How to throw the perfect children’s birthday party – with zero stress

The birthday party. For little ones, it’s right up there with Christmas when it comes to drumming up maximum excitement. Which means there’s a lot to sort out. How many kids to invite? Will it be fancy dress? From invitations to themes, we’ve made it as stress-free as possible. 

Firstly, consider how many children you’re inviting. For smaller numbers, you may be happy to hold the party at home. For 20 or more, a local community centre may be a better bet – your carpets will thank you for it. When you send out invitations, indicate if you’re happy for siblings to come and add an RSVP date. Now’s also a good time to ask about any dietary requirements or food allergies you need to know about.

How long should it be? ‘Two hours works really well for kids over four – plenty of time for food, cake and entertainment,’ says Maddy Carrick, director of children’s party company Dreamcatcher Parties. ‘For three-year-olds, an hour and a half works better. Slightly snappier, which helps to avert any overtired meltdowns. Much better to keep everyone occupied.’

Another aspect to consider is the time of day. ‘For the under-threes, a good party time is 10am-12pm. Finished before nap time! Everyone is a little fresher, the children tend to have more energy and you can serve coffee and pastries for the grown-ups, which always goes down well,’ advises Maddy. ‘Lots of people tend to go for mid-afternoon parties, but I’d always suggest straddling a mealtime, say 1pm-3pm or 4pm-6pm. That way the food gets eaten up.’

In all honesty, most children are happy with some music, balloons and a massive bowl of crisps. But if your child has a theme in mind, it’s great fun to tie in the games and decorations.

‘When choosing a theme, simplicity is key,’ says Emma Morton-Turner, founder of Inside Stylists. ‘Whether it’s dinosaurs, fairies, rainbows or pirates, stick to a simple colour palette. It’s all you need to bring a theme together – red and black works brilliantly for a pirate theme, for example.’

‘Go for a theme that’s close to your child’s heart,’ says Meredithe Stuart-Smith, founder and creative director of party and homeware brand Meri Meri. ‘Picking a theme simplifies things as everything can fall into place, from the invitations, to the food, to the dress and the decor.’ Talking Tables have a great selection of rainbow, unicorn and animal-themed decorations, including party invitations, garlands, paper plates and cups, candles and party bags.

If you’re doing fancy dress, it’s a good idea to have a few spare props in case parents forget, like masks, stickers, badges or tiaras. Ask a friend to take lots of photos on their phone – chances are you’ll be so busy you’ll forget to capture all the fun.

‘A great idea is to pre-pack the party food in brightly coloured boxes or bags,’ suggests Maddy. ‘It looks fun on the table, saves you time serving and you can moderate what everyone is eating. It also stops a little one from sitting next to the sweet treats, polishing them all off.’

Don’t feel you have to go overboard on the catering – more often than not, the kids are too excited to eat properly. A nice mix of healthy snacks and treats is a good combination: cucumber sticks, crustless sandwiches and fairy cakes are a good starting point.

If parents are staying, a cheeseboard, some olives and cured meats will go down a treat. Don’t forget a big tote bag to bring supplies like kitchen roll, wipes, and a lighter or matches for candles – you can also use it for getting the presents home.

After the candles have been blown out and they’re on their way out the door, don’t forget the party bags. ‘If you want to steer away from small plastic toys that will end up in the bin or down the back of the sofa within a day, how about a book, a sticker album or even a paint-your-own mug set?’ suggests Morag Turner, mum-of-three and editor of City Kids magazine. ‘Something educational or creative that is also fun and will hold their attention for more than five minutes.’

Emma agrees: ‘Rather than filling party bags with throwaway plastic toys, opt for something more permanent like a reusable water bottle or cute food container filled with sweets. All kids really want is sweets anyway, and this way they've got a reminder they can use daily!’

To keep things simple, you could even buy a multipack of books and do a lucky dip on the way out. Now you can go home, sink into the sofa and have a well-deserved cuppa. Until next year.