Last year alone, my family was invited to over 60 birthday parties for kids.

We are in that “birthday party” stage where kids begin planning next year’s birthday 364 days in advance. Boy, have birthdays changed since I was a kid! I had a few parties growing up, with mostly family present, and if I was lucky, a few friends too. My mom would make a homemade birthday cake usually with just a few candles. Now, the parties are incredibly lavish! Party throwers almost always display a custom birthday cake, an over-the-top theme, insane party favors, and music and/or entertainment. It also seems most parties have between 30-50 people. At times, it almost seems like parents are competing to win the award for best birthday of the year, rather than focusing on keeping it simple and making it child centered. As I prepare to throw a small party for my 2-year-old child, I thought it would be the perfect time to create a “must-have” list for birthday parties, no matter how large or how small. Hopefully, this will help you create a special day for your kids, one you can all enjoy, without so much stress.

Xo,

Lizzie

Birthday party essentials for any-size party

Digital invitations

image source: evite

These days, digital invitations are definitely the way to go. Snail mail takes too long, addresses change, and people lose paper invitations. As much as I love stationary and how beautiful it looks, it’s tough to get all of the physical addresses of children and their parents, and it’s also harder to get RSVPs. Speaking of RSVPs, websites like evite, paperless post and punchbowl make it super easy to track RSVPs, which will save you time in the end.

My favorite platform for this is definitely evite. Its ease of use, gorgeous designs to choose from and “free” cards make it a slam dunk for most parents. If you’re looking to elevate the event to be a little nicer consider using paperless post, which sends a custom envelope with a digital liner and custom stamp. Invitees will watch as their card is opened digitally. It is truly elegant. It does, however, cost a little more as you must purchase stamps. It’s still an affordable option though and does a great job!

Dessert options

You can’t have a birthday without a sweet treat! I have seen cupcakes, ice cream trucks, cake pops, cookies, pies, cakes and more. My recommendation? Get a cake that tastes amazing and order a few cute toppers to bring the cake on “theme” as opposed to paying hundreds of dollars on a “custom” cake that tastes horrible. Here are a few affordable cake toppers for your birthday party essentials inspiration.

Party favors

Party Favors are pretty much a must for younger kids. It doesn’t have to be complicated though. Nor do you have to buy bags and fill it with 20 junk items that will go in the trash tomorrow. Think outside the box! You can find some cute things for under $10 that kids can give away! Here are a few cute ideas I found for my own birthday party essentials list.

Party theme

I have always found that having a theme makes party planning much easier. You simply get cake toppers plates, napkins, and decorations around the theme and it all comes together and makes it look like you put a lot more effort into a party than you necessarily did! Here are some of my favorite theme packs to help make ordering easier!

Entertainment

Obviously, kids need an activity or entertainment. My advice? If you can afford it go to a party place where kids can make a mess and you can walk away from it! If you must do it at your home, consider some of these entertainment ideas for kids!

Bounce house

Kids love inflatables and they love bouncing! Just make sure you have the bounce house away from your pool, and make sure it’s on a surface that is somewhat padded in case people fall!

Freeze dance

Grab a speaker and play some songs! There can be a prize for the last one left “freezing” when the music stops!

Musical chairs

Set up chairs, old fashioned style and play a game of Musical Chairs! Give the winner a small prize.

Pinata

Kids love a pinata! This is only encouraged for kids old enough to properly swing a bat! Make sure this is done outside or away from anything breakable.

Face painting

You don’t have to hire someone! Grab a cool face painting kit like this one and set up a station!

Hula hoop competition

Grab a few hula hoops and see who can hula the longest! Give out a prize for the winner.

Outdoor movie

Set up a projector and a screen and a few chairs and pop some popcorn! This is a great way to make movies feel different and keep the mess outside!

Guests

When selecting guests for birthday parties for kids, my advice is to do what will make your child happy. I do not believe in the requirement to “invite everyone” to your parties. If there is a kid in your child’s class that is a bully, or that makes your child feel very uncomfortable or sad, I do not feel that it is necessary for you to invite that child to their party. I also believe it’s not ok to leave out 1 child, however. My advice would be to pick a small group of children that your child feels very close with to avoid anyone being singled out. I know this is controversial, but as an adult, we wouldn’t like it if someone told us whom we had to invite to our intimate party. I believe in giving children the ability to choose as well. When they are older, they will have to learn that they simply won’t be invited to everything, so why not start young and help them treasure the relationships they already have?

Pictures

You will need to capture the memories of your special day. Photos are a must-have when it comes to birthday party essentials. If you’re busy running around being a hostess, make sure someone else takes pictures and videos of your special day and sends them to you! You will want this to reflect on later. Another fun idea? Put a few of these polaroid cameras out and let guests take pictures themselves! They are cute keepsakes for your guests, too!

Plenty of Setup Time

Finally, if I have learned anything from planning parties over the years, you can never have too much time to set up for a party! Prep as much as you can in the week before the event and make sure you have extra help on hand to watch your kids while you set up for the party.