When it comes to planning a memorable birthday party for your child, there is so much to take into consideration! You have so many birthday party ideas in your head but how will you manage to get all of the necessary details and pull it all together before the big day? Have no fear, mama – I’ve hosted dozens of parties ranging from baby showers to bachelorette parties – all with this same method I am about to share with you.
Bring Those Birthday Party Ideas to Life!
I start thinking about and planning parties about 2 months in advance. That gives me enough time to come up with a theme my child is happy with (I have to approve of it too, of course!) and lay out the necessary details to make a special day for my child
So here goes! I’m going to walk you through exactly how I bring all of my birthday party ideas to life!
Make sure to download your free party planning checklist at the end of this post!
Choose a Birthday Party Theme
Choosing a theme is the very first step of planning a birthday party because it has the potential to really help shape the rest of your party. There are so many options for themes to go along with birthday party ideas! They can be based on quite a few different things:
- Choose your child’s favorite colors. Choosing colors is a super easy way to throw a party and actually look like you know what you are doing! I once did a basic pink and gold theme for my one of my daughter’s first birthday parties.
- Plan a party based on your child’s favorite character. Is there a certain character from a show or movie your child is into? I tend to stay away from character parties because I don’t really enjoy putting them together.
- Plan a party based on an event or place. Is there a place your child really enjoys being at? Hostess with the Mostest featured a John Deer farm party. Check out this super fun circus themed party featured on Kara’s Party Ideas. A beach, baseball game or a zoo themed birthday party could all be brought to life with food and decorations.
There are so many other theme ideas that I can think of off the top of my head that is really random but would make a great theme none the less. What about a donut theme, football or other sports theme, a baking theme or a ninja theme? As you can see, there are 100s of ideas!
Create a Guest List
Creating a guest list for your party is the next important line on the to-do list. It may even be your first step if you need help determining or choosing between venues. Jot down everyone who you plan on inviting to the party. This step will help you determine where to hold the party. 20 guests or less might be feasible to host in your home but depending on how much space you have, more guests means you’ll need more room!
Decide on Invitations
I am a firm believer that invitations set the tone for the whole party! Being a graphic designer and digital marketer, I feel as if the invitations act as the brand guide for the party. I choose balloon colors and other decorations based on the vibe of the invitation. Are you picking up what I’m putting down? Basically, choose a super fun or cute birthday party invitation and use it to help determine the overall feeling of your party and lead you to some great decorating ideas. Creating the invites will also result in choosing a time and date which is obviously super important when planning any party.
Mailing Invitations
There is no set rule for this, but I like to stick to sending the invites so the guests will receive them 2-3 weeks prior to the party. This will give them enough time to plan for the upcoming weeks but isn’t too far out that they might forget about your party or loose the invitation before the party approaches.
Create a Menu + Grocery List
Food is probably the most important piece of the birthday planning pie. I love this part or party planning because I love looking for the perfect recipes and yummy goodies to feed the guest! You can be as simple or complex with the food as you like. You can choose to do a full meal, finger foods, or even just cake and ice cream. You can have the party catered or make all of the food yourself. I usually end up somewhere between making a majority of the food and buying some of the food prepared. Choose how much and what you want to feed your guests and start making a list to head to the grocery store with. I get a majority of the groceries 1-3 days before the party with the exception of shelf-stable foods, which I might pick up on my weekly trip to the grocery store. My free printable grocery list even comes with a meal planner!
Don’t Forget About the Cake (or another dessert)!
If your child is old enough, ask them what kind of cake they want. If you want to try something unique, go with a sweet treat other than cake. For example, if you are having a bon-fire or camping party, you could have all of the guests make s’mores for dessert. A construction truck themed birthday might call for dirt cake, and it’s totally okay if your child decides they’d rather pie or brownies for their birthday celebration.
My friend Brenda over at Paper Heart Family shared how to do a stress free, DIY cake smash photo session for those of you planning your little ones first birthday!
You’re well on our way to bringing those big birthday party ideas to life!
Plan Some Exciting Activities
Activities will keep your little guests entertained and engaged. It might even work for the adults, too! Are you going to play games? Do a scavenger hunt? Go on a hayride? You will probably want to try to pull in your theme when planning the activities. This type of coordination is what makes parties have that professional touch that you are looking for! I’m currently planning my daughter’s unicorn-themed birthday party so I am on the hunt for a “unicorn” to rent. Last year I hosted her party at a local farm market where we went on a hayride and shot pumpkins in the field.
Create a Schedule
Create a loose schedule to help get through a day packed full of running around and getting everything ready! This helps a great deal because you will know in advance what needs to be taken care of first thing in the morning, what time to pick up the cake and balloons, last minute things to do before guests arrive and most importantly, how the whole party is going to go down! Don’t skip this step if you want to keep your sanity on party day.
So Many Presents!
I don’t know about you, but after most parties, I’m left with feeling like I need a larger home to fit all of the new toys into. How can one child receive so many gifts? Gifts are not why we have parties, but they are a nice treat for the birthday girl or boy. Keeping track of all of the gifts your child receives will make writing and sending thank you’s a breeze.
Party Favors
What are you going to send party guests off with that will show your appreciation of them coming to share a special day? Go back to the theme of your party and try to come up with something unique and memorable. I am so not into little grab bags full of junk that will get end up missing before you get home! But what I am into are well thought out party favors that pull all of your birthday party ideas together! For example, I am making packages of white chocolate dipped glitter pretzel rods to give to the guests of my daughter’s unicorn party. What is a small take away that is relevant to your theme? Get creative!
Thank Yous
of course, you will thank your guests for coming as they leave the party, but it’s also nice to write them a little thank you card as well. If your child is old enough, have them write the cards. If they are a little younger, you can write the cards while they finish them off with a fancy signature!
Free Party Planning Guide + Checklist
Bringing your birthday party ideas to life can seem like a lot of work but it doesn’t have to overwhelm you! With a good guideline and checklist to keep you organized, you won’t skip a beat. Ready to get started? Download my free party planning printable and streamline your planning process! Impress the guests and make your child’s birthday party a memorable event!
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