How to Plan a Birthday Party for Someone Else’s Kid

Planning a birthday party for someone else’s kid can be a difficult process, especially if you don’t know him or her personally. Depending on how old they are and which activities they and their friends are into, there are many ways for you to create the perfect get together. However, a few missteps can prove disastrous if you don’t plan carefully.

Fortunately, with the right amount of preparation, and a bit of research, you can plan a successful birthday party chock full of age-appropriate fun for everyone involved.

Pick a Theme

Once you’ve committed to planning the party, the first step is choosing a theme. For younger children, the theme of the party is incredibly important; for older kids, it’s a little less crucial, but either way it still affects the overall vibe. If you’ve never met the birthday boy or girl, but know how old they are, using their age to guide your decision is highly recommended.

• For younger boys and girls, anything involving candy, cake and sweets is a surefire way to put smiles on their faces.
• For the older kids, themes that involve loud music, lots of friends and minimal parent intervention is highly recommended.
• Don’t feel like you need to throw a party specifically for a boy or girl. There are plenty of unisex party themes that are fun for everyone.

Choose Activities

Much like the theme, appropriate party activities can vary greatly among different age groups. While younger kids may be fine with having the party at home with a few classmates, older kids might want to get out of the house a little bit with friends. Either way, it’s important that you facilitate and chaperon whichever activity that you end up choosing.

• The little ones can usually entertain themselves with their friends, but more organized activities at home such as hide-and-seek, tag and scavenger hunts are a great way to get everyone up off their feet and participating.
• The older crowd will typically appreciate some out-of-the-house fun such as movies, dinner with their friends or a night out on the town. Whatever you choose though, make sure there are chaperons to keep everyone out of trouble.
• Before choosing an activity, always clear it with the parents of your guests. Also, don’t ever choose an activity that isn’t age appropriate. Skydiving may be fun, but it might not be the best choice for a group of 8 year olds.

Have Fun

Although planning a party for someone can be a stressful ordeal, there’s nowhere that says you can’t have any fun. As a party planner, it’s your job to not only appease the birthday boy and girl, but also put together a party that everyone can enjoy. So, while tailoring the festivities to the jolly, good fellow, incorporate some other entertainment on the side for everyone else.

• Try not to be overly involved with the goings on of the party. Step in if it feels like the mood is dying, otherwise let the guests do their thing and have a good time.
• For the parents, prepare some activities for them to take part in. A wine and cheese platter is not only a big hit at parties, but also a perfect conversation starter for those of age folks.
• Allow yourself some time to mingle and chat with everyone at the party. It will give you a chance to meet all your guests and ask them if they’re enjoying themselves and if there’s anything you can get them.

As you can see, planning a birthday party for someone else’s kid doesn’t have to be a stressful ordeal. It’s certainly a challenge, but it’s a challenge that comes with the reward of seeing everyone having a great time.