Checklist for planning a boy’s birthday party 

07/08/2015

Written by: @GabDiesendorf

We all know how important it is to throw an awesome birthday party for your child, both to you and to your kid. And we all know how much work it is to organize everything well and just how stressful it can get. In this article we present a basic checklist for a boy’s birthday party to help you make sure everything runs smoothly.

1. Estimate your budget and think about your options

Consider how many people you can invite and how big or small of a party you can have. Can you afford professional birthday service or will you do everything yourself will a little help from your friends?

2. Make a guest list

Consider if kids will be accompanied by their parents or not, whether to invite family members together with your kid’s friends and so on. Complete your guest list with phone numbers and invite people when you know your party details.

3. Set the date

This largely depends on your child’s and his guests’ age. Weekdays will work for toddlers, weekends will work best for family members and older children. If serving meals, lunch time is good, if serving just cake, two hours before or after meal time is best.

4. Choose a theme

Party planning is easier if you have a concept to work around. Talk to your child to see what he would like, choose something he is crazy about like trucks or pirates. You could hire someone like Superheroes, who provide birthday entertainment services. You can’t go wrong with having your boy’s favorite superhero show up unexpectedly at his party!

5. Choose a location

Depending on the age and number of your guests, on the theme and the weather, chose your location. You can have the party at your home for young children, but for older kids you have more options, like an amusement park, aquarium, beach, park, baseball field, a restaurant, or you can rent a birthday playroom for a few hours.

6. Plan games and activities

If you won’t be hiring professional entertainers, then you should prepare a lot of short, fast paced games and activities for all the kids. For indoors parties you can get a lot of printable coloring pages and puzzles, you can plan for some musical chairs or crafts, whereas outdoors are easier with competitions, hand paint and freeze tag.

7. Order and buy birthday supplies

These days it is much easier with online shopping but start well in advance anyways. Get everything from invitation and thank you notes, party ware, decorations, games, craft and art materials, printables and inflatable toys.

8. Prepare or order food and drinks

Make sure to ask parents if their kids are allergic to any foods. Solid food works best like muffins, buttercups and cookies. Have ice-cream and lots of sweets. Smoothies and fruit punch are good for drinks. Of course, cake should be made according to the wishes of the birthday boy.

9. Miscellaneous

Organize RSVPs, check the weather, clean the house, decorate, borrow extra furniture from neighbors if needed, ask relatives or friends to help monitor the kids, charge camera and phone batteries, lock the pets, bring extra blankets if going outside, make sure candles are blown and the birthday song sang.

Most importantly, try to relax and have fun with your special boy on his special day!