In today Pinterest-influenced world, party planning can be overwhelming for less-than-crafty dads. But if you’ve been tasked with planning your son or daughter’s birthday party, don’t panic. How hard can throwing a child’s birthday party be? We’ve given you a few ideas in the past, and here are more tips to help any dad navigate the ins and outs of cakes and party bags.
Choose a theme
The first order of business is choosing a party theme. Ask your child for input with this – it’s her party after all! Superheroes, animals, or garden parties are always a good choice for kids. You can also decide whether or not there will be costumes involved with the theme. If so, be sure to note this on the invites so that your guests have plenty of time to source their Star Wars costumes UK or Elsa costumes.
Find a venue
The right venue will depend on the size of the party, your theme, and where your child will feel comfortable. Parties at home are great for babies or older children, while rambunctious toddlers may be better handled at the park or a playground. Soft play areas are always a good choice, because they’ll handle the catering and activities for you.
Send out the invites
One part of planning for children that dads may not think about is the timing of the party. Will your little guests still be young enough to have naptimes? You’ll need to plan the party in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid clashing with this. Two hours is the maximum time for a party for small children, so be sure to put the start and end time right on the invites. Send these out a couple of weeks in advance so there’s plenty of time for RSVPs.
Plan the entertainment and snacks
If you’ve planned to hold your party at a zoo or soft play area, you don’t really need to worry about the entertainment. But at home or the park, you may need some party games. Scavenger hunts, face painting, and music-based games always go down well with all ages. Be sure to have enough prizes so that no one feels left out if you go this route. As far as the cake goes, you can either source one from a bakery or do the DIY baking. Remember, little kids won’t really care if the cake is store-bought or from a mix.
Don’t forget the party bags!
For young kids, the goody bag’s the highlight of the whole thing. You don’t have to drain your bank account for these, however. Small-ticket items like stickers, bubbles and sidewalk chalk are exciting for children. You can throw in a few pieces of candy in there if the children are old enough (school age). Another good idea is to put slices of the cake in the party bags, saving parents from dealing with children who are sugared-up after the party.
That’s it, you’re done! Be sure to factor in time for a nap after the big day, you’ve earned it.