How To Host Joint Birthday Parties
Planning a birthday party can feel tricky at times. From choosing the right venue to designing your invitations, there’s a lot to consider in the run-up to the big day.
But what if there was a way to potentially double the fun…while halving the time and effort it can take to get everything right? The solution may be to host a joint birthday party – something that many parents are considering if they have multiple children with similarly timed birthdays, or close friends whose birthdays also fall near to their own child’s.
Even with a joint birthday party, however, there are plenty of things to consider. To make sure that everything runs as smoothly as it can, let’s go through the party-planning essentials that all parents should keep in mind.
Joint birthday party etiquette
Before any party planning gets underway, it’s important to establish the joint birthday party etiquette that will guide the planning of your event, and how it plays out on the day.
If you’re throwing a joint party with another set of parents, this is even more important. You might both approach planning from different perspectives, and you need to find some common ground before things spiral out of control.
Make sure to consider:
- Gifts: Will each child have their own presents, or will there be joint gifts? How will these be handled on the day to maintain fairness? Make sure that you work this out early, so that one child doesn’t feel favoured over the other.
- Food and drink: If one set of parents wants to host an all-vegan party and another wants to include some pepperoni pizzas, there could be a problem. Agree on how you’ll be catering your party, and what each set of parents will need to provide.
- Timings: One host might favour a morning party, whereas another could want to kick things off in the evening once they’ve finished work. This needs to be established before anything else, because you might discover that this joint birthday party can’t actually proceed!
Creating the right invitations
The key to designing joint birthday party invitations is to make sure they clearly communicate that it’s a joint party from the start. This lets parents know that the focus will be on two children (at least) instead of one, which can affect things like the gifts they’ll bring to the party.
With invitations also comes the party guest list, and there are a few ways to go about this. If the joint birthday party involves two siblings, it’s likely that the majority of guests will be family. In this case, ask each birthday child to suggest a handful of friends who they would like to also invite – making sure that each child has the opportunity to ask the same number of guests.
If the party involves a classmate, the guest list will likely consist of the rest of the class. But again, if your numbers allow, give each child the opportunity to add on an equal number of additional guests they would like to be there.
In the unlikely event that one child wants to invite guests that the other birthday child doesn’t like, you may run into friction that’s difficult to overcome. In this situation, it can sometimes be better to host an individual party instead – which is why early communication with the other set of parents is key!
Deciding on a joint party theme
A party theme can determine things like decorations and party games, which is why it’s important to choose this early on in the planning process. For a joint birthday party, there are a few ways that you can go about picking a theme:
- Opt for a blended theme: A number of our party themes offer the best of both worlds, such as Mermaids & Pirates or Princesses & Superheroes. If these appeal to each birthday child, it can be a quick and easy solution that works for everyone involved.
- Choose a neutral theme: Sometimes, finding a middle ground works best. Parties like our Jungle Safari Party or Beach Party will appeal to a wide variety of kids, making them a great choice when hosting a joint birthday party.
- Decide on different themes: If the birthday children can’t agree on the theme they’d like to have, this might be another pointer that a joint birthday party isn’t right in this case. That’s fine! Hosting individual parties can be just as fun, and nobody needs to compromise.
Ready to throw the best party ever?
If you’re planning a joint birthday party, we can help you to plan an event that all of your guests will love. Take a look at our exciting party packages, and reach out to our friendly team if you have any other questions!
