Another wonderful guest post by Heather Reynolds from Birthday In A Box! Thank you!

A lot goes into planning a children’s party, and many parents have questions about how to handle certain situations. Birthday in a Box is here to help, putting together answers to the most popular questions.

What information should be included on the invitations?

Your invitations should be clear about the type of party being given, and the date, time, and location of the party. Begin by telling guests who the party is for at the top of the invitation. “Kyle’s 8th Birthday Party”, for example.

Next, give the date and time of the party. You definitely want to give both a start time and an end time to avoid confusion about when parents should return for their children. If the party must start or end precisely at a certain time, such as one being hosted at a movie theatre, include the word “sharp” after the time.

Be specific about the party location. If the party is being given at your home, give your street address. If the location is somewhere else, such as at a restaurant or church hall, give the name of the location (e.g. City Bowling Lanes, or First Step Ballet Studio) and the street address.

Include any special instructions, such as if the children should dress for messy activities, or bring a swimsuit and towel. If you will be providing a meal, put that on the invitations, too. This is helpful to parents when a party starts or ends close to a normal mealtime. Just add a few words like “Lunch will be served” or “Pizza and Cake”.

Finally, give information on how you want guests to reply, such as your phone number or email address (i.e. RSVP to Debbie at [phone number] or [email]).

How do I phrase a request for no gifts?

It is perfectly acceptable to simply add the words “No Gifts Please” to the bottom of your invitations. Another phrase often used is “Your presence is present enough”. But when it comes to children’s birthday parties, some parents will feel that bringing a gift is part of the celebration, so be prepared for a few guests to arrive with a gift anyway.

Are competitive party games a mistake?

Some parents worry about games that result in winners and losers, but competitive party games still have their place at a child’s party. The key is to make the prizes fairly small, so the other children aren’t tempted to feel jealous. Consider giving small packets of candy, or stickers as prizes. Be sure to include non-competitive activities in your party, too, such as a craft or a group game where the children work together in teams.

Laurie Wrigley, founder of Birthday in a Box, adds this great advice:

“On the subject of competition, I think that children four and under are probably too young for competitive games in which there is a single winner or players are eliminated. While most may be able to handle it, there may be one or two who cannot. Instead, I would advise that each young child be given a participation prize or be made to feel like a winner. For instance, with a musical game, the adult can ensure everyone wins by stopping the music appropriately. Or, if there is a broad range of ages, you may want to pair younger children with an older partner or an adult who can share in the win or loss.”

At what age can children attend parties without a parent?

Kids age four and under really do need a parent nearby at social events like birthday parties, no matter how independent they are at home. Many children become overwhelmed by the excitement and the crowd at a party. By age five and up, most kids are ready to go it alone at a party, provided they know a few of the guests.

What if my child doesn’t like a gift?

There is bound to be a gift that just isn’t as popular with your child as the others. This is where coaching ahead of time can be really beneficial. Make your child aware that this might happen, and make sure he knows that he still needs to thank the guest for the gift in the same way he thanked the others.

What can I do when guests behave badly?

Birthday parties, with high levels of excitement and the possibility of too much sugar, can result in children who break down in tantrums, tears, or wild behavior. Try to be patient and stay positive. If the child’s parent is there, ask that they handle the situation. If not, try offering another activity to redirect an upset child and dry those tears. Some children may need to be taken to a quiet spot to calm down before they are ready to rejoin the party.

For more party planning advice, visit the Party Planning Page at Birthday in a Box.

Please welcome Heather from Birthday In A Box. She has written a wonderful guest post with some great tips for planning your child’s birthday party.

Children’s Party Planning Q&A

We understand that planning for a children’s party can be overwhelming, so we have put together answers to the most popular questions.

What is the best time for a children’s party, and how long should it last?

For babies and toddlers up to three years old, when naptime is still a consideration, a one-hour party is long enough. When children are four to seven years old, plan on an hour and a half for the party. By the time children are eight to eleven years old, they can easily handle a two-hour party. Children twelve and up can entertain themselves to some extent, so an evening party or sleepover is appropriate.

The best time of day to have a baby or toddler party is 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. This lets you work around nap time, and is long enough for some play time and cake. As children get older, parties are usually from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. or 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. This timeframe allows for games, snacks, and cake, but doesn’t require that you serve a meal.

My child has too many toys already! How do I handle this?

One option is to ask your guests to bring an item to be donated to a local organization in lieu of gifts. The birthday child then gets the honor of bringing the donated items to the chosen charity the next day. Here are some ideas:

• If many of the guests attend the same school, request that they bring a new book for the school library.
• If your child loves animals, have guests bring pet food to be donated to the local animal shelter.
• If your church or community runs a food pantry, ask guests to bring their favorite food items to donate.

Other ideas:

• Have a book exchange. Each guest brings a new, wrapped book to the party. The gifts are all numbered and each guest chooses a number out of a hat. Everyone unwraps the gift that corresponds to their number and everyone goes home with a new book, including the birthday child.
• Ask for drawings instead of gifts. Ask each guest to draw a picture of something special to them that they would want to share with the birthday child. During the gift-giving portion of the party, each guest shows their drawing to the group. You can save these drawings in a photo album or binder for something special to show your child years later.

If you decide to go the non-gift route, remember to provide clear instructions on the invitations.

How many activities should I plan?

Always add two more games or crafts than you think you will need. These extra ideas will rescue you on the party day if the children finish a game more quickly than you expected. Here is a general rule of thumb:

• 1-2 games for a toddler party (it is generally accepted to let the kids play freely most of the time)
• 3-5 activities for a one-hour party
• 4-6 activities for a two-hour party
• 5-7 activities for a three-hour party

I’m tired of junky party favors! What else can I do?

Instead of a bag full of little toys, try finding one item that relates to your party theme. Here are some ideas that have worked for other parents:

• CD of children’s music
• DVD
• Book
• Sand pail and shovel personalized with each guest’s name (beach party)
• Small baseball, basketball, and football set (sports party)
• Wings and a wand (fairy party)
• Sword and shield (knights party)
• Cowboy vest and hat (western party)

Another popular option is to let guests make their favor as part of a craft activity during the party. For example:

• Paint a flower pot, and fill it with a plant.
• Paint or otherwise decorate a wooden birdhouse.
• Decorate a plain T-shirt with fabric markers, puff paints, and sponge paints.
• Make a picture frame from popsicle sticks and spray paint it silver. (If possible, take a group photo during the party, and quickly print copies to insert into the frame as each guest leaves.)
• Look through our selection of craft kits for additional ideas.

How can I make the gift opening less crazy?

Here are a few fun ways to have the birthday child open gifts that cuts down on the frenzy and helps them focus on one gift at a time.

• Gift Hunt – Before the party, write clues leading to various locations in your home. For instance, “If it’s a gift that you want, it’s a gift that you’ll see . . . When you are looking behind the TV!” After the guests arrive, have an adult gather up the presents and hide them in the locations corresponding to each clue. When it’s time to open presents, hand the birthday child one clue at a time. As he finds each gift, have him open it on the spot.
• Gift Pass – Have the guests sit in a circle with their gifts in their laps and the birthday child at the head. Tell each guest to hand his or her present one at a time to the birthday child, who stops to open each one before taking another.
• Musical Gifts – To make the circle strategy more festive, turn it into a game of “Musical Gifts.” Position an adult near a stereo so they can start and stop a song periodically. While the music is playing, have the children pass the presents slowly around the circle. When the music stops, the birthday child opens the gift he or she is holding. Continue to play until all of the gifts have been opened.

Do I need to send thank you notes? Are they really that important?

Yes, thank-you notes are necessary. The note doesn’t have to be long or wordy; it should just mention the gift and thank the giver for coming to the party. Ideally, the notes should be handwritten and sent within two weeks of the party. For children who cannot print yet, you should write the note and have your child draw a picture or sign the bottom.

For more party planning advice, visit the Party Planning Page at Birthday in a Box.

Guest Post written by Heather Reynolds from Birthday In A Box

Planning enough games and activities is extremely important when organizing a successful children’s party. Although snacks, cake, and decorations are also important, children can only eat and admire décor for so long, but they can play for hours!

There are two important things to keep in mind with party activities. First, plan to have a couple extra games or crafts on hand as back-ups. These ideas will rescue you if the children finish an activity more quickly than you expected. Second, even though you’ve planned a certain timeframe for each activity and have a game plan, be flexible! If the kids are enjoying a certain game and want to play it over and over, let them. The kids will be the best judges of whether or not a game or craft is working.

With these tips in mind, here are some games and crafts from Birthday in a Box to try at your next party. We’ve included some classic ideas as well as some more creative ideas for a wide range of choices.

Bird Feeder Craft – Great for Garden or Spring Parties!

Each child pulls a piece of yarn through a toilet paper tube and ties it in a knot. Have the children spread honey or peanut butter all around the outside of the cardboard tube using a plastic knife, then roll the tube in a paper plate filled with bird seed. Their completed birdfeeder can be taken home and hung in a tree!

Hula Hoop “Head” Off – Great for Beach or Luau Parties!

Divide the guests into teams of four, and have each team stand in a line, holding hands. Place a hula hoop in front of each line. When you say, “Go!” the first child in each line bends over and picks up the hula hoop without letting go of his or her teammate’s hand. Each child should then pass the hula hoop over his or her head and shoulders, step through, and pass it on to the arm of the next player in line while staying connected. If the children become disconnected, they must start over. The hula hoop needs to be passed down the entire line in order for a team to win.

Telephone – Great for Girls Only or Sleepover Parties!

Have everyone sit in a circle on the floor. Have the birthday child start the game by thinking up a goofy line, such as “Purple cows sit in the pasture eating grass and making grape-flavored milk.” He or she should then whisper this line in the ear of the person sitting to his or her left, and so on around the circle until everyone has heard the phrase. The last player to hear the phrase should tell everyone what they think they heard, and then the birthday child should tell everyone the original phrase. The whole group will get a good laugh from the silly translation.

Marshmallow Robots – Great for Robot Parties!

Set out bowls of large marshmallows, small marshmallows, mini M&Ms, frosting, and pretzel sticks. Let each guest make a marshmallow robot using the pretzel sticks to hold them together. This is a craft they can eat!

Gathering Eggs Relay – Great for Farm or Dinosaur Parties!

Divide the children into two teams. Have them form two columns behind the starting line, with the members of each team lined up one behind the other. Give the first player on each team a spoon and an egg. Once the game starts, they can only hold the spoons by their handles.

At the start of the game, the two children at the front of each line walk or run to the goal line, turn around, and walk or run back to their teams – all while carrying the egg on their spoon. They then hand their spoons off to the next players in line.

If a child drops an egg, he or she must stop and pick it up. If the egg breaks when it falls, the child must wait to be handed a new egg. The first team to successfully complete the relay is the winner.

Freeze Dance – Great for Rock Star, Dance or Teen Parties!

Turn on the radio or play a favorite CD and have all the children start dancing. After a few moments, turn off the music and say “Freeze!” Anyone still moving is out until the next game begins. The game continues until only one dancer remains.

For more great ideas, visit the Party Planning Page at Birthday in a Box.