Celebrate together, plan together
Our first and most important tip: Let your child have a say! Many parents want to surprise their child. But that can backfire. Ask your child whom they want to invite and what they would most like to do. Asking doesn't mean you have to grant every wish. So think in advance about 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, it will quickly become clear to the little one 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 risk one half of the little guests canceling and the other half handing over a hastily bought last-minute gift. Whether you send the invitation by email or post or hand it over personally doesn't matter much; what's important 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 mandatory or should sunscreen be packed? There are many ways to organize your child's birthday. Discuss in good time how the day should look exactly and what the little guests should have in their bags.
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 arranging a transport service.
Where:
Do you want to celebrate at home, rent a special location or visit the nearest amusement park together? It's important to find a meeting point that's easy for all parents to reach - preferably also by public transport.
In the invitation, also include your contact details for questions and ask for a confirmation no later than one week before the party. If you know how many guests need to be catered for, you can proceed more calmly with the rest of the 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 elaborate menus. Choose dishes that are popular with most children and that are easy to eat and prepare. It's also sensible to offer one or two alternatives. That way there's a better chance that vegetarian children or children with food intolerances will find something.
Do you already know what you want to serve? Great. Then you can think about which games are suitable and how you want to decorate. After you've entered everything into our handy checklist, it's time for the big shop. You should do that a week before the party so that, shortly before, you ideally only need to pick up any perishable items.
And anything you may have forgotten during the first shopping trip. Done with everything? Not quite? Small things like 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 for these or whether you'd rather skip them.
The fun begins - the right preparation
Tomorrow is the big day! As at the start of the planning, the most important thing now is: simply don't let yourself get stressed. It's nice if the fun for the birthday child already begins with the preparations. You can do many things together: make decorations, choose music and set the table. And when the child then falls into bed exhausted, you can quickly bake the birthday cake. Done!
