Chances are, that if you are trying to plan a toddler birthday party, you should start by checking with your toddler first. More plans may already be in place than you realize. You might be surprised to find out where he wants to have the party and what he wants to do. Or, he might have been reviewing these plans in detail with you for weeks already. Either way, toddlers are old enough to have an opinion and it will be important to get his input when planning the party.
Choosing to have the party at a special destination can make your life much simpler. You will have less preparation, less cleaning, and less hassle. However, you will probably pay more for the convenience. Be sure to call around to different places to find out what their parties involve, how much of the responsibility they take on, and how much it will cost. Many places charge by the number of guests, while others have more set prices.
One option that is always popular with the toddler crowd is Chuck E. Cheese. This restaurant charges by the child, and their party package includes pizza, drinks, cake, tokens, tableware, and decorations. A hostess takes care of everything for you, and leads the party. All you have to do is mail invitations and show up. You have the option of adding extras to the package, such as goodie bags for the guests. If you choose to have pizza and drinks available for the parents, be prepared to pay extra for this. The big mouse himself will make an appearance at the party, and your guests are welcome to stay and play for as long as they like after the set party time has ended. Booking the party online and having it during the week offer special deals. Some parents choose to have the party here, but do the planning and hosting themselves. The restaurant will allow you to bring in your own cake and decorations for the party. Then, all you will need to purchase are the pizzas, drinks, and tokens, as you would on any visit. Carefully consider each option, and add up the costs and time involved in the do-it-yourself Chuck E. Cheese birthday bash. You may find that the difference in price is not that much, and well worth the convenience of having someone else decorate, provide the cake, and clean up for you. However, if you are planning to invite a large number of children, you could come out ahead by taking on more of the responsibility. Also, determine how much time you will have on the day of the party, and whether you will be able to pick up a cake and balloons on your way. If you have three young children to drag into the bakery and party store with you to pick up the necessary items, you may decide that the convenience of having a hostess take care of these details is well worth the added expense.
Many fast-food restaurants offer birthday party packages as well. These packages will often include the toddler's meals, cake and ice cream, decorations, prizes, and a hostess to play games with your guests. You can expect to pay extra for adult meals, of course. Keep this in mind when calculating the cost of the party. Most parents will stay at the party when the guests are this young, and you need to plan to offer them something to eat, or at least a drink. When you call to inquire about the party packages offered, find out exactly what the price covers, how long the party will last, how many guests are included in the price, and what activities will be planned. If the only activity is to turn the kids loose on the playground, you are certainly capable of doing that yourself, and don't need to pay the extra money for the hostess. Also, find out if the restaurant offers a visit by any of their costumed characters, if applicable. You want this day to be memorable, and for your child to have a good time. Make sure that the activities planned are things that your child will enjoy.
Other fun places to have your toddler's birthday party are children's play-places and toddler gyms. Parties here may include a mini-music class, arts and crafts activities, or "open gym" type play time. Before booking a party at one of these locations, take your child there for a few hours and make sure it is someplace that he enjoys. Find out what food, if any, is provided with their party package, and what outside food or drink is allowed to be brought in. Also, ask if they provide a party hostess, cake, or any decorations, and ask how long your guests will be allowed to stay. You might also call the make-it-yourself stuffed animal store, if there is one in your area. Often, these establishments have party packages, which allow each guest to make their own animal to take home. However, they may not offer refreshments and you will need to find a place for your child and his guests to have birthday cake.
If you would like to have the party away from your home, but avoid the expense of a commercial location, consider hosting the party at a park or the beach. This will prevent you from having your home overrun with three-year-olds, but save you the expense of the previous options. When selecting a location, look for one that offers activities that are far enough from the parking lot or the street that you will be comfortable inviting all of your child's friends and relatives to join you. While a playground located close to the parking lot may not be a big deal when you are only supervising one child, it becomes more dangerous when there are 10 children running around, and the adults are easily distracted by fixing food, hanging decorations, or visiting with each other. See if you can find a playground that offers a fenced in area, or is situated some distance from traffic. Once you have chosen your location, determine whether you will serve a meal to your guests, or just have cake and drinks. Simple meal ideas include cooking out hot dogs, bringing sandwiches, or having pizza delivered. You will have enough to do to simply getting everything set up at the party, you do not need to plan an involved or extravagant menu. Be sure to have a back-up plan in place if the weather does not cooperate that day.
And, of course, there is always the option of having the party at home. In some ways, this could be a simple choice because you do not have to pack up and head for a destination on the day of the party. Also, with a little planning, it can be a less expensive choice. Be careful, though, because the costs do add up quickly. Once you consider the price of paper products, food, cake, drinks, goodie bags, and decorations, you may find that some of the previous party choices are not as expensive as you originally thought. Keeping the party simple can avoid many of these costs. For instance, most toddlers are happier eating peanut butter and jelly, or hot dogs and macaroni and cheese than they would be if you planned a more involved menu. Also, it is probably not necessary to plan a lot of games and activities. Kids this young are happy playing with each other's toys, digging in the sandbox, and climbing on the swing set. Many are too young to need structured party games. If you do decide to play games, select only one or two simple activities, such as Pin the Tail on the Donkey or a quick treasure hunt. Keep in mind that there will be the time involved in cleaning the house, shopping, and preparing for the party, as well as the time involved in cleaning up afterwards. Carefully consider each detail involved before deciding whether to have the party at home or not.
Whatever you do, be sure to find a way to enjoy the day yourself. You need the opportunity to relax, take pictures, and make memories. Your toddler only has a few birthdays before he is all grown up. Enjoy every single one.
