Kids of all ages love birthday parties. They love getting their presents, seeing their friends and, of course, eating birthday cake. How does a parent plan a good party for a child?
First, the child’s age will largely determine the kind of party it will be. For children ages 1-3, the smaller the party, the better. Mostly, family and close friends will be here. “Real” birthday parties start at about age 5 or 6, depending on the maturity of the child. This is when parents will want to think about themes, decorations, etc. After about age nine or so, the parties will become single-sex, and will probably involve slumber parties.
Most experts recommend that the party not have more guests than the child’s numerical age. This is a god rule of thumb. A five-year-old doesn’t need more than five party guests — some may not be able to handle that many. Parents should look again at the child’s social maturity.
Theme parties are fun, and take a lot of the stress out of decorating. Most party and discount stores sell plates, cups, napkins and party favors with almost every theme imaginable, from toys to television shows. Even themed invitations are available, although the plain work just as well. Invitations are advisable, since it is easier to invite who is most likely to come, and who are the child’s friends, and also, children, not yet jaded by junk mail, love to get mail with their name on it.
Small home parties work best with about eight or fewer guests. This means everyone can be accommodated at the table, and games are easily planned. For more guests, a parent can consider a party at a restaurant that has a party room, at some place like a skating rink or a movie theater. Guests can either be served in the snack bar, party room or meet at the home after the movie.
Parents often attempt to do too much for a child’s birthday party. They try to make elaborate decorations or snacks. Kids are simple creatures and as long as chips, cake and ice cream are present, they’re not going to care much about how elaborate the refreshments are.
A gift limit is also advisable. For young children, parents should tell guests to bring gifts that cost $5 or less — and there are many suitable gifts in that price range. Leave it to mom and dad and the grandparents to buy the more expensive things. The same holds true for older children, although the gift limit may be, say, $10-$15, depending on the child’s age. This will help all guests feel their gifts are equal in value, even if they are not able to buy something expensive.
Party favors are more common at parties for younger children. Older children really don’t expect such, so it is up to the parents whether to provide something or not.
To aid in cleanup, parents will probably want to purchase thin plastic tablecloths. These are available in a huge variety of colors and patterns, and all a parent has to do to clear a table is to roll up the cloth and throw the bundle away. Most party stores sell these.
Games are always an issue, and for the younger crowd, the old favorites are still in vogue. Pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs, etc., are perennial crowd-pleasers. Older children may want to play charades or other word games. There are group board games available for children, such as Outburst and Scattergories in junior versions. These are great for a child’s party. Teens may want to watch a movie or play a computer game. As long as the parents of the guests approve of the content, this is acceptable, as well.
Advance parental approval should be procured for any kind of movie, TV or computer entertainment. The host parents should provide guest’s parents with a list of likely entertainment and see if any have objections. These should be honored.
A CD player and lively music should provide plenty of atmosphere for the younger or older crowd, and older children may want to bring their own CDs. Make sure names are on all CDs and that they are returned to their owners at the party’s end.
Because kids love parties, they are generally pretty uncritical about such things as décor, snacks and the like. The main thing for them is to have a good time with their friends. When parents keep this in mind, they will help their child have a happy, stress-free birthday party.
