Twelve Easy Tips For Throwing An Awesome Kids Party

As the holidays come closer, I bet your anxiety level rises too. If you’re like me, then you’re scrambling to get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we already know how overwhelming holiday preparations can be. I also remember this was about the time a co-worker and myself would ask each other how we were doing as far as preparing for Santa time. Throw the need for a birthday party or two into the mix and you’ve really got the anxiety levels riding high. No worries! LiWBF’s got your back. This article details some pretty fab tips for throwing an awesome kids party!

This handy little list of tips for throwing a great kids party will come in handy. I mastered a total of eight parties throughout my kid’s lives (we held one bash every other year).

1. Focus on finger foods. I cannot express how much this piece of advice will help make your party successful. Kids will be kids. Accidents will happen. Minimize the chance of turning your gorgeous beige carpet into a pin wheel of leftover cake frosting by choosing snacks that go from the table and into the mouth in zero to three seconds.

2. To Theme or not to theme. I always choose a theme. In my humble opinion, choosing a theme makes the task of picking out decorations much easier. You can roll through craft and party goods stores with an idea already in mind. When my kids were growing up, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies were all the rage. They loved Jack Sparrow and his creepy world of ghost pirates so much that my son turned his bedroom into a pirate cove. He even had a kracken rising from within the ocean painted on his wall. We also held Teenage Mutant Turtle and Spiderman parties.

However, you don’t have to go with a theme. Tip #6 will help you further understand what to do if you’d like to go rogue with our design.

3. Make a list of games and have several backup versions ready. For my sons’ parties, we made mini activity stations where a group of children had a chance to try one game at a time. This way, you don’t have a huge gang of children in one spot at any given time. Hint: water slides work wonders for spring/summer parties.

4. Instant Food Gratification – Don’t make the kiddies wait. The first thing their bright little eyes will seek is your food offerings. So make sure you have the decorations straight and the food sitting beside them. Which leads us into the next few tips.
5. Use paper plates and cups. This should be done without saying. However, I recall attending a party where the host chose to use a few items from her personal stash. Imagine the horror on her face when no less than five of her pretty red glasses met untimely deaths that evening. And this was an adult party. If you insist on using fancy dancers to hold your food and drink then go with plastic goodies. Target carries a great selection of plastic plates and glasses that mimics the look of glass.

6. Use bright colors for everything. Another tip that should go without saying. Kids LOVE color. Regardless of the theme you choose, always bring as much color into your decoration as possible. That is, unless you’re throwing a Halloween party. And the color orange (aka the happy shade) will makeup for the absence of other tones.7. Make lots of room for trash. Oh boy. I cannot tell you how important this tip’s going to be. Kids have naturally curious natures and you know what that means. That empty juice cup winds up getting ditched for the lovely water slide you set up. Or you find a squishy substance in your bed after you settle in later that night. Yes, this actually happened to me. LOL Keep bags everywhere. No need for fancy dance trash cans all over the place. A plastic-lined cardboard box works wonders for the cause.8. Scoot the food table against the wall. Please don’t sit the table in a spot where everyone can surround all sides. The cake will love you for taking this advice to heart.
9. Choose your music early and tweak your surround sound system before guests arrive. Technology allows us to use wireless sound systems that can be situated anywhere within the home. Make a playlist using Spotify, Google Play, or your own personal music player. Doing so keeps music rotation maintenance down to a minimum. You’ll be too busy worrying about a thousand other things, so you’ll appreciate the convenience of a virtual DJ.

10. Use plastic tablecloths that look like fabric. Paper tablecloths self-destruct too easily for my liking. Although, I have some friends who swear by them. Buy heavy-duty stock paper cloths if you decide to go this route. Avoid cloth. Drinks will spill. And stains will happen.

11. Don’t try to keep up with the Jones’s shindig. Choose a party size that fits your family style and budget. Birthday parties don’t need to rival a ball. Instead, celebrate your child’s special day. This means choosing a guest roster and decorative theme that compliments the things your child loves.

12. Enlist the help of friends for the after-party. Don’t try to do the cleanup on your own. Put away after a birthday party is just as stressful as planning the event itself. Most times, you’ll get volunteers. But don’t be afraid to ask your buddies for help.

Tell us about any other tips you might have in the comments section below.