The Best Times for Kids’ Birthday Parties Explained

For some people, celebrating one’s birthday is just a costly affair. But there is more to that. The purpose of a birthday celebration is to let the celebrant know how important he is and how people around him value his existence. It is not just an occasion where a person receives presents.

A birthday celebration is actually an occasion that is meant for you and your loved ones to remember the date when a significant event happened. The purpose of celebrating your birthday is for you and the people close to you to remember and give gratitude about how well you still are (regardless of age) to honor the day you were brought into this world.

A kid’s birthday party is no different. Celebrating your child’s birthday also has the same purpose. Yes, you must make sure that everybody at the birthday party is having a fun time. But then again, the celebration is not merely for fun and games.

The Best Time for a Seven-Year-Old Birthday Party

When it comes to a seven-year-old-kid’s birthday, the best time of the day to have a party is most likely 10:00 to 11:00 o’clock in the morning. That is because starting your child’s birthday party around those hours makes the celebration long enough to do some entertaining party activities as well as enjoy the food. But then again, while your child gets older, especially during his teen years, having his birthday party at around 1:30 to 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon would be ideal.

How Long Should a Kid’s Birthday Party Last?

• For children one to two years of age

Babies and toddlers need several naps within the day. That is why a one-hour birthday party for them is long enough.

• For seven-to-ten-year-old children

A birthday party that is more than an hour long (let’s say one and a half hours) is ideal for children between seven to ten years of age. This is because most children’s parties usually involve playing games, such as Musical Chairs, Balloon Pop, Egg and Spoon Game, and the like. For that reason, after playing several games, kids will most likely be worn out already.

• For kids who are eight to eleven years old

On the other hand, kids who are between eight to eleven years old may already easily handle a birthday party that is more than two hours long. Of course, these children are more energetic compared to younger ones.

• For kids 12 and up

Kids who are 12 years or older are already able to entertain themselves for longer hours.  In fact, they may possibly even prefer an evening party or a sleepover with their friends or classmates.

Birthday Party Do’s and Don’ts

• Do’s
  • Plan your child’s birthday celebration meticulously ahead of time so that you won’t need to rush around and try to organize all the things a few days before your kid’s birthday bash.
  • You must create a list of things to do and stuff to buy.
  • Send your invitations out ahead of time. Avoid inviting guests on short notice.
  • Make your child’s birthday party invitations as specific and as detailed as possible. Include specific information, like whether parents should only drop their child off or if they could stay as well as if kiddie guests could tag their siblings along or not.
  • Make sure your invitees RSVP. Include a contact number or an email address in the invitation. Encourage them to RSVP in advance so that you would know the number of guests you are to expect.
  • Even if the event is for kids, you still ought to make it entertaining to parents and other children’s companions as well.
  • Give your guests goodie bags with stuff that will make them feel excited. Keep in mind that one way of making your child’s birthday party memorable to your guests is through the goodie bags that you will give them after the party.
  • Think about hiring a birthday party entertainer or renting a bouncy castle as an alternative to having conventional birthday party games. Doing so will save you time and energy as well as lessen the amount of pressure on you. That is because you won’t have to entertain all your child’s guests yourself. Leave that part to birthday party entertainers. Don’t know whether to tip them or not? Read this article about giving tips to birthday party entertainers.
  • If you plan to have your child’s birthday party outdoors, you must think of an alternative plan in case the weather gets unpredictable.
  • If you plan on having birthday party games, make sure that each game is appropriate for all your kiddie guests. Remember that playing games at a children’s birthday party is not appropriate for kids aged one to two.
  • Make your child’s birthday party colorful and lively by having decorations. But then again, do not over-decorate.
  • Look for the best deals when you buy birthday party supplies. Throwing a children’s party doesn’t mean that you have to spend too much.
  • Always have a first aid kit within reach in case a kid gets hurt during the celebration, especially while playing party games.
  • If you don’t mind not having your kid’s party on the actual date, try to have it on a weekend. That is because not everyone might be available to attend a weekday party because of conflicts in schedule (work, school, etc.).
• Don’ts
  • Do not let your child open his gifts while the party is on. A celebrant is meant to open presents after the party.
  • If you don’t want your kid’s birthday party to be too crowded and chaotic, then don’t invite a lot of people. Invite only those who are close to you and your child. Throwing a party for you kid does not mean that you have to invite the whole class. For an intimate and more meaningful birthday party celebration, you should only invite those people who matter to your child and you.
  • Keep in mind that it is never safe to assume that an invitee who has not RSVPed is no longer attending your kid’s birthday party. Perhaps they just forgot about responding to your invitation. The best thing to do is to reach out to them and to stay in touch.
  • You must never spend beyond your budget. An important part of planning your child’s birthday celebration is to know your budget. But that’s not enough – when you already have a set budget, you must stick to it. Avoid spending on things that are not important or on some things that the celebrant will probably not appreciate. Always bear in mind that it is never wise to spend more than you can afford.
  • When you don’t plan on inviting everyone in your child’s class, do not give invitations at his school. Give each invitation personally but not at school, especially if not everybody is invited.
  • It is not necessary to use expensive tableware and cutlery. It’s a kid’s birthday party, after all.
  • Don’t forget to tell your invitees what they have to bring, if any. If you are planning to throw a pool party for your child, you ought to tell the guests to bring swimwear, extra clothes, towels, and, of course, sunblock.
  • Never ask for a gift. Yes, you may write gift suggestions on the invitation, but asking for a gift is a different story.
  • Never show disappointment when not all of your guests brought a present.

Kid’s Birthday Party Themes

• Adventure party

Does your little adventurer want a party that is filled with fun and exciting clues? You can throw him a birthday party where he and his guests can go on a treasure hunt.

• Circus party

This party theme will not only entertain your kiddie guests but their parents as well. You can hire magicians and other party entertainers who can do circus tricks to keep your guests entertained. This will surely make your child’s birthday party fun and memorable.

• Cowboy party

Is your young one a cowboy wannabe? Let him experience how it feels to be a real cowboy by letting him wear a cowboy costume. You can also indicate in the invitation that guests must wear cowboy hats and boots as well.

• Glam Barbie party

Every girl loves Barbie and wants to be like Barbie. You can let your child know how it feels to be like Barbie for a day by decorating the party place with all things pink. You can also let her wear a pink, glittery dress and shoes. And oh, tell the guests to wear pink, too.

• Golf party

If golf is one of your child’s most favorite sports, you can throw a golf-themed birthday party for him. If you have enough backyard space, you could set up a mini golf course outdoors. This will surely make your little golfer enjoy.

• Ice cream party

Kids love ice cream! Nothing will make a kid more excited than to have a party with a lot of different flavored ice cream. If your child’s birthday falls on a summer, then this is a great party theme idea. Make sure to choose the best-selling ice cream flavors that the celebrant and his invitees will love.

• Zoo-themed party

If your child is an animal lover, you may perhaps make him wear an animal costume as well as tell the guests to dress like animals.

• Mermaid party

You can all experience having a party under the sea with this mystical theme. To pull this off, you can rent a bubble machine, have shell-shaped cupcakes, and decorate the party venue with sea-green-colored balloons and other stuff.

• Pajama party

You don’t need to necessarily have your kid’s birthday party at night to have a pajama party. Your child and his guests can definitely rock those pajamas even at daytime. This is one of the most economical birthday party themes because your invitees won’t have to spend extra on costumes. They simply have to arrive at the party in their pajamas. And voila! Let the fun and games begin.

• Picnic party

If your child loves the outdoors, you can invite his friends and give them a picnic party at the nearest park. This theme is simple yet fun. Your kid and his guests can still enjoy the celebration even without the traditional birthday party. They can run around the park and eat barbecues, hotdogs, and ice cream.

• Summer camp party

This is a nice option for kids born in the summer. You can let him and his friends build a tent outdoors and watch the stars as they have a bonfire while eating s’mores.

• Transportation-themed party

Let your future car racer or little pilot enjoy a transportation-themed party by setting up car decorations or by having automobile cake toppers.

• Woodland party

Is your child a nature lover? Then let him experience nature on is birthday. Nope, you don’t necessarily have to bring him and his guests in the woods. You can incorporate nature to his birthday party by having a cake that resembles a tree trunk or cupcakes that look like mushrooms.

Related Questions

• My child is turning one year old. Do I need to invite friends or only family members?

Since it’s your baby’s first birthday party, you might want to keep it more intimate by inviting relatives and closest friends only. At a child’s first birthday party, it is not necessary to invite too many people since he still doesn’t know and won’t be able to appreciate what’s going on yet.

• When is the ideal time to send out invitations?

Children’s birthday party hosts must always hand out invitations ahead of time. As a host parent, you must start sending out invitations to your guests two weeks prior to your kid’s birthday party. This will give your invitees enough time to RSVP as well as allow them to think of and buy a nice birthday present for your child. Although it is not impossible to give an invitation a few days or even a day before the event, it is still not recommended.