You wouldn’t know how hard it is to throw a kid’s birthday party until you have to do it yourself. From dressing up the venue to preparing the goody bags, there are just too many items to tick off your list. Fortunately, your fellow parents are generous with their party tricks.
Here are the hacks they swear by.
Ace the Cake
It doesn’t take a professional baker or cake decorator to create the perfect birthday cake. The trick is to know what flavor your kid loves the most. After you sort that out, time to roll up your sleeves and put your baking skills to good use. With a dose of patience, imagination, and luck, you’ll manage to come up with something that your little one and their guests will enjoy.
Even better, turn this whole cake decoration bit into a game of sorts. Grab a tray of cupcakes and muffins of all sizes and colors. Stock up on sprinkles, chocolate chips, edible flowers, and frosting. Place everything on a table, and let your kid decorate their own cake.
Heads-up: be ready for things to get messy, and there’s a lot of finger-licking involved!
Don’t Forget the Goody Bags
Kids look forward to goody bags. Just as adults love a good souvenir from an event, little ones want to take something home as well after the party.
Don’t stress over it, though. Children are hard to disappoint when it comes to favors and goodies. Simply make sure the bag has toys, candies, and crackers, and you’re done. Remember to prepare one for your kid, too.
Channel Your Inner Game Master
Fun parties have one thing in common—they all have fantastic games and activities. At the start of the party, as the guests trickle in, prepare a warm-up activity for the kids who are already present. Give them coloring birthday hats they can design on their own.
Have stations for face painting and washable tattoos for the entirety of the event. Children would love them. If you’re on a budget, you can ask your artsy friends to do it.
Keep the Kids Busy
When children get bored, they run around, scream at each other, and do as they please. Do you know what follows? Tantrums. You wouldn’t want that.
Craft activities will prevent all this chaos. For ages 3-5, playdough and ride-on toys are enough to keep them preoccupied. For older kids, jewelry-making might do the trick. Bring out craft boxes complete with beads, yarns, strings, and paracord ropes and let the children create adorable pieces with their little, creative hands.
Create a Photo Booth
No birthday party is complete without photos (and lots of them!). Give your kid and their guests something to look back on by setting up a photo booth. To do so, you’ll only need a backdrop and some DIY props, such as balloons and paper cut-outs. A camera won’t be necessary since parents will most likely bring their own phones.
Prep the Star
As exciting as it is, the birthday celebration can be tiring for your child. Don’t be surprised if the jolly star turns into a grumpy, hard-to-please kid towards the end of the party. To prevent this, make sure your child is well-rested before their special day. Tell them as well that the party is meant to be fun. If you feel you need to bribe the kid into behaving, remind them of the presents.
Here’s a secret: in reality, there’s no hidden trick to pull off the best party for your child. Honestly, all you have to do is ask the kid how they want to celebrate their birthday. You can never go wrong if you start to plan from there.
