Hosting a joint party for kids

As the name suggests, a joint kid’s party is one celebration for two (or more) children.

It’s a popular choice for siblings with birthdays close together, but it also works brilliantly for classmates or family friends.

For parents, it’s often an easy decision. Joint parties are lots of fun, involve less planning, and are usually more budget-friendly.

Let’s dive into some simple planning tips and fun ideas to help you organise a fantastic joint kid’s birthday party!

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When to host a joint party?

The first thing to consider is whether a joint party is the right choice in the first place. Here are a few key things to think about:

Do the kids get along?

This is the most important factor. If the children don’t get on well, it’s a no-go.

Even if they’re great one-on-one, group dynamics can change things. Make sure they also get along when surrounded by their friends.

Do the parents get along?

It might sound silly, but this matters too. Planning is much easier when you get on with the other parents.

You’ll also need to be willing to compromise, as not everything will go exactly as you imagined.

Lastly, make sure you’re on the same page when it comes to budget (we’ll touch more on that later).

Are the kids roughly the same age?

Joint parties tend to work best when the children are close in age. A two-year gap can feel huge for younger kids.

It’s not impossible, just be prepared that different age groups may want to do different activities.

Are their birthdays close together?

To make the party feel truly special, their birthdays should be close together.

Otherwise, one child might feel like it’s not really their birthday, which might lead to planning a second party later on.

Did the kids ask for a joint party?

If they’ve asked for a joint party, then why not go for it?

Pros and cons of hosting a joint party

At PartyWizz, we believe that as long as the kids are happy with the idea, the benefits of a joint party far outweigh any downsides, but here’s it all laid out so you can make an informed decsion:

Benefits of a joint party

Extra help – Unless you’re organising a party for siblings, you’ll automatically have more adults involved. That means more helping hands on the day and a more relaxed experience for everyone.

Less to organise – You’ll still have a party to plan, but compared to arranging two separate celebrations, it’s much simpler.

Cheaper – If you’re trying to keep costs down, a joint party is a great option. It allows you to share expenses without compromising on fun.

Bigger party potential – Sharing the budget can also mean you have more to spend on entertainment or can invite a larger group of children.

Downsides

It’s less “their” day – The biggest risk is that the birthday children might not feel like the party is truly for them.
Even though it’s shared, it should still feel special and personal to each child. This is more common in sibling parties, where jealousy or comparison can creep in.

Unknown group dynamics – A joint party naturally brings together different social circles. There’s no guarantee all the children will mix well, and sometimes group dynamics can lead to conflict.

Planning a joint birthday party

When planning a kid’s party, we always recommend focusing on the basics. The rest will fall into place.

Budget

If you’re organising the party with another family, it’s important to agree on a budget upfront.
It doesn’t need to be exact, but a ballpark figure helps set expectations.

To split the actual costs, a bill-splitting app can be handy. Each parent can cover costs for their own child’s guests, and split mutual guests evenly.

Party Theme

Next, choose a party theme, this will help shape your decorations, activities, and entertainment. If you need inspiration, you can find plenty of ideas on our blog: A-Z of Kid’s Party Ideas. This decision will likely involve all the parents and the birthday kids, so be prepared for a little negotiation!

If you can’t agree, go for a neutral theme that’s easy to personalise, think arts and crafts, magic, or an animal-themed party.

If the birthday kids have very different interests, consider blending two themes together. For example, you could have a dinosaur and unicorn party or split the party space into two zones, each decorated with one child’s favourite theme. It’s a simple way to make sure both kids feel celebrated.

Guests

Each child will invite their own friends, and there may be mutual guests too – especially if they’re classmates.
Joint parties often end up being larger, but they don’t have to be.

Five or six guests per child might be plenty, depending on your space and preference.

As a general rule, the younger the children, the smaller the guest list should be.

Pro tip: Each parent should manage their own invitations and RSVPs. It keeps things simple and avoids confusion.

Venue

Where you host the party will depend on the amount of space you have available. As with any party, the most common options are:

Home
Kid’s party venues
A hired function room

Children’s party venues are typically more expensive but tend to require less planning.

Activities

If the children are similar in age and share friends, plan activities for the whole group.

You’ll find plenty of ideas for games and crafts on our blog. If you’re running team games, try to mix the guests up so everyone feels included. If there’s a wider age gap (for example, ages 5 and 7), consider setting up a couple of age-appropriate activities.

Entertainment

As you’ve probably guessed, we’re big fans of having entertainers at parties 😉 they make things easier for parents and unforgettable for kids!

If you’re planning to book entertainment for your joint party, we recommend choosing something that works well for both age groups (unless there’s a big age gap).

For example, a magic show is always a hit with mixed ages and shared friend groups.

If you’re hiring something like a bouncy castle, consider running it in age-based time slots, with younger kids first, then the older ones.

Cake(s)

We recommend having one cake for each birthday child. It’s a simple way to make sure each child feels celebrated and special.

The same goes for singing Happy Birthday – do it for each child separately. Twice (or more) is better than once!

Presents

Let guests know they only need to bring a gift for the child who invited them – especially if their child doesn’t know the other birthday child.

One way to do this subtly is by sending separate invitations for each child.

If both birthday kids share the same friends, expect some guests to bring two presents – but that’s okay!

When it comes to opening presents, you could separate them into groups based on who invited whom. This keeps things smooth and special.
If the children share most friends, just open them all together.

Tip: Check in with the other parents to see how they usually handle gifts. Every family does it a bit differently.

Party Bags and Thank You Notes

With two birthday kids, it’s worth deciding in advance how you’ll handle party bags and thank you notes. You might opt for one combined bag per guest or personalise them slightly depending on which child invited them. Either way, it’s a nice touch to include a short thank you from both birthday childen, a thoughtful detail that helps the party feel more memorable and well-planned.

And if you;d liek some ideas on what to put in those party bags then we have lots of party bag ideas here.

On the day

When the big day arrives, the most important thing is to have fun! Compared to a solo party, here are a few extra things to keep in mind:

Introductions

Get the kids to introduce themselves early on, especially if there are guests who don’t already know each other. It’s a great way to break the ice.

If either of the birthday kids is shy, start with a simple group game to help everyone feel included right from the start.

Set clear boundaries

If you’re hosting the party at home, make sure the children know which areas are off-limits. For example, the living room might be out of bounds. Set expectations early to avoid confusion later.

Share the clean-up

After the party, split the cleaning with the other parents. This is when you’ll be extra grateful for the additional hands!

If you’re in a function room you can book a cleaner for this. It’s up to you.

Settle the bills later

Avoid trying to settle up during the party. Instead, wait until after and use a bill-splitting app to make things quick and simple.

And there you have it! With a bit of planning, a joint birthday party can be twice the fun with half the stress.