Planning The Perfect Kids Birthday Party Schedule
Planning a kids birthday party can be a much more involved process than you might think. From organising your entertainment to sorting the birthday cake, thinking about your personal birthday party schedule can help to alleviate any last-minute panic near the big day.
If you’re unfamiliar with what you should focus on and when, we’re here to help. We’ve helped parents all over the UK to throw thousands of successful birthday parties over the years, and have learned one key lesson from them all: a little preparation goes a long way.
How far out should you think about the schedule for your birthday party?
Your child’s birthday party might feel like the most significant event of the year, but busy parents can’t dedicate their entire lives to planning this one event.
Instead, thinking about your birthday party schedule as four week-long chunks from the date itself should help to keep everything manageable. Counting down, these can be summarised as:
- 4 weeks out: Planning and booking the details of your party, as well as choosing your party theme
- 3 weeks out: Sending out invites and finalising entertainment
- 2 weeks out: Confirming your RSVPs and planning food
- 1 week out: Prepare your party bags and pack your decorations
Four weeks to go: make the big decisions
At the very start of your birthday party schedule, you’ll need to make the decisions that will inform every aspect of your party. This includes the kind of party theme you’re going for, the budget you’re working with, and the number of people you’ll be inviting to the big day.
It’s important to get everything sorted that will become booked up if you leave it too late. This includes the venue you’re hosting your party at, and also the entertainment you want on the day. As kids party entertainment pros, we’d suggest getting this booked as early as you can – our packages can be very popular around peak seasons!
Three weeks to go: Keep up the momentum
If you haven’t yet sent out your birthday party invites, the start of this week is the time to do it. That gives parents a few weeks to get back to you, and lets you plan the rest of your birthday party schedule around an assumed number of guests you’ll be hosting.
Along those lines, now’s also the time to think about what food and drink you’ll be serving. You don’t necessarily need to prepare everything this early, but having a think about how you’ll feed your guests will avoid any last-minute panic. Parents of children with allergies might also let you know early about those allergies, so you’ll have plenty of time to accommodate their dietary needs.
If you have time, it’s also around now that you can start putting out the feelers for decorations that you’ll need. Whether you’re buying, hiring, or borrowing, begin getting an idea of how you’ll decorate your venue so it’s not a last-minute scramble right before the main event.
Two weeks to go: Bring everything together
You’re a fortnight out from the event, and your birthday party schedule is running smoothly. But don’t rest on your laurels just yet; there are a few more boxes to tick before everything is ready to go.
Towards the end of this week is ideally when you’ll have received most of your RSVPs. This will give you a good idea of guest numbers, which informs other plans like your birthday cake and other food you’ll provide.
It’s worth confirming your guest numbers with the entertainment providers and other suppliers as soon as you can, so they can prepare suitably.
Now’s also a good time to buy the non-food supplies that all good parties need. This includes paper plates and cups, napkins, and other themed goodies.
One week to go: Finalise and relax
If you’ve taken the time to prep in advance, this final stage of your birthday party schedule should be relatively stress-free.
Your final week is the time to buy any food you’ll be serving, prepare any party bags you’ll give to your guests, and chase any late RSVPs you still haven’t heard back from.
Also, don’t forget to charge things like digital cameras that you might want to use to capture memories on the day. Most people just use their smartphones nowadays, but there’s something special about footage captured on a dedicated camera that adds so much nostalgia when you’re looking back.
The day of the party
If the schedule for your birthday party has all gone to plan, the big day should be a breeze. But don’t forget a few key steps that can make pre-party prep even easier:
- 2-3 hours before: Finish prepping any last-minute food you’ll be serving fresh for the party, such as sandwiches or fruit platters that can’t be done far in advance
- 1 hour before: Head to the venue and make sure everything is ready to go. The balloons are pumped up, the bunting is hanging, and your entertainer knows what they need to do once guests arrive
- 30 minutes before: Make sure the birthday child is ready to roll! Get them dressed in their party attire and pump them up for a great day with their friends
Ready to throw the best party ever?
Need help fleshing out your birthday party schedule with our popular entertainment packages? Take a look at our available parties or get in touch with our friendly team to learn more!
