My kids love to celebrate a birthday. Our family doesn’t go over the top, but we do love getting together with our favorite people to celebrate another trip around the sun. With the exception of one birthday party, my 6 and 10 year-olds have always requested birthday parties at home, so after having planned 15 birthday parties at our home, I would consider myself an expert in party planning. I put together a list of tips to help you celebrate your little one’s big day with an at-home birthday party in Birmingham with minimal stress.
Know Your Limits
Does having a big group gathering in your home fill you with joy or panic? If you know that having people in your home is not your thing, having 20 five year olds over for cake is not going to go well. Skip the rest of this article and check out our Guide to Birmingham Birthday Parties, instead.
Theme
A theme that my kids love helps me think about decorations and activities to keep friends and family entertained. For my daughter, some of my favorites have been Frozen, ballet, Trolls, gymnastics, and Wicked. For my son, themes have included golf, Dude Perfect, Grinch (he’s a December baby), and super heroes. There was also a rainbow/ cheetah print painting party—sometimes you just have to go with what your child asks for!
Guest List
This can be tricky. Start with a goal number and list any non-negotiable family and friends. Don’t forget to include parents and siblings if you want this to be a family affair.
At our school, if an invitation is sent to school to be passed out, then the whole class or everyone of your child’s gender in the class is invited. That way no one feels left out, and it’s a great way to meet other parents. At the same time, the guest list fills out pretty quickly, so, after kindergarten, we usually just invite the people my kids are closest to.
Invitations
From paper to digital, to a downloaded editable design to my own design on Canva, to a service like evite–I have done a little bit of everything. If it’s a party in which I know everyone’s phone number, it’s easy to text the invite. If we are inviting the whole class, I send invitations to school to be sure everyone receives one.
Decorations
You can go all out or keep the decor minimal. Most kids don’t actually care much about the decorations, but they can be a really fun addition to a party. Balloon arches are easy, cheap, and impressive. If you are artistic, painting a birthday banner on kraft paper is fun and inexpensive, and it makes for a great place to take pictures. If you’re looking to shop local for fun birthday gear, check out one of these great mom-owned businesses! For moms in a time crunch, don’t forget about the bigger chains; they always have birthday decor.
Food
Cupcakes only or full lunch? Whatever you do, serve food that children will like! Also, make it clear what kids should expect, either by noting it on the invite or choosing a time of day that makes it obvious. That way parents aren’t wondering whether or not to feed their child lunch beforehand. Don’t be afraid to enlist fellow parents to help pass out food when 20 tiny hands are reaching for the first piece of cake.
Activities
Be prepared, but be flexible. I usually have at least one on-theme game and craft planned, but I also give the kids time to play. My daughter and her friends usually stick to my schedule of activities. At my son’s last party, his friends just wanted to run and play, so the party game list was put to the side after the first activity.
If the weather permits, go outside! The kids will have a blast with more room to play, and your clean up will be easier. Consider renting a bounce house or hiring a face painter for entertainment. If you prefer a simple party on a low budget, create your own games with items you have at home, ask a talented high school student to face paint, or let the kids just play with toys you already have.
Local party activity rentals:
- A-Z Bounce House Rentals LLC
- Always Bouncin’
- Birmingham Picnic Company
- Fun Source Rentals (Bounce Houses and more)
- The Happy Camper Party
- Hipshot Photobooth Co
- The Fab U Bus
- Magic City Face Art
- Pick Up Your Party (Bounce Houses)
- Starshine Faces (Face Painter)
- Time 4 Fun (Bounces Houses)
- White Bounce House of Birmingham
Favors
When possible, I like the party favor to be a craft we made or something we used in a game at the party. We’ve done paintings, slime, bracelets, and footballs. I’ve also completely forgotten to hand out favors before and no one noticed!
Getting Your Home Ready
Everyone realizes your family actually lives in your home, so don’t stress out if it’s not perfect! Your child’s friends are just looking for fun and cake, so keep your bar low, too.
What If No One Comes?
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, right? Before sending out invitations, ask family or your child’s closest friends if they could attend on the day you are planning for. Things may come up, but if you have a few who are available, it usually works out well. My son’s birthday fell on a weekend that half of his class had the flu. We were down several people, but he had a few of his cousins and best buddies there, and he couldn’t have been happier.
What If Everyone Comes?
Unfortunately, most people do not RSVP. Be prepared for the entire guest list to come, plus a sibling or two. Also be prepared for Jimmy’s dad to eat more pizza and cake than 3 kids, or for no parents to eat at all! You can either increase your head count and risk eating leftovers for the rest of the weekend or serve kids first and be okay with parents not eating if there is not enough.
Presents
I prefer for my kids to open presents after everyone leaves. It’s less chaotic and no one gets their feelings hurt if their gift isn’t as enthusiastically loved as another one. Occasionally friends get so excited to give their gift that they initiate the opening of presents on their own. My advice is to be flexible here and just go with the flow.
Clean Up
Congratulations! You threw an amazing party, enjoyed time with family and friends, and your birthday kiddo had a blast! Set everything on the disposable tablecloth you placed on your table, roll it up, throw it in the trash, and go take a minute to let it sink in that your baby is one year older.
