What’s inside: Make party planning a breeze and WOW your guests with these 5 time-saving kids birthday party hacks. Brought to you in collaboration with I Love Ice Cream Cakes; all opinions are my own.
As a former event coordinator, I used to plan parties for a living. Interestingly, planning a kids birthday party can seem just as stressful as some of the big events I put together. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
5 Insider Tricks to Save Time & Money on a Kids Birthday Party
I’ve put together a list of my top five insider tricks that will make your next kids birthday party go smoothly — so you can enjoy yourself too!
1. Keep the guest list simple
Perhaps the most stressful thing about planning a party is the guest list: deciding who to invite, tracking down RSVPs, and worrying about who will or won’t show up.
Simplifying the guest list takes so much of the worry out of planning, plus helps keeps costs low! These are two ways we plan our birthday guest list that work well for us:
- Stick with family only — my youngest daughter doesn’t go to school yet, so we don’t have to worry about inviting a bunch of kids. She is absolutely thrilled to celebrate with her family or do a special birthday activity.
- Focus on 1-2 close friends — Inviting one or two of your child’s closest friends (that you’re confident will attend) lowers the chance of disappointment from no-shows (like when you invite an entire class). We even offer to pick up and drop off those friends to make it easy on their parents (and ensure that they DO show up!) A small event allows you to do something fun with the kids, like an excursion to the zoo, water park, etc. that you couldn’t do with a large group.
2. Say YES to shortcuts
If you’re truly pressed for time, it’s ok to take a “shortcut” that makes life easier for everyone. My youngest daughter’s birthday falls in the same weekend as my mom’s birthday and Mother’s Day. Needless to say, our family is BUSY!
An ice cream cake from I Love Ice Cream Cakes lets you put a gorgeous and tasty dessert on the table, without spending hours in the kitchen. Plus, you can pick one up right in your local grocery store.
There are so many designs, flavors, and sizes to accommodate any occasion, including original Carvel®, Hello Kitty®, Jon Donaire® and OREO®. I love that some of them already say “Happy Birthday” because I don’t always have a steady hand when trying to decorate cakes!
Layered with luscious chocolate and vanilla ice cream, chocolate crunchies, and colorful frosting — an ice cream cake from I Love Ice Cream cakes is always a hit!
3. Pick a theme
Coordinating the different aspects of your party with a theme makes it look like you put a lot of thought into things (even if you felt rushed).
Here are some fun kids birthday ideas to start brainstorming your theme:
- Hello Kitty Birthday party with a Hello Kitty cake from I Love Ice Cream Cakes
- Minnie Mouse Birthday Party on the Soccer Mom Blog
- Elmo Birthday Party from Moms & Crafters
- Mermaid Birthday Party from Sugar Spice and Glitter
- Rainbow Birthday Party from Meaningful Mama
- Paw Patrol Birthday Ideas from Spaceships & Laserbeams
- Outer Space Birthday from One Perfect Day
- Car Themed Birthday from Buggy and Buddy
- Dinosaur Dig Birthday Party from Foodlets
- Emoji Party Ideas from Spaceships & Laserbeams
4. Make a list, and check it twice
To-do lists are one of my favorite ways to tackle all of my life tasks, from grocery shopping to vacation packing. A list is also an awesome tool to keep your birthday party planning on track.
When you write things down, you take away the chance that you’ll forget something. A visual reminder also encourages you to get things done early, instead of putting them off to the last minute.
Grab this free printable birthday planning checklist from Sunny Day Family!
5. Plan ahead for success
The earlier you plan, the easier it will be. There are so many benefits to planning early:
- You’ll have time to locate coupons to save money on party supplies.
- Your guests will have plenty of notice to mark their calendars.
- Supplies, gifts, etc. are more likely to be in stock (or you will have time to find alternate ideas).
- You won’t be scrambling at the last minute and can actually enjoy the party!
More kids birthday party ideas
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