The essential, kid-approved party planning checklist
Parties are a staple of anybody’s life – especially kids! But what children don’t realise is how much work goes into them.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that the planning process needs to be a lot of work.
Whether you’re celebrating a baby, promotion, company launch or even a simple birthday party, with the right planning, your party can be effortless!
This is especially difficult for children’s parties – mess up the planning, and you won’t just have a pretty poor party on your hands, but a potential tantrum as well!
So to make things easy for you, we compiled some of the most common questions parents often ask when planning a children’s party, as well as the best course of action.
And of course, we’ll also take this time to list some of the best Australian lollies to use for your children’s party – we run an online lolly shop after all, so this is our area of expertise!
Birthday planning basics: what do you need for a party checklist?
You don’t have to be a professional event organiser to host an event for your child’s birthday… what you do need however is a checklist!
You need to start with a party checklist that covers all the major and minor stuff that you’ll have to take care of to make your party happen.
A party checklist helps you stay organised and ensures that you won’t miss any of the important parts that will make your upcoming children’s party fun and memorable!
Some checklist basics to start with include:
- Date
- Venue
- Guestlist
- Food choices
- Party decorations
- Games and activities
- Prizes
- Run sheet
In cases where spending is needed, be sure to include prices and delivery times as well – this will help you keep on top of your expenses and ensure everything will be here on time!
Birthday planning 101
Step #1: Budget
Budget is one of the most important factors to consider when planning a party.
Unfortunately, all too many parents simply don’t think about this at all, and their costs get out from under them!
Our advice? Make this the very first step in your planning.
Step #2: Choose an event theme
If it’s a kids party, you’re going to need a theme to tie everything together.
So naturally, this should be the first thing you look at when planning!
Choosing an event theme doesn’t just give you time to prepare – it also gives you something to design the rest of your event around.
Costumes, decorations, food choices, party give-aways, games, activities… all of these will depend on the theme you’ve chosen for your event.
For example, say you’re going with a jungle theme – in this case, your candy bar might need to feature things like snakes or Allen’s Killer pythons more prominently!
Step #3: Pick a date and a venue
Your event date will naturally affect your ability to book a venue, as well as how many people will be able to RSVP.
It isn’t just that, however!
For one, you’ll need to think about seasonality – this can determine whether or not an outdoor event is feasible at all, as wet weather can quickly put a dampener (pun intended!) on your party celebrations.
Step #4: Make a guest list and invites
Once you have a date, theme and venue in mind, you can get to work creating a guest list of the people that you would like to invite to the party.
Don’t forget to include the time, day, venue and theme of your party in your guest invite.
To save on time and resources, you can send an e-invite or a simple text message.
If you want to do things the old-fashioned way however, you can print your invites and hand them out personally.. If you’d like to tempt guests with what’s to come, you might also like to accompany the invite with mini bags of lollies!
Step #5: Select your party food and menu
Food is an important part of any party, especially when picky children are involved!
You can’t just wing it when it comes to planning the menu for a children’s party.
No, you need to put the work in to ensure that the food on offer is going to be a big hit.
Not only that, but you also need to ensure that it’s safe to eat for each of your guests, and that it accommodates for dietary restrictions!
That’s why we suggest leaving the food planning for now – only once you have an idea of who’s coming as well as any special dietary requirements can you plan the menu.
Luckily for you, we’ve got you covered.
If it’s a children’s party you’re planning, you can’t go wrong with lollies.
And our online lolly shop has just about everything you could dream of lolly-wise, from traditional party mix lollies to all your classic favourites.
Not only that, but we also carry gluten-free lollies that taste just like the real deal, allowing you to accommodate for celiacs.
Whether it’s a full-on lolly buffet or just a bowl for kids to chow down on throughout the party, we’ve got what you need.
Step #6: Prepare a programme and activities
Birthday party games and activities add fun and excitement to kids.
Ensure games are age-appropriate – and consider any helping hands you’ll need from other parents to ensure a safe and enjoyable game.
Keep activities short so kids don’t get bored, but don’t overwhelm them with too many activities either.
It’s important to schedule in some “downtime” where kids can simply hang out together, have a dance party, or eat tons of lollies!
Step #7: Decide on party giveaways and treats
What are party games without something to win? Raise the stakes by offering giveaways and treats to the winners.
There are plenty of options when it comes to deciding the big prize – you’ll want to take your audience into consideration, only choosing prizes that you know are going to be big hits with all of your guests.
On top of the #1 prize however, you’ll also need to think about runner-up prizes.
Short on ideas? Need lots of prizes, but without the high prices? We’ve got two words for you: lolly bags.
How far in advance should you plan a party?
To minimise stress and avoid forgetting any party detail in mind, you will need to plan far in advance – while it may sound like overkill, 2-3 months of lead time for your party planning can be a big help when:
- Booking a venue
- Choosing a party theme
- Determining the budget
- Making the guest list
Once you hit the one month mark, you’ll want to:
- Send invites
- Finalise food choices
- Plan your party decor
And finally, in the weeks leading up to the big day:
- Buy your lollies
- Follow up on RSVPs
- Finalise your programme and party activities
What items are needed for a birthday party?
The truth is, it depends! It all depends on your birthday theme, games, and the number of guests.
That said, there are a couple of constants:
- Birthday cake
- Lolly buffet
- Food and drinks
- Lolly bags
- Event invites
- Balloons
- Tables and chairs
- Party signs
- An awesome playlist
Get these sorted, and you’ll be on your way to throwing the party of the year!
Australian lollies for your upcoming party
Check out MyLollies’ online lolly shop!
Our online lolly shop specialises in 3 things:
- Providing bulk lollies
- Doing so at wholesale prices
- Delivering lollies nationwide
If you need an absolute bucketload of lollies for your upcoming party, we’re the place for you!
We’ve got pretty much everything under the sun, allowing us to cover all of your party needs.
Contact any of our MyLollies staff on 1300 899 000 or click here to send us a message.
Live in south-east Melbourne and prefer the face-to-face experience?
Now that COVID-19 restrictions are easing, you’ll once again be able to drop by our lolly warehouse in Melbourne! Come and check out our awesome lolly emporium in-person.