Throwing a Successful Preschool Birthday Party

Make sure everything, from activities to goody bag treats, is age-appropriate for the majority of your guests. If there is a wide range of ages, use the age of the birthday child as a guide.

The child’s age is also a good indicator of how many children to invite, the rule of thumb generally is one child for every year plus 2. So if your child is turning four, try to keep the guest list at six children.

Age also plays an important role in setting the theme and deciding where to have your party. Younger children might be comfortable in a home but feel your child out to get a good read on the situation.

Spontaneity is always fun, but for a preschool birthday, scheduling (with some wiggle room) is the way to go. Try planning activities over a short time span — 10 to 15-minute intervals. And if you have anything special planned, do it before the cake, a surefire sign that the soiree is winding down.

Think bubbles, coloring pages, and books, freeze dance or even a craft station, complete with clay, paper, glue and other assorted items that kids can create with. Try to have at least one adult helper for each activity.

If your party is at home, it is important to have a beginning and ending time. Don’t leave the party open-ended as it could confuse guests and keep them from planning for the rest of the day.

Parties for kids under 5 should be set for about 90 minutes or two hours tops.

An invitation should include all the basics — address, date, time and the guest of honor, but there are other important nuggets that parents may be wondering about.

Indicate if a child should be dropped off or if you’d prefer an adult to stay. (Dropping off usually begins around age 5 or 6, but it’s still a good idea to let your preference be known.) If parents do leave their children, get a phone number where they can be reached if there are any problems.

Also, note if you are serving food so people know if they need to feed their kids, and if possible, let them know what’s on the menu to alert those parents who have kids with allergies. Include an RSVP date and don’t feel funny about following up with a phone call if you don’t hear back.

If you don’t have the room or the inclination to host the party at home, there are plenty of places you can go instead, but you should book this type of party several months in advance if possible.

Good places fill up quickly, especially those that can only host one party at a time. If you choose to avoid the pre-planned party route such as Build-a-Bear or bowling, consider privately owned recreation rooms (possibly owned by a church or firehouse), a park, or even your local daycare center. Here at https://twincitieskidsclub.com/10-great-places-birthday-party-twin-cities/ you will find the best 10 places to celebrate your child party.

These are great places because they are generally closed for normal business on the weekends, parents can often hire the staff to work the party, plus the kids are comfortable because it is a place they are familiar with.

When hiring an entertainer for your child’s party — whether you have it in your home or at an outdoors location, ask key questions like how long their performance is, how much space they need and if they will be in costume the whole time. (Some companies have their performers change costumes mid-party, which can be confusing for young children.)

If cost is a factor and hiring a professional doesn’t fit into your budget, check at your local high school. You might find some members of the drama club who’d be willing to perform or some art students who’d you could hire to do some face painting.

Pizza is most commonly found on the menu of many preschool parties, but it certainly isn’t the only option. Chicken nuggets, small sandwiches, hot dogs, bagels, vegetables and dip and fruit on skewers are all great choices and kid-favorites. They are also quick to prepare and are likely to please your adult guests. The reality is, this is one area you can probably not have to worry about spending a lot of money. Chances are your pint-sized guests won’t eat that much — so occupied will they be with all the excitement of the day.

Whether your preschooler loves Dora, Handy Manny, or the Backyardigans, chances are you can find birthday party goodies that span the spectrum, from plates to wall hangings. And it’s not just about decorations. Popular characters lend themselves to other facets of the celebration, like games, food, and crafts.

At a Dora party, for instance, you can set up an adventure course and make an animal mask. Serve up sandwiches you cut from train-shaped cookie cutters at a Thomas the Tank Engine party.

And if you are so inclined, the big finale can be when the birthday child’s favorite character shows up. No matter where you hold the party, the theme is something your child is going to want to be involved with, so make sure to get her input.

Talk to your child about what she would like. A cake is a good option, but so are cupcakes, ice cream sundaes, or even big cookies.

You can incorporate the theme (if you have one) either by baking your own cake and decorating with small toys or even trying your hand at drawing something. Local bakeries, grocery stores and many big-box retailers (think Sam’s Club or BJ’s) can also make theme cakes to order.

You may even want to let your young guests get in on the act —​ bake a bunch of cupcakes, put out icing, sprinkles and other decorations like chocolate candies and let them get to work creating a culinary masterpiece.