Children’s birthday parties are the perfect time to make memories and celebrate another year of your child growing older. Creating a birthday party that is both memorable and fun can be easy when you give these 10 tips for planning the perfect children’s birthday party a try. The key to a great party is keeping it simple and of course having as much fun as you can. Pair these must haves with Hoodsie Cups and you have the perfect recipe for birthday party success. Why Hoodsie Cups? Seriously, I think every single birthday party I attended (or class party at school) had Hoodsie Cups. All of them. The birthday song would be sung, the cake was cut…and it was ON when the that bag with the 2 stacks of those magical little white cups with red polka dots came out. Party time!
Here are some helpful tips to help you plan a birthday party your child will always remember.
1. Bring children in on the planning.
Adults tend to want to control things, but a children’s birthday party is the perfect time to let loose. Let the child give some feedback on what they want and what seems like fun to them. They will enjoy being a part of the planning process. A friend of mine was planning this amazing themed party for her son last year and he told her what he wanted most was to run around his favorite playground and have birthday cake with his buddies. She saved a ton of money and EVERYONE had an amazing time.
2. Appeal to the senses.
Kids love using their senses to explore. Provide them a chance to use all their senses. Music appeals to hearing, decorations to sight, and of course cake and Hoodsie Cups for taste- and with 3 oz of half chocolate and half vanilla ice cream, how can you go wrong? Have crafts for them to enjoy the sense of touch as well! Kids are all crazy about Kinetic Sand right now-make your own!
3. Make your own décor.
Birthday party décor doesn’t have to be pricey. Try some colorful balloons and let children design the rest. Make your own signs, banners, and centerpieces using dollar store crafting supplies. Use the balloons as party favors, and you have less mess to clean up when you are done! Tie a simple treat onto the string and your mess leaves with the party favor. Use things like themed cupcake wrappers to portion food into serving sizes- a little bit of them can make a big impression with attention to detail like that!
4. Don’t forget the music!
Turn to Pandora or another free music station to set the tone of the party. Choose from one of the many family friendly children’s music stations so you have the perfect backdrop for your bash.
5. Opt for self serve snacks.
Don’t get so fancy with food that children can’t feed themselves. Provide a buffet of hands on snacks and foods that are easy to grab and go. Individual cups of veggies and dip? Yes, please. Fruit kebabs on a stick? Absolutely. Hoodsie Cups help you avoid the hassle of scooping out ice cream and instead give kids the chance to grab their own dessert whenever they are ready…and they are just the right serving size (3 oz) for kiddos.
6. Don’t forget the games.
Kids love birthday party games. Opt for easy and old fashion games such as musical chairs so kids have the chance to get active and have some fun! If it’s summer, set out a few buckets and a whole bunch of squirt guns! Pop some black cutout circles onto a few rolls of upright paper towel rolls and go snowman bowling… simple can be just as much fun as anything else!
7. Let the children provide the entertainment.
Have the children do a talent show or dress up and do a fashion show or skits for entertainment. Chances are they will love the chance to get creative and make each other laugh.
8. Provide activity stations.
Provide simple activity stations that include things like crafts, games, and snacks that children can rotate among. This will keep them busy and keep boredom from setting in. Crafts can also double as the take home favor, so you’re getting a two-fer that way. Set out materials to make Kinetic Sand- with several color options, kids can make their own color sand and bring it home to play with later. Feeling industrious? Make cute containers for kids to package their sand in.
9. Don’t forget the party favors.
Hit up the dollar store for simple party favors that children can take home. Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and small toys are all affordable and practical options. Or, as I mentioned above, give each guest a balloon as their favor- you can even attach a small trinket to the balloon with their name on it. Having a summer party? Tie a small water gun to the balloon. Double duty! Look at the craft ideas you have for the party- if the kids are painting bird houses, that’s absolutely a great favor!
10. Keep clean up simple.
You hate to have a huge mess when everyone leaves. Put food and drink out in single serving sizes- less waste. Opt for disposable party products and keep large trash bags on hand so clean up is a breeze!
See how simple throwing a children’s birthday party can be? Give these 10 party planning trips a try and you can plan a birthday party that won’t soon be forgotten!
I received compensation from Hood in exchange for writing this post. Although this is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.
David Fultner says
I totally need this kind of information. Thanks.
Eileen says
These are some great tips! Planning parties isn’t an easy task, especially for kids!
jared's mum says
i will keep all these tips in mind! am sure it will come handy when i plan for my little one’s simply party in August!
Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen says
When it comes to my daughter’s birthday, we always DIY it and ice cream cups are a must-haves during any children’s party!
Tonya C says
As a pro event planner, I love using individual sized ice cream cups for kids parties. They are so convenient and such a timesaver for the party host!
krystal says
We did a bubbles station and a play dough station at my son’s party! I think it’s a fun idea for any party.
Cara (@StylishGeek) says
Thanks for your helpful tips! I shall pass this along to my friends who have younger kids! My tween is all about the movies or going to a theme park with her friends. LOL! They sure do like different things as they get older!
Marie says
Great tips! I could use some of these tips to lessen my stress in preparing for my son’s birthday next month. I’m glad I came across with your post!
CourtneyLynne says
These are definitely some great tips!!! I swear throwing a kids party can be tougher than a wedding lol…. Kids can be so demanding and picky lol
Digna says
Great party idea. Will definitely remember this post. Thank you for sharing.
Mistee Dawn says
These are really great tips! And yes! We always had the hoodsie cups at every event, too!
Rebecca Swenor says
These are great tips for a perfect childs birthday party. The Hoodies cups are perfect for the little ones and it does make cleaning up easier when you get things like that. It is important I believe to have the child involved in the planning. Thanks for sharing.
lisa says
These are all great tips. We let our kids pick the theme for their parties and some of the food so we know it is stuff they like.
Rosey says
Kids do love games! It’s easy to make them happy, but if you don’t put some effort into it, you can guarantee you’re going to hear, ‘this party is boring!’ Ha! One of my favorite things about kids, usually. 😉 I like your tips.
Chubskulit Rose says
My daughter’s birthday is coming up in a couple of months so thank you so much for these tips. I will bear this in mind when preparing for her party.
Lynndee says
I love planning and organizing parties, but my son is a big boy now so no more big parties for him. 🙂 Great tips!
Sara-Jayne says
I love the tips – we often use the crafting stations as party of the party bag, it makes it much more fun! I love using balloons too.
Jenn @TheRebelChick says
I really love serving ice cream cups at children’s parties, it is so much neater and easier to do than scooping out of a carton and handing out bowls and spoons! It’s less clean up too! 🙂
Michelle @ Dishes and Dust Bunnies says
These are some great tips for planning kids parties! I can’t wait to start planning some parties for my little guy – he’s only 2 so there will be plenty of parties to plan!
Bonnie @ wemake7 says
These are really great tips for planning. We have 5 birthdays a year to plan so this comes in handy.
Jeanine says
Great tips! We usually just do small family celebrations but when my kids ask for a party this will be great to know. I wouldn’t have a clue where to begin!
rochkirstin says
We haven’t attended children’s parties with hoodsie cups in years. These look really lovely and attractive for kids. It’s a good idea to get them involved in the designing.
HilLesha says
My daughter’s 3rd birthday is coming up in a couple of months. I’ll definitely have to keep these tips in mind!
R U S S says
Getting kids to participate in the planning part is important. It teaches them how to be organized and I think it’s great that their ideas are also considered especially if it’s their party. I like games, but sometimes there are just way too much games in parties. Lol.
tammileetips says
I love the little ice cream cups!! These are great tips for hosting a birthday party!
Kisa Johnson says
I’ve heard that lots of people don’t like goodie bags. I don’t mind them, but I guess they make some parents pretty annoyed.
I don’t like a lot of people in my safe zone, so I tend not to do parties at my house. But these are great things to keep in mind for parties planned elsewhere as well. 🙂
onceuponamaritime says
It can be pretty tough! You have to have the fun times rolling and make sure the excitement never ends; those ice cream cups look super yummy.
Jenni E. {Sweet Pennies from Heaven} says
Totally needed these tips! Planning my guys’ birthday party now.
Alli says
I totally agree with you! I always suggest having toddler parties mid-morning. Afternoon parties interfere with nap time and that’s why the kids are cranky. 🙂
Megan Elford says
These tips are great! When my kids were little, I used to throw big, elaborate parties that required so much time to plan, run and clean up afterward. I’ve really pared it down in the last few years, and I’ll keep these tips in mind to make things even easier!
Liz Mays says
I love these party ideas! I was unaware of how well Hoodsie cups would work when you have multiple kids attending!
Christy Maurer says
I remember the days of ice cream in little cups! I have not seen this brand but they sure look yummy! Great tips for planning a party too 🙂
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
We keep ice cream cups on hand at all times. I’ll have to keep an eye out for Hoodsies!
Terry says
Those ice cream cups would be so much easier and less messy than dishing ice cream out at a party. Good idea!
Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says
Hoodsies are a staple of parties at our house. So much easier than scooping out ice cream from a big tub!