So you’ve got the party venue sorted but need to start on the theme for your child’s birthday party and you haven’t got a clue. Or you’re worried about the planning and preparation and what type of food to cook. Fret no more, as we have come up with 12 tips to help you plan a successful birthday party for your little one.
Make sure that there is a theme involved
Having a theme for your child’s party enables you to create focused birthday invitations, decorations, games, activities, food and party bags. Ask your child what they would like as there theme or take one of their particular interests, e.g. monsters, pirates, princesses, fairies.
For more suggestions, how about, your child’s favourite toy or doll, favourite character or television programme, sports figure or a particular sport itself, movie or film star, song or pop star, storybook or cartoon characters, super heroes. The choices are endless.
Plan your party with your little one
Let your child help with ideas for party theme, games and decorations so they can feel part of the planning of their special day too. It will also keep their mind occupied and busy for the few weeks prior to the big day. Have your little one help to make the invitations and decorate the party venue before everyone arrives. Ask them to go shopping with you to choose the treats for the party bags for everyone to take home.
Keep your party short but sweet
A well-planned birthday party begins and ends on time. Two hours either in the morning or afternoon is best so why not plan it around when your child is at his/her most active so they get the most out of the party.
Plan the birthday party guest list
If possible, try to keep the guest list to just good friends only so that you can manage and look after everybody. If you wish to have a large group of friends, ask for some of the parents to help out on the day. You will need to decide whether relatives will also be invited and how other siblings will be involved in the occasion.
Plan the decorations to suit the theme
Firstly you need to decide on your party venue. Indoors or outdoors? The weather will be your guide, but make sure that you plan and prepare for poor weather or really good weather, where the children will most likely want to be outdoors. Make sure that you have enough room for everyone to play, sit and eat. Make sure you decorate the outside and inside with balloons, have party music playing to suit your theme, party games that match the occasion, dress the birthday boy/girl in a special/new outfit so they feel important for the day.
Plan all the games and activities for the day
Be prepared for quieter games to action-packed activities throughout your child’s party. Lots of high-packed games at the beginning of the party to get their energy running and some low-paced games towards the end so they cool off and relax before their parents pick them up.
Plan all the birthday party goodies
Birthday cake and ice cream always go down a treat and shouldn’t go amiss at a child’s birthday party. It might be a good idea to provide some healthy snacks throughout the day so they don’t overload on junk food. Cheese and crackers, fruit salad, nuts, raisins, cut-up vegetables.
Prizes for both the winners and the losers
Having solid winners and losers can always create a sour feeling at a party so make sure there are prizes available for both the winners and losers so no one misses out. Play games that have group winners rather than individual winners.
Be prepared for a few surprises
Practically anything can happen at a child’s birthday party so make sure you keep that camera handy! It will be fun to play the video camera back or get the photos developed at the end of the party so your child can cherish the party forever. It may be the case that things don’t go to plan, so don’t worry and just improvise.
Be prepared for problems too
When kids or animals are involved, usually something goes wrong so don’t worry yourself if it does. Keep your sense of humor and always smile. If a child doesn’t like the food or the kids don’t enjoy the game be creative and have some alternatives aside that may please everyone. If you have other children that may be feeling left out, ask them to be involved in the planning and preparation so they feel a part of it too. Make them feel important by organising games or ask them to invite a friend so they have someone to play with.
Plan for lots of fun
It’s always fun when children are around so be fully prepared for it as there is sure to be lots of laughs, however busy the day may be. You’ll have to be prepared to be aware of your child’s mood and feelings as well as other the children’s mood throughout the day. Sometimes your little one my feel slightly overwhelmed by the attention so help them prepare for this and make sure they get an early night before the party so they don’t feel too tired for the big day.
Plan some me-time
As much as it’s there big day, it is important for you to have some free time to yourself before and after the event so you are prepared and well-rested. Have a few hours to yourself to plan some special little surprises for your little one, and have a nice long bath after the party to unwind.
Choosing your wedding cake can always be a difficult choice. You like fruit cake, your partner prefers sponge. You want cupcakes, they want 500 tiers…just another thing to squabble about before the big day. To give you an idea of what type of wedding cake to choose, here are our top ten tips to choosing that perfect wedding cake for your big day.
Careful planning is the key to a perfect wedding day. From the flowers to the reception, it’s important that you are completely organised and have everything in place in time for the big day.
Disney – Whether its a beautiful princess or a evil monster, Disney fancy dress is a favourite for all.
Superheroes – Everyone at some point in their lives have wished they were a super hero, so why not be one for one night at your very own superhero party. From Superman and Supergirl to Batman and Catwoman, there are thousands of costumes online for you to choose.
Star Wars – A top choice for adults and children is a Star Wars costume. These outfits range from the first Star Wars characters, from the films released in the 70s, right up to the later films of the noughties. This is a favourite category with children and adults.
We’ve all got a friend that loves to be the centre of attention. Whether it’s their karaoke singing on a night out or hosting only the best dinner and entertainment for their guests, their efforts will stop at nothing to ensure that they stay the top party entertainer amongst your group of friends.
Check out the two cute kids at the end; definitely the stars of the show!
Possibly the biggest celebration in a time when economical conditions are at an all time low. And what makes it worse is that it was for the inauguration for Barack Obama on Jan 20th 2009 which certainly raised a few eyebrows. Great way to get their backing of your country, just spend your country’s money on a lavish party for all your A-list celebs! We’re sure that will go down a treat!
This little princess managed to nab $60 million from her very rich father for her very exclusive and very expensive wedding day. Vanisha Mittal, daughter to steel magnate and richest man in Europe, Lakshmi Mittal, married investment banker Amit Bhatia in 2004. The wedding consisted of six day bash, 1,500 guests across some fantastic locations around France. The daddy’s girl even hired out the Tuileries Gardens in Paris for one night as well as building a makeshift castle at a park in Saint Cloud outside the capital, because clearly Louis XIV’s chateau was not good enough!
This Sultan puts stars like 50 cent and P Diddy to shame. On July 13 1996, the Sultan held a massive party to celebrate his 50th birthday costing a huge $27.2 million.
No it wasn’t the Grammy Awards but you would’ve thought it with the line up at this extravagant celebration. 13-year-old Elizabeth Brooks was thrown a $10 million bat mitzvah party which saw Aerosmith, yes Aerosmith, flown in to perform via her father’s and con man David Brook’s company jet. 
Texas investor, David Bonderman, splashed the cash for his 60th birthday bash in 2009. The buyout king – a founding partner of the Texas Pacific Group, a private equity firm – booked out dozens of rooms at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for the weekend, as well as hiring the Rolling Stones to entertain his guests. 
Russian billionaire, Andrei Melnichenko is known for his extravagant entertainment and parties. It was reported that he spent $4 million to have singer Christina Aguilera perform at his 2005 wedding to former model Aleksandra Nikolic Melnichenko in the South of France. 
British supermodel Naomi Campbell’s 36th birthday celebrations was truly worthy of her claim to fame. Other A-list celebs were invited to celebrate the three day event at the exclusive 18-floor Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, which may we add, she rented. Each day had a different theme, including ‘all white,’ ‘hip hop’ and ‘Brazilian samba.’
American socialite Paris Hilton loves being the centre of attention so it came as no surprise when the reality TV star held a major party for her 21st birthday. The media reported that Paris held a series of parties across multiple locations including New York, Las Vegas, Tokyo and London, spending as much as $75,000 per guest who attended this birthday bash extravaganza.
Actress and pop singer Lindsay Lohan threw a very understated but not under priced dinner party for her closest friends at a beach house in Malibu. She hired celebrity chef Kerry Simon to prepare the meal, spending a total of $100,000 for the event. (We’d of been happy with Maccie D’s!)
