The Ultimate Party Planning List

This party planning list was written by Lisa Karen Cohen at CreativePartiesForKids.Com. We hope you enjoy her awesome article she contributed to this site.

Celebrations : Planning Your Child’s Party 1-2-3 ~ Party Planning List...

1. Introduction - Parents & Parties
2. Choose A Theme
3. Location
4. Guest List
5. Invitations
6. The Party Itself Activities
7. Preserving the Memories

One of the hidden talents that one must have in today’s parenting world is being an amazingly creative party planner and hostess. Unfortunately, the thought of 10-25 children running amuck in one’s back yard or park is a little daunting, especially to those who are not trained teachers or child care professionals!

Then, add to that the fact that birthday celebrations have become sort of a special social phenomenon, and you (as if you did not already) have your hands full. The days fly by, and the time clicks closer to your child’s birthday. Where should you start ? Let me help guide you through this process as I have done for thousands of parents before you.

CHOOSE A THEME

When I answer the telephone and say “Creative Parties For Kids, how may I help you?” I often hear , “ I need to plan a party for my child and I don’t know what to do?”. My first question to them in choosing a theme or a focus to their celebration is , “What makes your child’s eyes light up? What are they interested in ...what do they enjoy?”

You see, as any educator will tell you, the activities need to be age appropriate and child centered. Why not extend this principle to party planning? Keep in mind the theme of a great party does not have to be a “mainstream movie or character”. Your little one might be into bugs at the moment and the party can be created around that.

One time I had a Mother tell me her little girl was interested in ducks and ballet? What to do? How about a Ballerina Duck party? Why not? The only limit is your imagination. Remember ...imagination does not need to be expensive. There are many creative ways to implement parties and they can be adapted to any budget. Choosing a great theme is like creating a good foundation....once that is chosen the party can grow and blossom.

Once you have chosen your theme is really when the fun begins. I love party planning because once you have that seed idea, all sorts of fun and creative things spring from the theme. For example, if you have chosen the WIZARD OF OZ as a theme....the story itself can give you ideas. What about drawing a Yellow Brick Road on your sidewalk? How about the cake? It should look like the Emerald City or perhaps a farm scene with a pretty rainbow.

I suggest mapping a party out like you are planning on putting on a small production. For after all that is what it is. Even the simplest party has a beginning , a middle, and an end. Write down how you envision it, and then let the planning begin.

LOCATION

As with any creative endeavor, party planning has its rigid practical matters that must be set down before the details can be determined and implemented. The size and nature of your party will determine your location. For example, if you have decided on an intimate party for 10 children and family...the home back yard might be perfect. However if your guest list is growing faster than the dandelions in your front yard, then you better plan on using the local park as your party location.

If you are having an elegant Alice in Wonderland Tea Party for your six year old girl...you might want to look into an indoor/outdoor location.There are lots of options...party locations and venues, local community centers and recreation rooms, transforming your garage into a wonderland. So pick your location! Once you have that written down on your checklist, you can move to the next step.

The size of your guest list and the nature of the even will determine the best location.If you have any questions about great locations, or need ideas please feel free to call me at any time. We have just opened our birthday tea party location in Costa Mesa (949)645-8044.

If you are reserving a park, remember to reserve the park with the community parks office. I will never forget for our daughter’s fourth birthday we planned a huge Wizard of Oz Theme Party. Grandma even made her a Dorothy dress. As we set up the party here came the local baseball team to practise during our event. Luckily, I had the paperwork saying that we had formally reserved the park. They moved to a different location in the park and it all worked out....but never assume anything when planning your event. All details must be in writing and worked out well in advance.

GUEST LIST

Make your guest list age appropriate. Younger children often cannot handle too much stimulation. One year old parties are particularly tricky as the age range varies from babies to teenagers. The parties are usually very large. I suggest that you provide plenty of activities for all the attending children and keep in mind your child’s nap time and regular schedule. Don’t wait until they are tired, hot and cranky to squish the one year old cake. Take pictures with grandparents before the other guests arrive.

Many times grandparents are lost amidst all the activity and the flurry. Don’t forget to honor these special guests too! Plan ahead how you want the timbre or atmosphere of your event! At certain parties it is a great idea to include parents and at others it is a great idea to have a “Drop Off” party.

I remember one party in particular that we did this past March where the Mother was very sure that she wanted a drop off only situation. There were 30 children all perfectly cooperative and focused and having a great time in Wonderland. This Mom knew that sometimes the parents chatter is distracting when you are trying to do a very magical, theatrical event. Another way to handle chatty parents is for some of the time include them in the activities so that the party has the focus of the birthday child and not just a place to chat about this and that ( which is fine too!)

If you are going to have a large party (we recently did one for over 45 children) make sure you hire enough help with the proper activities planned to make sure it is a fun and safe experience.

INVITATIONS

Invitations are the window to the wonderland or adventure of your event. These days invitations can be made on the computer and easily customized using your child’s photo. Make sure to include a map and directions to your location and remember to include a phone number where guests can call if they get lost! Many people prefer to go to elegant party stores or invitation services and have the invitations printed.

There is no a particular way to do an invitation. Use your imagination and have fun! Some suggestions.....send a pirate treasure map for a pirate party, include glitter or confetti in the envelope for a princess or fantasy party! As long as it can be mailed and has the appropriate information on it ....it can be an invitation. Be sure to be specific as to your needs, such as RSVP date and whether or not you want it to be a drop off or a parents also party!

If children need certain attire such as a beach party, or they need swimsuits , sunscreen etc be sure that all of that is on the invitation or is included in the envelope. Remember, this is the thing that is going to get stuck on refrigerator, tacked to the calendar and more than likely...toted to the party.

One major thing to keep in mind as you go through this process is that it is supposed to be fun, and reflect your love and your joy for your child. If you keep that in mind, whatever stress this extra event may put on you...will be well worth it and you will enjoy yourself all the more!

THE PARTY ITSELF- ACTIVITIES

Now after all this work you actually have to do the party itself? This is when parents usually pick up the phone and call for help. If you are going to hire an entertainer, make sure to check references, ask for pictures of costumes and ask to speak to the specific entertainer themselves. Since I own a children’s entertainment service I have heard all of the tales of parties gone wrong.

Don’t be shy...you are paying the princess or superhero as much per hour as your would pay a good accountant or lawyer. Ask what they do.... specifically.I create party outlines for training my entertainers and happily provide these scripts to the client. Many entertainers will add their creativity to the outline, but it gives them specific activities that I know work and they can be creative from that structure.

Many companies have set routines that do not vary from one character to another. It depends on your child and their personality. It is perfectly alright to ask to see pictures, to discuss special activities etc. Take note if the company providing the entertainment asks about your child’s personality in a group setting. This can be very telling about the quality of the entertainment service.

I suggest that families be aware when booking bounce houses for their parties. Make sure they are insured and that someone is assigned to watch the children. If you are hiring a character...be aware that they will have to compete with the bounce house both as an activity and for the noise level. They can be fun, but they can also be dangerous. We were in attendance at a party a few years ago when a child (not under our watch) actually broke her back! So be aware of the liability issue and make sure the children are attended to at all times!

The activities need to fit your child! Don’t depend that the children will bend their will to fit the activities! If you have an active child and group of friends be careful to make sure the entertainment and activities fits their style. If your child is more reserved then you can create a quieter party with perhaps more art activities, keep quiet music on. There is nothing wrong with a sweet small party !

Families should be involved whether you hire entertainment or not. I certainly don’t want to put myself out of business, but if you have an imagination and a way with kids you can often do some of the activities yourself. As a matter of fact I am working on a book about this, since I get so many e-mails from around the country and I obviously cannot fly to Montana to do a princess party.

I have a friend whose family all got into the swing of things! The big brother was Bat Man, the Dad was the Joker, the big sister played Poison Ivy etc. My friend Char made the little girls costume and the family borrowed some of my costumes - they are such great friends...that is the least I could do ! The little boy is still talking about his special party where his Daddy was the joker and he played too!

I often ask the Mom or Dad to participate in the games...perhaps Daddy can be the handsome prince that gives that magical kiss and wakes up Snow White. Our parties are very theatrical and are based on Piaget’s (and mine too!) theories that children love to pretend and play.

Simple games can be adapted to fit your theme. Old fashioned games such as hide and go seek...treasure hunts and musical chairs are tried and true. Just keep it safe! Be careful of pinata swings and make sure the children are well supervised. If you follow these steps then you are going to have a better chance of having a successful party !

A good rule of thumb is to have lots of things available for them to do. You know your children’s age and activity level. Don’t forget, you are the expert at your child....start the festivity planning from this place of knowledge and love and then trust your intuition. Let the rest flow.

Preserving the Memories

Make sure you have someone taking pictures and video taping your party. Often times the event goes so quickly ! If Dad or Mom are the photographers, then they are never in the pictures ! Either delegate this to a special friend or hire someone! When I was a young Mom I used to tote my camera to parties and make an album for the birthday family as a gift. We do have a staff photographer if you are interested. I also work with a person who does special scrapbooks. A great idea is to make a birthday album that your child can look back on, with all the birthdays in one memory birthday book!

THE PARTY ITSELF - FOOD!

Whether or not to have food and what kind is a major decision in any kind of party planning. Remember kids with protein in their system are more focused and happier, so I suggest if you are planning the event around a meal time....or a snack time make sure they are fed before the activities begin.

Parents and guests love to nibble and eat. Whether you use a catering company or provide the goodies yourself is your own choice. Remember not to over do and delegate what you can so you can enjoy the event!

THE PARTY ITSELF - GIFTS !

Opening presents at the party is up for debate. It is truly your choice as to how your family chooses to handle this custom. When our daughter was little we chose to let her open a present a day after her party and then help us with the thank you notes ...one day at a time. This spreads the fun out and makes the thank you notes less overwhelming. Even if your child is young let them help with this process. They can help simply by drawing a picture , putting a star sticker on the envelope or writing their name on the bottom of the card. This sense of gratitude and etiquette is important to teach children from a young age.

If you are opening presents at the event, make sure you assign a friend or the party entertainer to be the people who write down who gave you what. I always found that handing the party favors out or giving the children some quiet candy....like a special lollipop or a simple stuffed toy is a great way to keep the “Observers” busy while the birthday child is opening their presents. Encourage your child to say thank you after each present is opened.

DECORATIONS

Parties can be from elaborate to simple based on your budget and theme. We have a balloon artist and decorator ! Please see our examples in our photo area.

THE PARTY ITSELF - CAKE PRESENTATION

As with all things with children, make sure that you set boundaries before there is a problem. In a nice way state that the birthday child is the only one who chooses the particular piece of cake and ohhh...won’t that be fun when it is your birthday and you will be able to do the same thing! Gather all around the cake to sing Happy Birthday. When cutting the cake, lay a number of plates down so that when you are cutting and serving that it can be done in an assembly line fashion. This will help you serve the cake quicker. If you can, try ordering or making cupcakes! This solves the cake cutting problem all together!

AFTER THE PARTY

After the party, take some time to rest. If you can afford it hire someone to help with the clean up. Parties are exhausting and can be very messy. If you are doing the party at a park, remember extra strong large plastic bags for trash and for the presents. If there is extra food or gifts that have been duplicated, remember how fortunate we all are and don’t forget that local homeless shelters can often benefit greatly from donations.

That second princess Barbie Doll or duplicate Lego set can be a gift from an angel to a child living at a shelter. Some local shelters are S.O.S. or Share Our Selves in Costa Mesa. This practise can also help us share some values with our children that are perhaps more precious than any store bought gift they could possibly receive.

LEAH’S SIXTH BIRTHDAY PARTY !

I will never forget my daughter’s sixth birthday party. I asked her what she wanted to do and she said she wanted a “hospital party”...that she wanted Mommy to be like Patch Adams and go into the hospital and make the sick children happy and she wanted her friends to come too.” Of course, due to immune system issues this was impossible. However, being a Mom that does not give up....I looked into more choices.

We connected with an organization called the Kids Cancer Connection and planned a Mad Tea Party ! Leah wanted to invite her friends and the children who had cancer. The lady in charge and I worked together. We invited children living with parents who were in treatment for cancer or cancer survivors. We all shared an afternoon of fun and fantasy in wonderland together. It was an amazing and joyful event where we all learned to celebrate life with a little more reverence, and said a special prayer of thanks for our children and the special little six year old that came up with such an amazing idea.

Leah and her family were proud of her idea, all of the children had a great time and she learned a lot about the world and reaching out from the experience. There are many ways to do this. I had a friend who had a party where the child did not want gifts, she wanted the children to bring toys for the children at the homeless shelter. This is not always necessary but it can be a great way for us to pool our resources and reach out to our community. Children are amazing ! Celebrate !

By Lisa Karen Cohen, Children's Entertainer, Party Planner and Mom BA Theatre Dance Education. c2003 All Right Reserved!

Thanks for reading this article. If you have any questions please feel free to call me, Lisa Cohen at (949)645-8044 or visit the website: www.CreativePartiesForKids.com

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Wow, thanks Lisa for all the great party planning ideas! I think that you have really covered the subject well and I appreciate the awesome input.

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