Invitation cards: Make them yourself or buy ready-made?
Handmade invitations are unique and making and writing them increases the birthday child's excitement for their party. Especially for Theme parties there are great craft ideas for creative invitation cards. The case for ready-made cards is that they are particularly practical and you usually even buy them with envelopes included. If there is little time for handmade cards or if your child wants very specific invitation cards, e.g. with their favorite comic character, bought cards are the safest way to avoid birthday stress.
What should the text of the invitation card look like?
A personal message is nicer:
Purchased invitation cards for the birthday party often have preprinted lines for time and date information. Still, an invitation card should always begin with a personal salutation and be signed by the birthday child, for example: 'Dear Max, I would like to warmly invite you, […] Your Ben'
Choose text to match the theme:
If you celebrate a theme party, you can align both the invitation card and the text with the theme. Little pirates might invite like this: 'Ahoy Marie! On [date and time] I would like to invite you aboard [address] to make mischief on the high seas with our pirate crew.'
What information should be on the invitation card?
The most important information should be communicated clearly on the invitation card. They include:
Date and time as well as the approximate duration of the party
Address
A phone number (of the parents) for questions
Any extras, e.g., if a costume should be worn, if the children need warm clothing for outdoors, or if they should bring a car seat or slippers.
The note: 'Please let me know by [date] whether you can come.' This makes birthday planning easier for the parents
You can optionally add general gift wishes, e.g., 'I would be happy to receive books from / action figures from …'
Sample text for a children's birthday party invitation
Dear [birthday guest],\non [date] I will turn X years old. I would like to celebrate this together with you from [start time] to [end time] at my home at [address].\nPlease let me know by [date] whether you can come.\nI am looking forward to seeing you!\nYour [birthday child]
The most important questions about birthday invitations
How many birthday guests should my child invite?
A good rule of thumb is: your child may invite as many guests as their age. However, this is only a rough guideline. Some children would love to invite their entire kindergarten, while for others four or five guests are already overwhelming. Ask your child whom they want to invite and help them, if necessary, to make a selection.
When should the invitations be handed out?
Ideally, all children should receive their invitation two weeks before the birthday. That way the date can be entered in the family calendar and guests have enough time to reschedule other commitments if needed. If the invitations will be later, you can ask the parents of the guests verbally to reserve the date and hand out the written invitations later.
By when should birthday guests respond?
That depends on what you have planned for the children's birthday. If you're going on an excursion and, e.g., need to organize seats in the car or buy cinema tickets, then all guests should have RSVP'd a week in advance. For a party at home, it's enough if you know a few days in advance who will be coming so you can plan food, drinks, activities and party favors accordingly.
Should you write gift wishes on the invitation?
If your child has specific items on their wish list, they can note these on the invitation card. But that can also put pressure on guests to buy a particular present. It's best to state gift wishes verbally if asked, or just be surprised.
