Whether it’s a birthday, a first communion or a family event, at PartyWizz we believe that planning a party doesn’t have to be stressful.
In this article, we’ve listed the key steps and deadlines to meet in order to minimise the stress of party planning. To make things easy to remember, we’ve listed and organised all of these steps into an easy to remember acronym. So if you are ready, LET’S DANCE.
Planning a kid’s party stress-free
L.E.T.’S D.A.N.C.E is the acronym we use for planning parties. It will help you prioritise and make sure you don’t forget anything along the way.
L – Location | E – Entertainment | T – Theme | S – Select/invite | D – Decorations | A – Accessories | N – Numbers | C – Cake/food | E – Enjoy!
Each of these 9 steps is detailed in the sections below.
L – Location (choose and book it)
Your first priority should be the location of your event. Are you going to host the party at home or in a venue? If you are planning on booking a venue, make your reservation as early as possible! As a rule of thumb, book your venue at least 2 to 3 months in advance and longer in busy periods such as the communion season or Christmas. The availability of the location may impact the date, assuming it is flexible. Once you’ve got this sorted you can concentrate on the details.
E – Entertainment (find one and don’t wait to book them!)
Your second priority is entertainment. You know where your party will be, but the entertainer can bring your party to life! If you are planning on hiring an entertainer, make your reservation at least 2 months in advance. Their calendars fill up fast, especially during the communion season.
Take the time to also plan what activities your guests will be doing during the event. For example: 15 minutes for the cake, 30 minutes for games…. You don’t need all the details yet, but a general idea at this stage will start to give you confidence and a good framework to build on.
T – Theme (decide on and stick to it!)
What’s your party theme going to be? Your location and your entertainment may give you a frame of reference for this question. For example, if you are hiring a magician you could have a magic-themed party. Or if you are having your party at a pirate ship play centre then you might have a nautical theme. If you’d like some inspiration, you can read our article on kid’s party themes. Why not get your children involved, they will probably have some great ideas of their own!
S – Select/invite (it’s time to let your guests know about the party)
Unfortunately, even at a young age, the invitation process is full of social etiquette. Knowing whom to invite is always tricky. You may decide that for a regular party around 10-15 guests is plenty. However in some schools the unwritten rule is that all kids in the birthday child’s class should be invited. Whatever you decide, we recommend sending out your invitation 3 weeks in advance. This gives you enough time to chase and collect the replies. More than that and you risk the invitations getting lost.
D – Decorations (it’s time to make or order them now)
You can go all out with decorations or stick to just table decorations and a few balloons. It’s up to you and the atmosphere you want to create. Balloons are always a great option as they’re inexpensive and children tend to love them!
If you are ordering decorations online, try and place your order at least 1 month before the event. This gives you plenty of time for shipping and any delays. A good lead time applies to homemade decorations too. Plan a couple of weeks in advance, especially if you want to get your kids hands-on in the project. This is key to making this a stress-free party!
A – Accessories (sorting the details)
What props, games or prizes will you need for the party? List all the activities you want to do and double-check that you have everything you need. If you can, ask someone to help you with this as you may easily miss something which could cause unnecessary stress on the day.
You also need to consider what you want to put inside your party bags, if you have them. Again, if you make an online purchase, try and get it done at least 1 month before the event. If you don’t nat to spend a lot, bubbles make for great party favours for kids!
N – Numbers (confirm who’s coming)
It’s time to confirm attendance. Don’t be afraid to contact parents by text a week before the event or set up a Whatsapp group. If it slipped their mind because they were busy, they will be grateful for the reminder.
Once you have your final attendance number, you can finalise what activities or games you want to do and can make sure you have enough of everything!
C – Cake & food (preparations)
Once you have your final attendance number you can get all your final shopping done. Ideally, buy the remaining party supplies 1 week in advance and the food about 2 days before the party.
You might want to think about the cake a little bit earlier, especially if your child has a specific request as you’ll need to to source, order, or make the actual cake.
E – Enjoy the party!
It’s the big day, relax and enjoy the ride. Try and make most of the final adjustments the day before the party. Remember, the less you have to do on the day of the event, the more fun you and your guests will have.
A party in a click
PartyWizz helps you book the best kid’s entertainers and party services in UK and Ireland. From magicians and face painters to party packages and photographers, you’ll find those in your area on our easy-to-use platform. Whether you’re planning a birthday party, christening, communion or a corporate family day, go to PartyWizz to find the perfect service providers hassle-free!
