Start planning your child’s birthday party approximately six weeks before to save disappointment. Venues and entertainers can often be booked fully six to eight weeks in advance. Leaving the arrangements later than this may also mean that you have to hold your party at less desirable time or day as your intended guests may receive invitations to someone else’s party being held at the same time as you planed to hold yours. BOOK EARLY.
THE SUMMER PARTY
Due to the unpredictability of our British weather, it’s best to prepare for the worst and plan to hold your party inside. If the weather is fine on the party day it only takes a little extra forethought to switch the party to the garden if the weather stays promising. In preparation for the possibility of holding an outdoor party have to hand old large sheets and blankets for laying the food on, and also for the children to sit upon.
You will find that a small portable table to stand and pour drinks out on will come in very handy as it will save an aching back when its all over. Consider carefully what type of plates and drinking utensils you are going to use. Obviously, it is not a good idea to use glasses in the garden, or anywhere that children are racing around.
Using disposable cups and plates outside is fine if there is no wind. However, it only takes a mild breeze to overturn a paper plate, or upset a half filled plastic cup of Coca-Cola. In such conditions the use of crock or unbreakable utensils will save you hours in refilling cups and wiping jelly stained party dresses.
Breeze and mild winds will also give you problems if you play games that require the use of balloons or paper or any other lightweight material. Remember excited kids have little regard for flowerbeds and plants when in pursuit of an escaping balloon etc. If props are needed to play the game make sure that they are not going to be blown away through being too light.
You can always get an accurate local weather report from your nearest airport met office on the morning of your party, the number is in your phone directory.. or try the Internet.
THE WINTER PARTY (to top)
Of course the party itself and food etc., must all be provide inside, unless you are lucky enough to live in a country with a warm climate. But even in a colder country such as England, it is possible to have outside games, so long as the ground is not sodden, or covered with snow, or it is raining. We have many days during the winter months were although chilly, the sun may still be shining.
With older children especially it is possible to get them to (with coats on naturally) participate and have lots of fun with games such as hunt the thimble (as popular to day as ever it was), or a treasure hunt.
If you plan correctly and explain the rules of the game before you start, there will no problem with children dancing through your potential borders, or falling in the fish pond. And while dad is outside refereeing the games, it will afford you the opportunity to have that nervous breakdown in peace, or even lay the food out or do the washing and tidying up unhindered.
WEEK DAY PARTY (to top)
Children usually attend school for 36 weeks of the year. So it is quite likely that the party date is going to be in term time, and even more likely on a school day. If so, and you intend to hold the party on that afternoon (and what could be nicer than holding the party on the birthday leaving your weekend free), allow time for the children to go home and change their clothes first. Parties with children still in school uniform very often seem to lack atmosphere. Always allow time for late arrivals due to traffic, and parents getting lost, or just sheer bad manners.
Friday evenings are always a good choice to hold a party, as without school the next day (unless you happen to be Jewish, Muslim, the children can stay up a little longer.
Whatever week night you pick to hold the party, please check to see if any of your intended guests attend local cubs or Brownie packs, dance schools, piano lessons, rave parties etc., as ignorance to these could result in many non attendance's. Ask the other mums what nights are difficult, and try to avoid them.
WEEKEND PARTIES (to top)
Obviously Saturday and Sunday are the most popular, and also convenient times to hold your child’s birthday party. However in an average year group at a modern primary schools there is usually between 60 - 100 children. So unless you are very lucky, there is likely to be more than one birthday party planned for that weekend. They may also plan to extend invitations to a portion of the same children that your own son or daughter had wished to invite. It goes without saying what disappointment this can lead to, so a quick word with the school secretary a few weeks in advance could help to save tears upon the day.
The school secretary in this modern day of computers has only to push a few keys to reveal any conflicting dates. If you feel that you will be competing for guests you then only need to telephone, or call to see the mother and find out if she plans to hold a party, if so, you can arrange different times. Or even better plan to hold a joint party, in a local hall or scout hut which will allow you to invite larger numbers of children, and more importantly help share financial costs and workload.
Lunch time parties are becoming increasingly more popular as they are quite easy to cater for, rather than the traditional jelly and ice cream, serve hot dogs beef burgers and chips, the children love it. And it also leaves the rest of the afternoon free, as the party is finished by 2.00pm. But don’t be tempted to hold such a party on Sunday as a large proportion of the population enjoy spending this time together. Some families attend church not leaving children free until later afternoon.
BANK HOLIDAYS (to top)
Don’t unless you are prepared to be disappointed, hold your party on either a bank holiday, or preceding weekend. Many families use this free time for holidays, or day trips. Although they may have originally agreed to come, birthday parties are easily forgotten, or dismissed, if the weather is fine and there is a possibility of a day trip out for the whole family.
SUMMER HOLIDAY PARTIES (to top)
If your child’s party falls in the summer holidays, obtain the telephone numbers of all those you wish to invite before school breaks up for that term. Invite far more children than you would expect to turn up as inevitably many will not be able to attend through holidays. People also tend to forget their commitments during the long summer holiday period.
A good idea at this time of the year is to send an invitation, and reply card to all of those you wish to attend. Find out also their telephone numbers, so it is possible for you to ring up the night before the party to remind them the party is still on. Failure to do this could result in you being left with a pile of food. You may invite 25 guests and get 6 arrive, believe me, I have seen it happen.
TIMETABLE (to top)
Six weeks before, decide what kind of party you wish to have. If you need a Magician, Clown, Punch & Judy, Puppet Show, Face Painter, Bouncy Castle or Gymtots climbing equipment, etc. Now is the time to book them.
If you plan to hold the party in a hall or restaurant, book it now.
Two weeks before: Send out invitations, and order the birthday cake.
One week before: Make freezable food, check your guest list to see how many are coming, then buy party bags, little gifts, balloons and disposable cups, plates and table cloths. Make your guest name badges. Make a list of games you wish to play.
The Day before the party: Blow up the balloons, make the pass the parcel.
INVITATIONS (to top)
Before you send out your party invitation there are a few things upon which you must first decide.
WHO TO INVITE (to top)
Many parents ask their children whom they wish to invite to their party, which seems only fair, although it is best for you to decide the number of guests you wish to attend, based upon space available etc., and then guide your child in their final choice of guest.
Remember that you are the one who will be running the party, so don’t make it difficult for yourself. We all know of children that are undesirable at any time, but especially in a party situation, due to their bad manners, or being over boisterous or hyperactive, or due to poor discipline. These children can totally spoil a party. I have seen it happen on so many occasions. They demand to be the centre of attention, and ruin the fun for others by sulking and making a scene when the don’t get their way.
Such disruptive, or unruly children quickly earn a reputation for themselves. So be sure to ask other parents who may have already had an unfortunate experience with such children, to identify the offenders. They very often turn out to be the very child that your own son or daughter talks about, and admires the most in their class or year group.
Parents of such children can usually see no wrong in their offspring, only recognising that there is a problem, after many years of their child’s exclusion from such social events. If you are, or feel obliged to invite such a child or children, the sensible thing to do, is ask the parent of that child if they could help you with the running of the party, leaving them to cope with the discipline of their own child. If this is not possible then try to arrange for an extra helper to be on hand.