Everyone remembers who had the best birthday parties around when they were little. No grownup could tell you how much their parents spent on the birthday festivities when they were young. They just remember how much fun it was to have a handful of friends around while everyone had a good time. If you have a child and you want to throw her the best birthday party on the block, here are three tips to help you do just that.
1. Find party rentals that fit with your child’s personality.
If your daughter loves Disney princesses, it probably wouldn’t go over very well if you rented a Star Wars themed party because it was available. When to consider a party rental? Try to plan a little bit in advance so that you can secure the party rentals that will match your child’s personality. Run party rental ideas by your child, asking her questions about what she and her friends like to do. Chances are if it matches her personality and is what she likes, her friends will like it, too. Babycenter.com recently took an informal poll which showed that at least a quarter of the respondents spent in excess of $500 on their child’s birthday party. If you’re going to spend that kind of money, make it count.
2. Go with the “age plus one” rule.
The “age plus one” rule is where you take your child’s age and add one number to it. That is the number of guests you should invite. For example, if the child is four years old, you should invite five children as guests. This is a great rule of thumb because it fits the social development of most children. They will all feel they’ve received enough attention and were not left out. It’s the right number for the birthday child as well. They will feel more comfortable “entertaining” when the number of guests isn’t too large or too small. Also, this will help you determine the types of party rentals you might want to consider. When you know how many people to plan for, things go much more smoothly.
3. Rent a bounce house!
If you or your child have ever been to a party of any kind with a bounce house, yo already know how popular they are. A 15X15 foot bounce house can comfortably hold up to ten children or four adults. This activity will take up a good portion of the party time and the children love to play inside of it. It’s the perfect time to allow your kids to literally bounce off the walls.