7 Tips on Planning Outdoor Birthday Parties for Kids
Did you know that the average spend for a kids birthday party is around $400? Party prices are creeping up, but not every occasion has to be expensive. In fact, if you know how, you can have a great party on a budget.
When planning your party, we can help. Read on as we give our tips on planning great outdoor birthday parties without breaking the bank.
1. Choose a Great Theme
A great party theme does not have to be expensive or a complicated one. In fact, the easier and cheaper it will be, the more fun people will have. You will also have less pressure on yourself to deliver a great party.
Your child probably already has interests, from zoo animals to dinosaurs. Choose a loose theme, and speak to them about what they would like. For surprise parties, this may need to be in secret.
If you cant pick a theme, then don’t fret over it. You can go for a traditional, colorful party. Making DIY decorations and streamers is a fun way to spend some time with your child, and they will be extremely proud of how they helped put the party together.
2. Make Food Fun
No matter how good you are at cooking adult recipes, children at a party want fun. Don’t try to impress other parents with your culinary skills, and let the children off the healthy food for a day.
Some food could even be incorporated into the theme of the party. If you are having a gruesome monster theme, then make cakes look like eyeballs and serve worm spaghetti. Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches and pizza into specific themed shapes.
A great idea is to make the food part of the activities. Perhaps children could build their own pizza or create their own crepe dessert from a choice of fillings and toppings.
3. Decorate in Advance
On the day of the party, you will have a lot of tasks. Not only will you be busy preparing food, but you will also have to pay attention to your child on their big day. You really don’t want to be running around putting up decorations.
Start the day or night before. If it is a surprise party, you may want to ask someone if they can have your child for a sleepover.
The decorations should match the theme of the party. If you plan in advance, you can probably get a lot of themed decorations for great prices online. Walmart hidden clearance is a great place to start shopping.
4. Set a Budget and Stick to It
Without a budget, you will definitely go way over your spending limit. There are too many fun things to buy and do at children’s parties, and you will be tempted to buy them all. A budget lets you restrict your spending.
Set an overall budget, then break it down into various sections. These should include decorations, catering and food costs, and entertainment. If the party is not at your place, you may also need to hire a venue.
Make sure you include everything by subcategory. For example, food may include drinks, desserts, mains, and even sweet treats for party games!
5. Decide What Is Most Important
Everyone has a different idea of what makes a great party. For some, they love to blow the budget on a huge, breathtaking cake. For others, it is more important to hire the best entertainers.
If you know what is top of your list, and what is the bottom, you can prioritize accordingly. Why spend all of your time organizing a clown, when your child would be much more enamored with a huge cake?
This also lets you prioritize your budget. You may want to spend more money on decorations than food. You could hire large gazebos and pieces of furniture, then just call in pizza for catering.
6. Get Great Entertainment
The worst thing that can happen at your child’s birthday, is that the children get bored. That is when the mayhem really starts! Make sure you counteract it with a host of fun games and activities.
If you have the budget, you may want to hire some entertainment. Live music, a DJ, a magician, or any sort of entertainer can really amp up the fun levels. However, even this will not be enough.
Organize a number of party games to include yourself. The best games are the ones that keep children active and moving. Not only will they be occupied, but the parents will also be happy that they are tired out later.
Old classics like limbo, musical statues and pass the parcel will all work excellently. If you want prizes, then add them to your overall budget.
7. Plan the Invitations Well
Planning the invitations is important, as it can inform both your budget and planning. Remember, that you will also need to account for the parents as well as children. That may also mean providing drinks and food for them.
When you send out invites, the first big decision is to decide on a time. If you pick later in the afternoon, the party will have a definite end time and not drag on. Children will also be able to go straight home and prepare for bed when tired out.
Make sure you send out an invitation a few weeks in advance. This gives people plenty of time to put it on their calendar. Make sure you have enough seating for all the adults, as well as some for children.
Have an Outdoor Birthday Parties Back Up
When you host outdoor birthday parties, the only thing you can’t predict is the weather. Have a backup plan, and be ready to move it inside at any moment.
If you enjoyed this article, we have many more to help. From party advice to fun recipes, we have everything to make your party go with a bang!
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