Your kid’s unforgettable birthday party – simplified

Parents all know the time of the year when their kid’s birthday is coming up. It’s often a great deal of anticipation and excitement from kid’s side and a little anxiety for busy mums and dads. For that one day they try to make their precious one the happiest in the whole world – and it’s often not plain sailing.
What are the things kids like these days? What should I prepare to eat? Which games should they play? What if they get bored? How do I keep a group of kids happy, nevermind just my own? How long should the party be?
These might be just a handful of the questions circling your head. Not to worry! We’re here to help simplify your life and plan the whole event step-by-step. Happy kids guaranteed.

What are the party trends these days?

The easiest way to answer this would be to jump onto Google and simply search “kid party locations near me” and book a time slot there with all attractions already prepared for the little crowd. But what if you want something a little more unique and personal, to “go vintage” and create a truly unforgettable memory for your child without leaving your home?

Check our list of steps for BEFORE, DURING and AFTER the big event to make sure your kid and their friends will have great memories. Plus, you will still be able to enjoy a cup of hot tea (or maybe even more) afterwards on top of a feeling of success.
Remember the things that you DEFINITELY don’t need: massive guest list, long hours, full meals.

BEFORE: Nail the planning like a pro

Run a little party-prep session with your little one of what might be their dream party. You know the drill: ask them about their wished guest list, let them choose an invitation, a theme for the party, games they would love to play and think of the food you both enjoy. After all it’s their day so there’s nothing wrong with trying to collaborate a little. Might be a fun exercise planning together!
Pro Tip! You can even make it more creative and put together a little party-plan moodboard together with your kid. Use up old magazines, crayons, colorful paper and prepare a collage on a blank sheet of paper with all the things your kid finds interesting. It will also be a great memory and a playful way of spending one afternoon with them.
After you have a good idea of the experience your kid would love to get, plan a little further yourself. Choose the date and time, send invitations (try to do it a couple of weeks in advance and ask for RSVP – it’s better for planning). Set the time slot for not more than 2 hours. From the experience of our fellow mums and dads – this is ideal.

Pro Tip! Send invitations in a digital form – it saves your precious time and our lovely planet. Additionally, you can create a WhatsApp group with other moms and dads to keep in touch with.
Pro Tip! Set the budget and stick to it later – it’s good in order not to get carried away with both – overdoing and overspending.

DURING: The Big Day – Your all-in-one checklist

Decorations: balloons, paper chains, paper lanterns, paper cups and plates

Food and drinks: don’t overdo it and stick to classics:

• Pizza – provide simple pizza and some extra ingredients to use on the side
• Healthy snacks to keep other parents happy 😉 – couple of small carrots (you can find mini ones in almost all the stores) and some already cut fruit
• Doughnuts – the more colorful, the better
• Alphabet cookies
• Ice cream (if the weather is ok)
• Drinks – stick to water and a few healthy drinks (make sure they will not stain your carpets too much in case of accidents).

Games

• Decorate Your Own Pizza or Cookie – give kids a couple of options to “customize” their own piece of pizza or a cookie. Make a little contest and let kids choose the winning ones.
• Treasure Hunt – hide a couple of things in clever places at home and prepare few clues for kids to follow and guide them through the game
• Musical Statues – Last but not least – let them dance. Get the kids boogying to their favorite party tunes, and when the music stops they must freeze. You can also let them perform a little – if anyone’s eager to sing their favorite song (tiring the kids out will make you a hit with the other parents!).

Pro Tip! Spend some quality time with your kid and prepare decorations such as paper chains together. Things you need: colorful paper, glue, scissors.
Pro Tip! Have a plan B and a couple of board games ready in case there’s still time to fill in.

AFTER: The Big Day – Manage the mayhem

What can we say here. There’s no shortcut to cleaning after the kid’s party but there’s a couple of things that work in your favor:

• In the mom’s crowd – there’s always at least this ONE person eager to help you out. Let them. Don’t be too proud :).
• Get recyclable cups, cutlery, and plates.
• Bite-sized food pieces save you mess!
• If the weather is good, host the party outside.
• Put together a small emergency cleaning kit that’s on-hand throughout the day to tackle any accidents or spills as soon as it happens – saving time at the end of the day.

After the big day is over, remember to reward yourself – choose whatever floats your boat or sparks joy for you, as Marie Kondo would say.

P.S. You can collect all the pictures you and other parents (if there are any joining you) made to create an album for your kid to keep as a nice memory.