How to Plan Your Child’s Birthday Party: 30 Time-Saving Tips for the Busy Parent

Want to throw an amazing birthday party, but short on time? No problem. We compiled the best advice for busy parents on how to throw an easy, amazing birthday party for your special girl or boy. Get all the tips you need, from planning the event to choosing the perfect decorations, food, and party activities.

Planning

1. Shut down your computer: Brainstorm with your children and you’ll have great ideas in no time.

2. Make a checklist and create a schedule for a smooth soirée.

3. Shopping can be quick: Make a list of everything you’ll need from beginning to end and then a list by store.

4. After sending the snail mail invitation (if you’re doing snail mail at all), send an email reminder—you’ll get a response quicker than by making individual phone calls.

5. Don’t write out each invitation by hand: Buy an invitation kit and print invites yourself. Or, for older children, create a private Facebook event page or send an evite; click send and you’re done!

6. Get your head count early: Send out invitations six to eight weeks in advance.

7. Give the professional photographer—or someone you designate to help with photo taking—a list of the people and key moments you want captured.

8. Don’t rush last minute: Choose a venue close to home and ask if you can arrive early to set up; or—even better—have the venue do the setup themselves. 

Get Help

9. Ask the parents to stay and help out.

10. Have a stress-free start: Ask a sibling or parent to
greet guests, make them feel welcome, and show them the first activity.

11. Assign your spouse, partner, or a grandparent to completely handle decorations, games, or cleanup. 
 

Decorations

12. No need to worry about getting the perfect shot: Get a professional photograph taken of the birthday child beforehand, and display it at the party. 

13. Instead of blowing up balloons yourself, have them delivered to the venue.

14. Don’t stress out about finding every party item with the licensed character: Choose one item and coordinate the rest with items of the same color.   
 

Activities

15. Play a simple trivia game such as Who Knows the Birthday Kid?

16. Pack a cooler of refreshments, head to your local park or ball field, and play flag football or baseball.