Hosting a Kid's Birthday Party
Updated February 9, 2026
Hosting Guides By Gina Holzer
Planning a child’s birthday party can be “a lot”. From getting a cake to picking a theme and entertainment can bring on heavy anxiety. Luckily, I have thrown enough parties in my day to pretty much have it down to an art. Please read ahead so I can help guide you to a less stressful party planning situation.
The most important, but least exciting part is to find a budget that works well for you.
Once this has been decided, you can move forward with the rest of your planning starting with the venue. Will you be hosting it at your home, a local park or maybe renting a space? Obviously, the latter will cost the most.
Next will be picking a date and time for your event and making a guest list. Consider using freevite.com to send out easy and FREE invitations with no commitment to paying any fees. Be sure to include who it is for, date, time, location and RSVP information. Also, it is helpful to ask any parents who plan to attend (as well as siblings), to please let you know so you can plan properly.
Choosing a theme will be your next task. You can consider any theme that is age appropriate or pick something your child has requested (princess party, superhero party, skate party, jungle animal party, etc). The theme will most likely determine what type of decorations you choose. Balloons, banners, tablecloths, plates, napkins, cake toppers are all things to consider for the most festive approach. Additional fun items to consider are party hats and noisemakers but be prepared… you will most likely regret getting noisemakers unless it is an outside party.
Planning for activities or games is a huge part of the party process as you will want to keep those kids entertained. Consider a piñata containing candy of course, a bubble machine, sidewalk chalk, craft station, face painting (you can hire a professional or do your own), renting a bounce house, or hiring entertainment such as a Disney princess or superhero. Make a party playlist of music to play in the background for a most festive experience. One more thing to consider is to get a photo booth with props depending on the age group.
Food and drinks will just depend on the time of the party. If it is around lunch or dinner, consider providing pizza and sodas (or water or juice boxes). If your party is between meals, it is still smart to have some snack options available as well as drinks. Plan ahead on the cake. Will you have someone prepare a special cake with the party theme? If so, you will typically need to give at least a week or two (sometimes more) notice when ordering. Also, consider getting cupcakes if you do not want the hassle of cutting a cake.
Lastly, you’ll want to send those kids home with a bag of goodies (mostly just to get them to leave, lol). Party favors ideas are candy, stickers, small toys and bubbles, just to name a few.
There are some extra smaller details to remember such as a lighter, birthday candles, a cake knife if not doing cupcakes, tape and scissors for decorating, phone or camera for capturing party fun and a gift station to place gifts. In recent years we have not opened the gifts during our daughter’s party as we have had twenty or more children attending and it would consume the length of the party. Make notes when opening the gifts later to be able to send out thank you notes. Call me crazy, but yes, I still make my kids do this. They hate me for it, but I find I now appreciate that my mom made me do this as a child. It teaches gratitude and I think we all need a bit of that. I do not judge those who are not thank you letter people. It is a lot to keep up with!
I hope this has been a helpful guide and that your child’s birthday party is stress free and of course so much fun! Enjoy yourself!!
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