Birthday Party Planning Tips

Here are a few additional tips for planning a great birthday party!

1. Timing is everything. If you don’t have the room or the personal bandwidth to serve a meal, plan the party in-between meals and state on the invite that you will only be serving snacks and cake. Also, be considerate of nap times if you can. You don’t want cranky children at the party.
2. Cut back on the sugar. We all know that birthday parties end in cake…I love cake. However sugar and kids don’t always mix. So keep the sugar down with the rest of the snacks and beverages. Serve flavored waters, 100% juice, fruit and veggie platters and other healthier snacks. You and your friends will be happier. Need more convincing…over doing it with sugar lowers the immune system for about 4- 5 hours. Ever wonder why your kids always come down with a cold after being at a birthday party?
3. You don’t have to provide an elaborate goodie bag, or even a goodie bag at all. The experience should be enough of a treat. If you must give something, be kind. Don’t give a bag of what I like to call crap: candy, little plastic trinkets, whistles and other noise makers and choking hazards. Go to the dollar store and get a coloring book and crayons for year child or something similar. Even better, give something at the beginning of the party that they will use during the party, like white gloves at a tea party or aprons at a cooking party.
4. You don’t have to have siblings attend if you don’t want to. Just state on the invite that you cannot accommodate siblings, but that it is okay for guests to be dropped off. Let’s face it there may not be enough room in the house for each guest, their parents and siblings. There isn’t in mine.
5. A cake doesn’t have to be a cake. You could use cupcakes, ice cream/yogurt cups or sundaes, brownies, muffins or even cookies. If your child is highly allergic try homemade gelatin and fruit cups. Combining a bunch of single serving items into one delivery vehicle gives big impact and easy serving.