Party Planning Checklist: How To Find The Best Themes And Fun Places For Kids' Birthdays

If your child's birthday is approaching, you're probably in full party planning mode. Parties are fun, but planning them can certainly be stressful, which is why many parents choose to turn to a checklist for assistance. If you're not sure how to start the planning process, use this checklist to help ensure that your party goes off without a hitch.

Let Your Children Help With Party Themes

Themes are the latest things to hit birthday parties, but how do you choose one? Parents of young children can choose their own theme without any input from their child, but if yours is older, ask for some help. Themes can vary from cartoon characters, sports, trains or anything else your child was into throughout the year. Consider adding balloons, tablecloths, invitations and other items to help carry the theme throughout the entire party and venue.

Finding Fun Places For Kids' Birthdays

Once you have a theme chosen, you'll need to find fun places for kids' birthdays. Some parents choose to have their parties in their own home, but this can be difficult and stressful, since you'll need to worry about every single aspect, including preparing your home and cleaning up afterwards. Instead, look for other fun places for kids' birthdays. These can include sports complexes, bounce houses, restaurants or even a park. Realize that if you choose an outdoor location, you'll be dependent on the weather and may be forced to cancel if an unexpected cold snap or storm comes through.

How Many Are You Going To Invite?

Next, consider how many people you're going to invite. Whether you choose offsite fun places for kids' birthdays or your own home, you're likely going to be limited by space constraints so keep that in mind when you're going through your guest list. Some venues will only charge per child guest, while others will count everyone -- even adults. If your child is school aged, you also need to look into any school rules regarding inviting classmates at school. Many require that everyone in the class be invited when you hand out invitations on school grounds. If you don't have the space for everyone, make sure to mail invitations so your child doesn't get into trouble.

Are You Going To Give Out Favors?

Lastly, decide if you're going to give out favors. Many parents feel pressure to hand out a bag of trinkets because it seems like every other parent is doing it. However, if you poll most parents, you'd likely find that they all hate bags full of cheap favors. You may want to forget about the favors entirely, but if you do feel as if you have to hand something out, consider something edible. A decorated cookie to take home will be consumed and won't leave the other parents with a bag of junk to throw away.

If you go about it the right way, there's no reason why party planning has to be stressful. Use this checklist to help plan and your child will be sure to have a fun party that they'll remember all year long.