Guest Post: Children Party Planning Tips

Children Party Planning Tips

By Brittany Champion 

When planning a party for your child the details can become extremely overwhelming. Parents, unavoidably, stress over details such as choice of theme, cake, invitations, and child attendees. These stressors are very similar to those experienced while planning a wedding, anniversary party, or any other social gathering, with the major difference being appealing to your child and making sure the party makes him/her jump with joy. It’s always a great idea to allow the party boy or girl to participate in the planning of their event. Remember, children have wild imaginations and are bursting with ideas. 

One of the biggest responsibilities is creating the guest list, and no one can offer a better idea of whom to invite than your little helper. If your child has a best friend, start with listing him or her first, then move to classmates and family members. You should know, there are no set rules for inviting classmates. For pre-school aged children, I would suggest inviting all classmates if the class consist of 8 or less. With such a small number of classroom buddies you don't want a child feeling left-out or excluded. If the class size is 9 or more, choose children based on your child's exact age or invite the schoolmates your child enjoys associating with (the last thing you want are a bunch of children bickering and wrangling). Your child has a “voice”, so trust their opinions and preferences in this stage of planning. They are capable of offering much needed guidance when allowed to dictate their guest list. Also, consider having the party at his or her school. Some pre-schools will allow parents to bring cake, candy, games, and a few family guests for a two hour celebration. This will cut cost and eliminate all classmate-inviting woes.

Second is choice of theme. This is one of the easier areas of planning because it usually involves fun, bright colors, and the kiddie menu options. For younger children, I typically suggest choosing their favorite movie, character, hobby, book, or cuisine (for those pizza lovers). For example, what child doesn't love a great movie? This “Vintage Movie Themed Birthday Party” serves as a great gender neutral option. Another option would be this “Ice Cream Shoppe Birthday Party Theme” perfect for sweet-seeking kiddies. A lot of young children are into the “Angry Bird” game, so consider this as a possible theme as well, they'll love it!

Next is the choice of cake. Don't "break-the-bank" trying to present a ginormous cake that guests will gawk at with no intention on devouring it. Children are satisfied with simple and are completely open to homemade options. This allows them to further participate in the process by choosing their preferred flavors and toppings! If ordering a cake, really consider one slice per guest (no sense in ordering more than necessary). Also, consider a cupcake tower if you dislike cutting and serving. It will give guests a bit of freedom to enjoy their sweet delight when they're ready!

Lastly... food for the adults. I suggest building a menu with food options for ALL attendees. Serve foods that are easy to eat, serve, and clean up. Some adult guests may not accompany a child, but are attending because they adore your child. It would be proper etiquette to offer them some refreshment options and included them in the cake-slice count (if applicable). Adults want to feel included in the function and are less likely to become agitated with the rambunctious children if their tummies are tended to.

Brittany Champion is a Wedding & Event Planner/Coordinator, based out of Chicago, IL. Brittany specializes in weddings and both formal and informal social affairs. Brittany is also available to help you plan your dream marriage proposal, from the moment you decide to pop the question to the moment your significant other says "Yes"!  
Contact Information:
Email: Events@TailorMadeAffairs.com
Website: www.tailormadeaffairs.com

Thank you to Brittany for writing this wonderful post for KG Style Designs. 

Don't forget to link up your events on this month's Linky Party Hop. Link up here. 

Stay tuned for more insights on the event planning business from fellow event planners each week in May on the blog. So stay in the loop by subscribing here. 

Check out KG Style Design's gallery of children's parties:

**I LOVE LUCY**
**SUPERMAN**

Learn to Plan the Perfect Party with this easy "How To" guide written by Catherine Holt. Buy today!