party At Home

If you are planning a party at home, a good rule of thumb to keep things under control is to invite as many young guests as your child is years old (some people suggest your child's age plus one).

Try picking a specific theme (or rather - agreeing a theme with your little one) - pirates, 'pop stars', Harry Potter or whatever - can provide a focus and may make the event easier to plan:

Mix the activities so that a quiet craft is followed by an action game, which is followed by a snack

Enlist other parents to help supervise young children and toddlers. (In which case, prepare some grown-up snacks and beverages, too)

Plan more activities than you will need and be flexible. Sometimes a craft idea or game doesn't catch your guests' interest. Other projects may hold their interest longer than anticipated

Be prepared with extra ideas, materials and prizes

If you are having an at-home party, you might consider hiring a professional entertainer: a magician, singer, storyteller or animal handler

Away From Home

Although a party at home is generally less expensive than one held at a commercial location that offers children's birthday party packages, it can be worth it if you don't want the hassle of taking responsibility for refreshments, decorations, craft supplies, clearing up and a dozen little party goers.

Advantages of hosting your child's party somewhere like a bowling alley, skating rink or indoor playground are:

They can usually accommodate more children than you would be willing to host in your home

You can invite the whole class and all of the neighbours, and nobody will feel left out

You won't have to worry about cleaning up (hooray)

There will be other adults around to help keep the party flowing

You won't have to expend much effort on planning

More information available in Eating In, Entertaining