Children’s birthday parties are fun and exciting to organize. The boundless energy and enthusiasm of young ones ensure you delightful company, guaranteed to participate in and appreciate the party you worked hard to plan.

However, planning a children’s birthday party and looking after several energetic kids by yourself can be overwhelming. Check out these tips to make your kid’s next birthday party stress-free for you and for them.

Give Yourself Ample Time to Prepare

The pressure of organizing a party with very little time is the usual cause of stress among parents. If you don’t want to cram so much preparation in a few days, start preparing for your child’s party a month before the party. You will first need to choose a theme for your child's party. Themes that are most popular involve toys and shows that kids love. Everything from plates and napkins to party favors and games is easy to find at local party centers. Or, you and your little one can choose traditional party themes like pirate or baseball parties to princess or gymnastic parties. The sky is the limit on how creative you can be.

One month will give you enough time to think of the perfect theme, find affordable party decor and supplies, receive your order, make and send your invites, decide your menu, prepare games and entertainment, and do everything else you need to do. 

If you’re planning to hold the party outside your home, you should pick the venue months ahead of your kid’s birthday and book the place early. In case the chosen place is fully booked, you have ample time to find another.

Choose a Convenient Date

Throwing a party on a weekend would be significantly less stressful than having one on a workday or school day. You won’t have to rush after work to prepare everything after the party and stay up to clean when you have work the next day. You, your child, and your young guests will enjoy the party more if you don’t have to rush through everything.

Further, your guests have their own schedules too. Parents may be too busy to take their kids to a party on a weekday. It would be much better if you schedule the party on a weekend that’s convenient for everyone.

If your kid’s birthday doesn’t fall on a weekend and you feel bad about not doing anything on the actual day itself, you can always have a small celebration among your family before the main party. After all, two cakes are better than one.

Skip the Invitation Cards; Send E-invites

Invitation cards take time and money to make, and you’ll have to spend more to send them via post. Plus, there’s always a chance that they won’t get to their intended recipient on time. E-invites are cheaper, faster, and more efficient. 

With invitation cards, you need to buy materials and customize the invites one by one. Even if you order ready-made cards, you will still spend time filling out each of them. You can save a lot of time if you get an e-card and send it to all your guests in an email or through social media. Your guests can easily respond to confirm their attendance, and you can finalize your guest list early on.

Check out this website to find free invitation templates and designs for your kid’s birthday and other celebrations.

Let the Kids Get Involved

Most children absolutely love to get involved in anything that’s got to do with parties, more so if it’s their party. That said, don’t hesitate to let your kid (or kids) help out in the preparation. Let them decide on the theme they want for their party; involve them in choosing and/or making the decorations, menu, and favors; and let them help out during the party too if they want to.

Kids love to please their parents and feel that they are needed and have done a good job. Give them the chance to prove themselves and learn from the experience. This can have positive effects on their confidence in themselves and their ability.

Just Have Fun

Kids are not the greatest at following rules and instructions. Trust them, but don’t put too much pressure on them. Let them run around, play together, and goof off as much as they want to, provided that they don’t damage anything. You will feel less stressed and exasperated if you just let them have their fun and let yourself enjoy the party. 

Although it may stretch your budget, it would be better for your mental state if you invited your little guests’ parents. This way, you won’t need to look after everyone, and you have adults to interact (and commiserate) with and help you get through the day.