• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

How to Throw a Kid’s Party

October 11, 2009 by ModernMom Staff Leave a Comment

Stick to the basics when you throw a kid’s party. Kids can be entertained with a theme party with traditional activities such as playing games, eating cake and watching the guest of honor open gifts.

Step 1

Photo by scol22/Sxc.hu

Set the budget for the party, which will provide guidance for planning the party. The budget will determine where you can have the party, how many guests will be invited and what kind of food, invitations and decorations you can have.

Step 2

Pick a party theme and incorporate it into the invitation design, the tablecloth, the plates, games and the menu. Use colors related to the the theme. Themes can be related to sports, transportation, fantasy, animals and birthday milestones. A person’s first, 13th and 16th birthdays are all milestones, and the number can be the theme (see Resources section).

Step 3

Photo by Woodsy/Sxc.hu

Make a guest list. This can include friends from school, neighborhood friends, relatives or a combination of these people. Decide if the party will be mostly for children or if adults will also be invited.

Step 4

Photo by 13dede/Sxc.hu

Mail out invitations at least a month in advance of the party. If you will be serving pizza or other filling foods, include that information on the invitation. Request that guests RSVP. Also be clear if parents are invited to stay or if you need some parents to help supervise the kids.

Step 5

Make or purchase party favors and decorations that match the theme. Small sticker books, coloring books, medium-sized bouncing balls, cars, dolls and play figurines that go with the theme all are good party favors.

Step 6

Photo by lusi/Sxc.hu

Decorate the mailbox with balloons or a sign. Add streamers and set up a festive table with a themed tablecloth, a centerpiece and place settings. Set up a second table for gifts.

Step 7

Arrange furniture indoors to make room for games that are age appropriate and related to the party’s theme. Set up outdoor games if the weather is good. Remove any valuable items from the room and tuck in wires and other hazards, especially if some of the party guests are particularly young. Lawn bowling, a scavenger hunt and relay races are popular games for a kid’s party.

Step 8

Make food and snacks that are healthy and can be easily prepared. Make a fruit salad and put it in individual cups. Make sandwiches with whole wheat bread and hummus, ham spread or chicken spread, and use a cookie cutter to shape the sandwiches. Set out individual-sized cups of applesauce that can be used as a dip for sweet potato fries or chicken nuggets.

Step 9

Allow for some free playtime and time for guests to get acquainted. Play games. Serve food and then the cake. Organize gift-giving time and keep track of who gave what.

Warnings

  • Get phone numbers of parents who are dropping off kids in case of an emergency or if a child wants to leave early.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: At Home

About ModernMom Staff

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

10 Life Lessons I Want To Pass On To My Daughter

I look at my little girl, who is now three years old, and I … [Read More...] about 10 Life Lessons I Want To Pass On To My Daughter

Must Have

winter

Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

"It's beginning to look  a lot like Christmas..." The … [Read More...] about Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

Did you know?

Substitutes for Butter When Baking Cookies

Signs of Gestational Diabetes

Pregnancy & Signs of Gestational Diabetes

Freeze Cooked & Smoked Ham

How to Freeze Cooked & Smoked Ham

Do You Have to Refrigerate Glazed Donuts?

Do You Have to Refrigerate Glazed Donuts?

Baby Brain Development in the Womb

When Should You Give a Pacifier to a Baby

When Should You Give a Pacifier to a Baby?

Post-Pregnancy Headaches

Post-Pregnancy Headaches

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.