Birthday Party Tips for Children's Parties

Do you ever get home after a birthday party and think "How did she do that? Every thing was perfect the kids had fun and Mom and Dad seemed so calm!"
Was she actually organized and prepared? I didn't know this could still happen! Especially now that I have 2 kids.

Many moms believe that hosting a birthday party requires more energy, creativity and patience than they can muster.
Not true!

BASICS
Children remember what they did at a party much more than what they ate, what the plates and napkins looked like or whether the house was spotless. Don't sweat the little details! Cupcakes rather than cake seems to be a popular fad right now....

The best party times are......1:00 - 3:00 or 2:00 - 4:00. AND BONUS- You can avoid serving a meal.
For little ones try 10:00am -11:30 to work around nap time.

INVITATIONS
The Invitation Equation:
Child's age + 1 = happy kids
For children under 8 years old, invite as many children as the child's age plus one. Some parents choose to add 1 or 2 to this equation. Only you can know your limits. Obviously as your child gets much older the formula will need a little "tweaking".

Who to Invite
Parties for very young children, more often than not will include family members; cousins, siblings etc.
As your child gets older, invite only your child's closest playmates. This would probably include friends from daycare, school, mommy and me groups and neighbors.

"I don't want to leave anyone out!"
This is a common dilemma, especially when your children begin to attend school. Try to be discreet by mailing the invitations. Speak with the teacher about coming in for a brief and simple class party. At my daughter's preschool the norm seems to be bringing in pizza and cupcakes. You could bring a small party favor for each kid if you felt inclined.

WIN or LOSE
No one should go home a Loser!
Competitive games are enjoyable only for the people who win. A party should be Fun...Avoid tears by selecting games that everyone gets a chance to succeed. NOthing worse then a group of crying 3 year olds.

BE PREPARED!!!
Set up activities. Prepare ALL of the activities, games etc. before the party. This enables you to focus on the kids when the party begins. The mamasnap kids, who both turn three next month and are having a joint party, will have a build a butterfly sticker craft "station", a jumper and a pin the ladybug on a leaf game.

Ask a friend , family member or neighbor to help with the party. It's likely you have a neighborhood teenager who would love to help, when offered a few dollars for their time.

In choosing party favors, it's better to spend more creativity than money. Guests should be given some wonderful little item/items that have to do with the party—a flower pot and seeds for a garden party or in our case, a bug viewer filled with plastic bugs, butterfly bubbles and stickers.
You can even send the kids home with an item they have made during the party. The birthday child should hand out the favors. This will remind her to say "thank you".

Remember to have fun and enjoy the celebration of your child's bir