Celebrate together, plan together

Our first and most important tip: let your child have a say! Many parents want to surprise their offspring. But that can backfire. Ask your child whom they want to invite and what they would most like to do. Asking doesn't mean that you have to fulfill every wish. So decide in advance what budget you want to plan and — if you're celebrating at home — how much space you have available. If you set clear guidelines here, the little one will quickly understand that the whole class can't fit on the guest list. A compromise is usually found quickly.

Inviting guests — how to do it right

No matter how pretty your invitation is, if it arrives too late, even the most beautiful handmade paper won't help. Families with young children often plan their weekends one to two weeks in advance. So send the invitation at least two weeks before the date of the birthday party. That way you won't run the risk that half of the little guests cancel and the other half present a hastily bought last-minute gift. Whether you send the invitation by email, by post, or hand it over personally doesn't matter much; the important thing is that it contains all relevant information. Therefore you should decide the following points early on:

What:

A themed party or a trip to the swimming pool — are costumes required or should sunscreen be packed? There are many ways to arrange your child's birthday. Decide together early on what the day should look like and what the little guests should bring.

When:

On which day does the party take place? What time does it start? And is there already a set end time? Is an overnight stay planned? Especially if you don't want to set a fixed end time, you should consider bringing the children home personally or organizing a transport service.

Where:

Do you want to celebrate at home, rent a special venue, or visit the nearest amusement park together? It is important to find a meeting point that is easy for all parents to reach — preferably also by public transport.

Also include your contact details in the invitation for questions and ask for an RSVP no later than one week before the party. When you know how many guests need to be catered for, you can proceed more relaxed with further planning.

The program is set - time for the details

Once the basic questions are decided, you can move on to detailed planning. The most important question here is certainly: what will be served to eat? You should avoid fancy menus. Choose dishes that are popular with most children and easy to eat and prepare. It's also sensible to offer one or two alternatives. That increases the chance that children who are vegetarian or who have food intolerances will also find something.

Already know what you want to serve? Great. Then you can now think about which games are suitable and how you want to decorate. After you've entered everything into our practical checklist, you can start the big shopping. You should do that already one week before the party so that, ideally, you only need to buy perishable items shortly beforehand.

And everything you may have forgotten during the first shopping trip. All done? Not quite? Small items such as prizes for the winners of the birthday games and small party favors may still be missing. After the big shop, calmly check whether your budget still allows room here or whether you'd rather skip them.

The fun begins — the right preparation

Tomorrow is the big day! As at the start of planning, the most important thing now is: don't get stressed. It's nice when the birthday child's fun already starts with the preparations. You can do many things together: make decorations, choose music and set the table. And when the little one then falls into bed exhausted, you can quickly bake the birthday cake. Done!