A guide to planning the ultimate (birthday) party!

With summer birthdays on the horizon and lockdown restrictions starting to lift, it’s time to start thinking about those all-important birthdays!

Planning a kids party can feel like an impossible task, but with our easy guide, we’ll take you through a step-by-step process that will lead to organising the best little-person’s party of the year.

Find your theme, choose your food, design your invites, and you’re ready to go!

Choosing your theme

The best birthday party themes are the ones that represent something that your child loves. Whatever it is, choosing a theme will keep your little one happy whilst also making the planning process much simpler!

Here are a few ideas to give you some inspiration:

• Superheroes
• Rainbows
• Disney
• Dinosaurs
• The ocean
• Safari
• Fairies
• Explorers
• Your child’s favourite cartoon 

Stick to your theme and plan the entire party around the theme for a well-rounded celebration. You might like to include fancy dress or an entertainer specific to the theme for an extra touch of fun and magic.

Designing your invites 

Canva is an incredible website that makes even the most uncreative parent into the artist of the year! Simply choose from one of their existing birthday invite designs and then edit the information to match that of your child’s birthday party.

Alternatively, you could simply send the invitees’ parents a text or email - they’ll appreciate having one less piece of paper lying around the house and you’ll save some money! 

Choosing your food

When it comes to party food, simple is best - especially because your house is sure to be overrun with picky eaters! Hire somebody to make a beautiful birthday cake that represents your theme - or, if you have the time and the skills, have a go at making one yourself: 

Here are some easy party food ideas:

• Barbecue
• Picky food - sandwiches, vegetable sticks and dips
• Burgers
• Fruit and vegetable platter

When it comes to preparing the food, accept all of the help you can get! If the grandparents offer to bring something, ask if they can make some sandwiches or buy a cake. Every little helps to relieve the pressure and stress of party planning. 

Create a wishlist

If birthday parties fill you with the dread of receiving multiple gifts that will only serve as more clutter in your house, include a wishlist with your invites. When they see your success, other parents are sure to follow suit at their upcoming birthday parties!

You might like to ask guests if they can each contribute a small amount to go towards a larger present that your child would love. You could also ask them to bring food or drink for the party or bring some money that your child can use towards a visit to the local zoo or theme park.

There are so many ideas for how your guests can give without overwhelming your child with unwanted gifts.

We would love to know, what are your top party-planning tips that every parent needs to know?