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How to plan a First Birthday Party for your child

Everyday of life should be a time of celebration. However, a Baby’s 1st Birthday is unique and should be celebrated accordingly. Think of it like, it is one year ago that this adored Baby was brought into your world. Of course, at a one year of age the Baby doesn’t seem to know what is happening, but it is still a time to celebrate. It is an event that you can look back on for years to come. It is as much a celebration of your achievements in the baby’s life as it is an achievement for your baby’s development.

Here are some 1st birthday party ideas to help you better plan your kids first birthday party.

• decide early whether or not you want a particular birthday party theme. Birthday themes make it easier to shop for birthday supplies and birthday decorations. A theme will also bring a sense of harmony to the whole atmosphere. A typical baby blue for boys and pink for girls theme could do the trick. But any theme could work : Jungle party, Safari Party, princess party, pirate party, Animal party, train party, character party, just to name a few.

• You can serve cupcakes, a sheet cake or make a cake to match the party theme.

• Birthday party favors for the children that attend your kids party are great way to end your party. You can put together goodies bags that match your theme very cheaply by shopping online. A simple search under birthday party favors, party supplies, birthday decorations, kids party supplies, kids birthday, birthday theme, could turn great results.

• You can just as easily personalize your first birthday party invitations to fit your theme or style.

• choose the best children entertainer for your 1st kids Birthday party, a professional children entertainer can add a lot of value to your event and make it especially memorable.

• Pictures:

Take lots of pictures, remember this day and remember how easy and stress-free it was. As they get older they’ll have time to celebrate with big parties and actually remember them.

• Food:

Pizza is a favorite food for kids. If you want to keep this short and sweet, finger foods are perfect. Cupcakes at the end are great. Everyone gets the same portion, and your little one can be as messy as they want with their own private cake.

• Allowing your baby to open his or her presents maybe cute for 10 seconds but your guests are going to get bored very fast.

• Toddlers love their Cheerios! Put out a bowl of cheerios for the toddlers and pretzels, crackers for older kids. Placing the bowls next to chips and dip for the adults can be fun for kids! Use your judgment.

As a kids birthday party entertainer and father of four kids, my best advise for new parents who are putting on their very 1st kids birthday party is to relax during the party. You have planned your party well, you have recruited some friends and family to help organize your party. There will be a few surprises during the party, if you take it with ease. Your guests will sense that you are calm and relaxed and will automatically follow suit.

Safety Tips for Birthdays:

• Balloons, If they burst they can be inhaled and cause a child to choke.

• Hard candy, bonbons or Finger Foods like raisins, M&Ms or popcorn can cause chocking as well.

• Be careful where you put your matches or lighter for the birthday cake.

• Save any sweets until the end of the party, other wise the kids will have to run wild during the party.

Enjoy your child’s party because there will never be another “first” birthday party for your baby.

Planning is the TINY secret to organizing a the perfect birthday party for your child. Here are a number of key points that you should cover when planning your party.

Choosing the Party Date & Time

Needless to say, the date of the party should be as close to the birthday child’s actual birthday as possible. If your kid’s actual birthday falls on a weekday and you can’t have a party on that day, do not fret. You can throw the party on the weekend closest to the actual day. For example if your kid’s birthday is on a Monday, you can choose to have the party on the day before, which is a Sunday. If your kid’s birthday is on a Thursday, then consider throwing the party on the coming Saturday.

However, if your child’s birthday falls during the school holidays, it may be prudent to have the party earlier as many of his/her friends and classmates may be out of town on vacation. Have your child inform all friends and classmates at school about their upcoming party and make sure that they know who can and cannot make it. Alternatively, you can contact the parents of your child’s friends directly to inform them about the party.

Next, choose a party time that would suit most kids. It is seldom possible to choose a date and time that would suit everyone perfectly. Late mornings or mid-afternoons on weekends are a great time for a party. As some children may have other extracurricular activities (e.g. swimming lessons) in the late afternoon, it is best to have the party earlier in the day, leaving the rest of the day free for your guests to enjoy other activities. Simply choose the time that would fit most guests and your entertainer, if you are hiring one.

As a general rule, set two possible dates for the party and determine the actual party day based on which day most people are able to make it.

Now that you know what you’re going to have at the party, where you’re going to have it and when it’s going to be, you can now start sending out party invitations! Send your invites out early to make sure you get as many RSVPs as possible so that you can adequately prepare for all of your guests.

To ensure a smooth program, don’t forget to indicate the expected time for the guests to arrive in your invitation cards. You can also include the program in your invites so that your guests know what to expect and will be eager to arrive on time! You can also indicate if the party is just for the kids. This means parents will drop off their kids at the party and be back at a designated time to pick them up.

Budget

The second step in planning a great birthday party is to plan your budget. You should allocate how much you can or are willing to spend on things such as food, decorations, renting a venue, hiring an entertainer and so on.

You can consult the birthday child to help you along with some of your choices, it’s their special day after all! Find out what your child wants or would like to have for their party and provide certain options so that they understand the benefits and drawbacks of each option before deciding. However, do note that you do not have to give in to every one of your kid’s demands. Consulting the birthday kid is meant to make it easier for you to decide who (guests, entertainer, etc) and what (decorations, type of food, etc) to have at the party, which can then help you plan your budget better.

Venue

Choosing the right venue for the party can play make or break a party. The choice of your venue can affect the number of guests you can comfortably hold, the party activities you want to have or whether you have to deal with the weather (for outdoor venues).

You also have to consider if the venue is easily accessible to most of your invited guests. While your child may enjoy having the party at the zoo for example, it might not necessarily be the most convenient location for some of his friends to get to.

From our experience, we have found indoor venues to be better suited for party activities or venues with both indoor and outdoor facilities. Naturally, if you are looking for a specific venue like the Zoo, Birdpark or amusement attractions, a large portion of the party will be outdoors. However, many of these venues also have indoor function rooms or restaurants that can cater for an indoor program.

If you choose to have an outdoor venue, try to secure the use of a sheltered pavilion or tentage for food and various party activities. This will also be shelter should the weather turn wet.

Here are some common and recommended party venues:

Multi-Purpose/ Function Rooms

If you are able to book your condominium’s function room or hall, it would be a perfect party venue. If you do not live in a condominium, you can try asking relatives who do to help assist you with the bookings accordingly.

You can also consider function rooms available for rent at affordable prices at your nearby community club. A typical function room has enough space, tables and chairs prepared for guests to enjoy the food and any entertainment you have planned.

Restaurants

Many restaurants have private rooms which you can use. Similar to a function room, it meets all the requirements needed in throwing a great party. In such cases, you get a 2-in-1 as you don’t have to worry about catering separately, since food would be provided by the restaurant.

A popular restaurant venue for a party is the Lion’s Den at The Hard Rock Café. Not only is it easily accessible, this private room is big enough to comfortably hold about 80-100 kids and adults.

At Home

Why go out when you can stay in? If you’ve got the space to throw a party then having the party at home has many advantages. You won’t have to source for a venue. You can comfortably prepare the food for the party if you want. Plus, when it’s party time, there’s no chance that you will forget or leave anything behind. Doesn’t that sound sweet?

The only disadvantage to having a party at home is that you have to personally clean up after everyone has left. It’s a small bummer but at least you’ll have all the convenience of home!

Food

You can hire a venue that can cater your food at the same time, or have the party at home which would save cost. Once you have decided on the number of guests, you can allocate the budget for food.

You may want to cater separately for kids and adults or simply just cater for everyone. Choose a reputable caterer for your party or you can choose to prepare your own food. Whatever you decide to do, always remember that the food at a party is one of the main things that guests will remember, so do not spare any expense in getting the best.

Decorations

Decorate your venue so it truly looks like the place for a really cool party. Get a “Happy Birthday” banner or even a customized banner with your kid’s name on it for that special touch! A great way to add color to the event is to add some balloons. Balloons are always a hit with kids and a hundred colorful helium balloons to decorate your venue should do the trick. You can get them yourself if you have the time and resources or you get them at an affordable price from professionals.

You can also use decorations to highlight a specific theme for the party. For example, some kids have specific preferences and likes such as Superman. You can then theme the party by having Superman decorations (i.e. balloons, coasters, banner, paper plates, etc) or just have a generic superhero theme. However in this case, having a generic superhero concept might be a lot more cost effective as you would not need to source for specific decorations and can instead find more economical alternatives.

Party Host/ Entertainer

A professional party host or entertainer can make a great difference to the success of a party. If you’ve decided to hire an entertainer but are unsure where or how to start, you can always search the internet or get recommendations from friends. If you have a theme for your party (i.e. Superhero), then it would be a good idea to find a suitable entertainer who can fit into the theme as well

An entertainer plays a HUGE influence on the kids as s/he will be the one who directly interacts with them at the party. While a good entertainer is one who can keep the kids entertained, s/he should also be a good role model. Choose a professional entertainer who speaks well as they are very strong influences on the kids. Also ensure the entertainer or entertainment company boasts a good track record and this will be reflected on their website, party rate sheet or promotional material. Take heed of entertainers whose marketing material contains bad English such as multiple typos, grammatical mistakes or poor sentence structure, this is usually a reflection on the quality of the entertainer. Lastly, you do get what you pay for!

Timeline

While a kid’s party is a relatively simple event to organize, you still need to allocate enough time to ensure all elements will be in place on the big day.

Purchase all party items such as prizes, gifts and party treats early. This is so that you have ample time to make sure that you’ve stocked up on everything you need and that there’s time to get more if necessary.

Book your professional party host or entertainer as early as you can! Popular ones will require at least one month’s notice to ensure an available timeslot.

Prepare your party program in advance. Decide on the time you want your invited guests to arrive, the time for the food to be served, the games to start, the time for the birthday cake cutting and so on. When planning your program, the key thing is to keep everything as organized as possible, so that the party flows smoothly.

Finally and most importantly, involve the special birthday kid in the preparations as much as possible. It is after all their birthday party!

Is it time to plan your kid’s birthday party again? Every year around that time you’re wondering – has it been a year already? What are we going to do THIS year? I don’t think I want 20 kids at my house again… so, what other options do we have?

If you’re that mom (or dad), here are some suggestions:

Build-A-Bear Workshop

For the kids who love Teddy Bears – this is the ultimate Teddy Bear birthday party. Kids get to choose a Teddy Bear (or any other animal within the price range selected) and give it a personality by stuffing it, fluffing it, giving it a voice, dressing it up, accessorizing it, and giving it a name. There is also a “Heart Ceremony” where each kid gets to choose a “heart” and make a wish, before placing it inside his animal.

Each kid gets a “Birth Certificate” with his Teddy Bear’s name, and a little cardboard house to take the Teddy Bear home as a goodie bag. Teddy bears, voices, clothes and accessories all vary in prices. You can designate a price range (starting at $10) for each one of the categories that suits your budget. Parties are for 6 kids or more and include a “party leader” who manages the party process and entertains the kids.

Chuck E. Cheese

Chuck E. Cheese is a chain of family entertainment centers and has been a kids’ favorite for many years. It offers indoor fun activities and games for kids of all ages. From play structures, tubes, slides and small rides to Air Hockey tables and arcade games.

Birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese are fun and affordable. Parties are scheduled throughout the day, every day, and combine playtime with party time. Party tables are decorated and set up by the Chuck E. Cheese staff (as well as clean up) and are reserved for 90 minuets.

Every party gets a birthday performance featuring “Chuck E. Cheese and his musical friends” who entertain the kids with a little song and dance show. In a typical party each kid gets Pizza, soft drink, cake and game tokens (number of tokens depends on the package you choose).

The birthday kid gets a collector’s cup, cotton candy, a crown, and a helium balloon. Additional party options such as extra cake, goodie bag, or collector’s cup are available for purchase. You can also bring your own cake and/or ice cream.

Golfland Entertainment Centers

There are currently 9 Golfland Entertainment Centers throughout California and Arizona. Each Golfland has a unique theme and many combine different kinds of attractions. Birthday party packages at Golfland and SunSplash entertainment centers vary for each location. Golfland Birthday Party package ranges between $8.50 – $12.99 per kid (depending on the location) and requires 10 kids minimum.

Basic package may include One round (18 holes) of miniature golf, pizza and soft drinks, arcade tokens, party supplies, and complimentary round of golf for the birthday kid.

The Sunsplash Birthday Party package is for kids 14 years old or younger, and require 10 kids minimum. Each package costs $23.00 per kid Monday – Thursday, and $24.00 per kid Friday – Sunday, and may include all day admission to Sunsplash Waterpark, Hamburger & fries or Pizza and a soft drink, party supplies, and complimentary Waterpark Pass for the Birthday Kid.

There are also add-ons and upgrades that can be purchased for each package (where available): Miniature Golf, Laser Tag, Race Cars, Bumper Boats, Golfland Waterslide, Golfland Arcade, Birthday cakes, Goodie bags, and Ice Cream.

LEGO

For kids 6 and older who love LEGO – this is a dream come true. This ultimate LEGO party offers 1 – 1.5 hours of creative play activity in the LEGO store. Each party is customized for the birthday kid and is led by LEGO party host.

There are different themes for boys and for girls to select from:

BIONICLE
LEGO Star Wars
Mosaics & Creator
LEGO Racers
LEGO CITY

Party package starts at $10 per child, and the minimum number of kids is 5. Each kid get to take home a goodie bag with a set of LEGO, and the birthday kid also gets a LEGO Birthday Brick.

My Gym Children’s Fitness Center

Each birthday party at My Gym is age appropriate and tailored to the birthday kid’s favorite activities and games. Birthday party packages vary from one location to another and may run for 1.5 – 2 hours.

Cost for each party also varies depending on the location and the number of kids, which can be from 15 – 25. Each package may include exclusive play in the gym and is facilitated by My Gym trained teachers.

Activities include games, gymnastics, Space Flight, puppets, rides, songs and other birthday festivities, where the birthday kid is at the heart of the celebration. All kids get to participate in all activities.

My Gym staff will setup and decorate the place, serve the refreshments and even clean up after the party. Party goodie bags can be added to the package at additional cost.

Pump It Up

Pump It Up offers indoor birthday party packages for kids ages 2 and up and features huge inflatable play structures in different shapes and sizes for climbing, sliding, jumping and playing. There are two birthday party packages to choose from:

”Classic party” is for up to 25 kids and “Mini-Classic Party” is for up to 14 kids. The kids get to spend some time in one play area, then move to another play area, and then at the party room.

Both Party packages include Color invitations, party supplies, supervision by trained staff during play time, and Party set up and clean up. Pump It Up goodie bags and inflated helium balloons can be added to each package for additional charge.

The Little Gym

Each birthday party at The Little Gym is tailored for the birthday kid and is facilitated by friendly staff. All parties feature fun activities with movement, and exclusive use of the gym for the duration of the party.

Birthday parties are 90 minutes long and can be scheduled for Saturday or Sunday. Birthday party packages vary for each location.

The cost for each party depends on the location and the number of kids, and may include Two staff members to facilitate the party, setup and cleanup, “The Little Gym” invitations, party supplies, and “The Little Gym” T-shirt for the birthday kid.

YMCA

The “YMCA” is a world-wide not-for-profit community service organization with a special emphasis on community development and
young people. The YMCA’s mission is building a healthy spirit, mind, and body and its motto is “We build strong kids, strong families, strong communities”.

Birthday party packages at the YMCA vary from one location to another. Depending on the facility, some parties may include swimming, games, and sports activities. Cost varies for each location.

For more details about each party place and photo gallery please visit the Birthday Party Places section of our website: http://www.cool-kids-places.com/birthday-party-places.html.