1. Get some music going. Try to have some universally likable music in the background. This can help to avoid those awkward and shy encounters early on when everyone is just arriving.
2. Make the party games fun and fair. Allow everyone to win including the young kids attending.
3. Try to keep all of the party games relatively short. This can keep kids from losing interest. Children have short attention spans.
4. If a child doesn’t want to play, get them involved in other ways. This could include helping you pick the music or even having them pick teams.
5. Be prepared beforehand. Try to get familiar with how every game should be played before the party starts. Get anything you need before the party. This will ensure you have everything you need to host the party. You can even create your own confetti cannons to fit your theme.
6. You don’t have to make the games complicated. The simplest games are oftentimes the most fun. Ask your child what kind of games they enjoy playing at recess. This can give you a good idea of what games they would find fun. They typically have some of the best ideas.
7. Adapt The Games To Suit Your Party Theme. You can always take some classic games like “duck, duck, goose” and adapt them to fit your party’s theme. Simply change the name of the game to characters of the theme or something along those lines.
8. Change the rules if needed. A game’s rules don’t have to be followed if they aren’t practical for the kids. Change the rules and make it easier for everyone to get involved. It’s also a good way to keep kids from getting bored.
9. Make it a point to tell everyone where the bathroom is when the party is getting started. You want everyone to be fully aware of where the bathroom is to minimize accidents.
10. Place a nametag on all of the party favors. You want everyone to know which bag belongs to which kid.
11. Try to make extra bags in case one of the kids has a younger or older sibling that comes with them.
12. Keep and maintain a spreadsheet of all of the parents that are attending. You want to get their contact information for emergencies.
13. Charge your phone or camera. You want to have it handy when it comes time to document and take photos and videos.
14. Give all of the guests the information they need to know about the venue and what is considered appropriate attire.
15. Always stick to using disposable plates, cups, and utensils. This can make cleanup much quicker and easier.
16. Get some baby wipes and keep them handy. Baby wipes can be very useful at a kid’s party. They can be used to clean up spills and wipe off sticky hands.
17. If you are planning outdoor weather, always have a contingency plan. Having a plan B is key in the event you run into bad weather conditions. Having a contingency plan will allow you to pivot easily.
18. Always be as specific as possible when you are giving out the party time.
19. You want to try to stick to using common party times. It makes it much easier to plan the event and host it. Ideally, you want to choose party times around 1:00-3:00 pm and 2:00-4:00 pm. That way you don’t have to worry about serving a complete meal at the party. Instead, you can serve finger food.
20. Try to place anything that is deemed breakable away. You don’t want to have anything breakable out because it’s very likely to get broken.
21. Try to plan more activities than you can fit into the party. You never know which activity is going to be a winner. Having more activities than too few is always a good idea. You won’t have to do all of the activities you have planned, but it’s good to have extra in case the kids start to get bored.
22. Always have “thank you” notes ready while your child is opening presents. This can make it much easier to remember who gave each gift.
