7 Kids Birthday Party Mistakes to Avoid (Also Known as Becoming a Party Planning Ninja)
Planning a kids birthday party this year? You have the opportunity to plan an event that properly celebrates the life of one of your favorite little people, makes them feel loved, entertains a group of their friends for at least 2 hours, and helps them make memories that will last a lifetime. No pressure.
But, if you do feel a little bit anxious about getting everything just right, we have a few pieces of advice. If you can avoid the following mistakes, you will be well on your way to creating a party that is as epic and wonderful as that little person is, while allowing you to enjoy the party yourself (Yes, that is possible).
1. Don’t wait until the last minute to book the kids birthday party venue.
Kids birthday party venues fill up fast, and calling the week before is probably going to be too late. Instead, try to book the venue two months in advance.
Afraid your child will change their mind about the location or theme? Pick a birthday party place that can flex with your child (like iT’Z!). Kids can be fickle, but we can be flexible, so book your spot and relax. The party is already halfway planned.
2. Don’t be shy about asking questions regarding the kids birthday party venue.
Imagine the setting: You are on the phone booking the kids birthday party venue, when you suddenly wonder if you can change the headcount the day before because that one cousin with three kids never RSVPs. Or you want to ask your mother to bake her special lasagna for the event but the venue’s menu says pizza. What do you do?
The answer is obvious (ask the question!). There is no stupid question (except maybe will kids have fun at iT’Z?), and making sure you understand the venue and its policies will help you avoid major problems the day of (like sending that lasagna back to your mother uneaten).
3. Don’t invite too many children.
It’s a kids birthday party, not a wedding, so you don’t have to invite anyone you don’t want to (#silverlining). Plus, experts say that children do better when there is one child for every year of the birthday child’s life. So, for instance, a 7 year old should have about 7 friends at their party, while a 4 year old should max out at 4.
4. Don’t leave information off the invitation.
Like, you know, the time of the party or the location of the shindig. And if you book the right kids birthday party venue, you get invitations included in the birthday party package. That means that you get a creatively designed invitation with all of the basic information already included with birthday party package. Just fill in the blanks and send that invite out. Now aren’t you glad you booked a kids birthday party venue in advance?
5. Don’t forget to keep track of RSVPs.
If you have booked a kids birthday party venue, you will probably need to give the venue a headcount by a certain date. This means keeping track of your RSVPs along the way.
Plus, being able to tell your child who to expect can help you avoid disappointment the day of the event and get your child even more excited for their special day. Some good tips for getting the right headcount: Send a reminder before the cut off date to families who have not yet replied, and don’t be shy about calling them up the day before the deadline.
6. Don’t try to plan the party all by yourself.
We know you can, but do you really want to? Doing it all yourself means dealing with all the stress yourself, chasing down RSVPs all by yourself, planning activities all by yourself…. you get the picture. Bypass the stress and focus on the party planning pieces you really enjoy by getting some party planning help.
At iT’Z, any birthday party package will get you access to amenities like favors, balloons, paper products, invitations and, obviously, fun activities. That frees you up to do the fun stuff, like tracking down an epic cake and buying the perfect gift for your little person.
7. Don’t forget to plan enough activities to keep everyone occupied.
One carefully crafted game will entertain a group of kids…for about 15 minutes. That one craft is a great idea…until the kids get bored. What happens afterward? Either the kids begin running around out of control, or they stand around awkwardly waiting for something else to do.
Avoid that nightmare by planning enough activities to keep everyone occupied for the entire party. We recommend having at least one extra activity up your sleeve in case things go by faster than you expected. Of course, if you choose the right kids birthday party venue you don’t have to worry about that. Here at iT’Z, we’ve got plenty of fun activities to last all day.
An epic kids birthday party doesn’t have to be hard. A little bit of planning and the right venue can set you up for a day of fun that everyone (including you) can enjoy. Just make sure you book the party in advance, ask the right questions, invite the right number of kids, fill out the invitation completely, get some party planning help, and plan enough activities. Or just book a birthday party package at iT’Z and relax.
