General recommendations
- Prepare the house by taking into account the age of the children and the rooms they will have access to.
- Hide all breakable objects and close the doors of off limits rooms.
- Enlist the help of at least one other adult. If something goes wrong or someone gets hurt, you'll be happy not to be alone.
- Even if it is your child's party, you can still have fun!
Length
- For children under the age of 6, two hours will be more than enough.
- For children from the ages of 6 to10, plan about three hours.
- For older kids, be prepared for an intense round of negotiations!
- It's better to have a shorter party and have the kids enjoy themselves than to prolong it and bore them.
Greetings
- The child must greet his guests himself.
- Ask the younger children's parents for their phone number in case of emergency.
- Set an area to pile up the gifts.
- Determine a time for gift opening.
- Since all guests will arrive and leave at slightly different times, plan a calm activity that can be interrupted at any time.
Events
- Greetings
- Active games
- Manual activities
- Lunch or snack
- Calm games: if you get them to draw, visit our Coloring section with several drawings to download.
Take pictures!
- Make sure you have enough batteries and film. If you use a digital camera, make sure you have enough space on the memory card to take all the pictures you want.
- Take a lot of pictures. You will have more chances of getting great ones!
- Take a group picture that you will be able to offer to each guest.
End of the party
- Insist that your child thanks each of his guests for coming and wishes them goodbye when they leave.
- If you give a small goodie bag to the guests, give it only at the end of the party to avoid comparisons and possible deceptions.
To find theme, game and snack ideas, you can also check out websites such as Birthday Party Ideas and Coolest Kid Birthday Parties.
