Now covid restrictions have been eased, you realise it's a 2-3 months until your child's birthday.... Better begin planning. Where do you start? What theme? How much food should you prepare-what if the guests bring siblings!? Do I need to entertain the children myself or what can I book to entertain the children? Will it be chaotic? Where shall I hold it? The mess!!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
So much to think about! Now breathe! If you deide on choosing an entertainer, I thought it would be useful to give a step by step guide to planning your child's birthday with some top tips to make sure your party prep goes smoothly.
Step 1- decide on a theme
Speak to your child. What are their interests? Brainstorm some ideas of things they like to do.
Here are some ideas:
Do they like any children's film or TV characters?
Are they outdoorsy or sporty?
Do they prefer something more creative?
Step 2- Decide on your budget
Knowing how much you can afford/want to spend, will help determine what you should do. Never organise a party in order to impress your friends, do something that will bring happiness to your child. If they enjoy what they do, that is all that matters. Think about your child, are they confident in social settings or are they more comfortable in smaller gatherings? This may help decide on the type of party you have.
If you are running the party, remember you need to budget for any food, cake, decorations, plates/cups and any entertainment you may have.
Step 3- decide on the guestlist
Remember to think about your budget. Does your child have a few close friends or are they wanting to invite the whole class? Think about covid safety. 15 children or less is a good number, particular if parents will be staying at the party. Also don't forget, some children may bring their siblings to the party too. Decide if you want parents to stay or not and make this clear when you send out invitations. By saying you want to keep the numbers at the party low due to covid, you can request that parents drop off and then return at a set time to collect within the initial invite.
Step 4- book entertainment
Now you know your theme and the amount of guests you would like to invite, it's time to decide what entertainment would be best to fit your theme and your child's interests, plus how long you would like the children to be entertained for. I would always suggest speaking with friends for recommendations of children's entertainers they have used or seen before and also looking at Google and Facebook reviews to make sure the entertainment on offer is what you and your child want. Bouncy castles are great, but limit the amount of children in it at one time. A magician or wild animal show are brilliant too, but may not last long enough.
It is advisable to contact entertainers between 6 weeks to 3 months before to ensure you get the date you would like. At Just 4 Kids, we provide themed characters to host all of the activities, manage any sized groups of children and keep them entertained for 1hour, 1.5hours to 2 hours, plus we are happy to host at the location of your choice. Send us an email just4kidsparties@yahoo.com to chat with Vicky who can give advice on how we can entertain at your child's party we do not need to know the exact venue, just an idea of which town or city the party will be in. The venue can be confirmed with us closer to the party date.
Step 5-choose a date and venue
Now you have decided on the guest list and have booked an entertainer, it's time to choose when you would like the party to happen and where. Are you hosting it at home? Will all guests have room to attend? Or should you book a local village hall. I suggest contacting venues at least 6 weeks before, to ensure you can confirm the time and date far in advance. Our entertainers are very flexible and will work in whatever space is available. Always check the availability of the venues and see if they have any special deals. If you do decide on using a venue, make sure to book a date and time with them, even if its a provisional, which you can confirm at a later date. Make sure to pay the deposit on time to secure your booking. It is so important the name and telephone number of the main party organiser at the venue so you have to hand if needed.
Step 6- time to rest
Now it's all booked, give youself a rest before thinking about the next steps of planning the party.
Hope this helps get your party started. Part 2 on planning your child's party is coming soon. Watch this space.
Vicky x