How to throw an awesome kids’ birthday party, without the stress (or spending a fortune)

Let’s be honest, planning a kids’ birthday party can feel overwhelming at times. There may be unspoken pressure to throw a celebration bigger and better than the previous year, or to have that ‘instagram -perfect party’, but your kids’ big day doesn’t have to mean sleepless nights, maxed out budgets or complicated set-ups. With a few simple tips and tricks (and a little help), you can throw a fun party your child will absolutely love, and that you will enjoy too!

 

1. It doesn’t need to be extravagant to be fun

Stick to one easy theme your child loves and build the core elements around that, whether it’s a few decorations, some cups and plates,  a cake, and maybe an activity or two. Things that are focused around bringing family and friends together, and making your child feel special. It can be pretty easy to spend hours trying to source all the right themed pieces, and then gamble as to whether some will arrive on time, and look at all like what you ordered!

A few key decorations and supplies will make the biggest impact

• A themed table setup with matching plates, cups and napkins

• A table for food and the cake, with either a backdrop, a balloon garland, or even just a few balloons on either side.

One quick and easy way to source all your party supplies is by using an All-In-one party box.

 

The Party Bundle Co supplies everything you need for an awesome party - all in one box. Each bundle includes all the tableware, decorations, party bags (with the party favours to go inside, cake topper, candles, and even the balloon garland kit (with easy to understand instructions) so that all you need to do is select a theme, and everything is delivered to your door within a couple of days, not weeks! This saves time, stress and money.

 

 

2. Plan ahead (if you can!)

I’m not talking about a colour-coded spreadsheet, (unless you want to - then you do you!) But a simple checklist of things to organise in a clear way, will certainly help ease the pressure, and help you focus on small tasks, one at a time.

You can download a free printable party checklist here which allows you to tick things off as you go. It also helps you to think about which parts of the party planning you could maybe outsource - does your aunt make awesome birthday cakes? Do you have a friend that could come help you earlier in the week for a coffee - while putting together the balloons? While it may seem like you need to do it all yourself, it is okay to ask for help! My daughter loves to help me set up all the party bags, and baking themed cookies as party favours, so even better, get the kids involved in the set up!

 

3. Kids’ party food doesn’t need to be fancy

Sometimes simple is best! You may need to take into consideration dietary requirements but some ideas that have worked really well at our parties have been:

• Club or finger sandwiches

• Fruit platters

• Sausage rolls

• Pizza

• Mini sushi platter

• Fairy bread

• Cupcakes

• Themed sugar cookies

I tried a few times to do all the catering myself, but I quickly became burnt out and flustered by the time the party started, and was often too busy mucking about setting food up, rather than talking to friends and family and making memories. We then discovered our local bakery did sandwich catering for a very affordable price, and our local supermarket could do sandwiches and sushi platters. No- one is expecting you to do it all yourself, but if you do enjoy baking, and adding some home-made goodies to the party table spread, our Bake-It Add-On  comes with everything you need to showcase your baked goods; cupcake cases, cupcake toppers, cookie cutters, cupcake stand and cookie recipe! No one will bat an eyelid if you made a packet mix cake either, or revamped a supermarket bought cake by just putting a cool cake topper on the top!

 

 

4. Keep games or activities simple but fun

Whilst an entertainer can be a really valuable addition to a party, it may not be feasible for every birthday party, or within your budget. There are plenty of low-cost games and activity options that can be lots of fun!

• Pass the parcel

• Musical statues

• Treasure hunt

• Colouring in/crafting station

You can set up any DIY themed activity station that relates to your party theme. For example, our Enchanted Garden Party Bundle comes with DIY Fairy wand crafting kits, so that kids can decorate their fairy wands with gems. You could also set up a cupcake decorating, or cookie decorating station.

 

 

5. Making memories and having fun - is the most important part!

It’s easy to get swept up in the party chaos, and then get to the end of the party and realise you were barely able to speak to any guests or don’t have any photos of you with the birthday child! Assign a friend or family member at the start of the party to take photos of you and your child, and of any key moments you want captured. I always have to remind myself to take photos of the cake and set up before it’s too late! What really matters at the end of the day is creating memories, which is why I created The Party Bundle Co. - to help parents like you, actually enjoy throwing a special and memorable kids’ birthday party without the stress and overwhelm.

If you want to skip the late night scrolling, and multiple store trips trying to hunt down all the party supplies you need - check out our themed Party Bundles which have been thoughtfully curated to give you everything you need for a fun, stress free birthday celebration all in one box. Simple pick your theme, unbox the magic and let the fun begin!

 

Explore our Party Bundles here - www.thepartybundleco.nz