Party Planning: When to schedule your child's birthday party?

Most parents start planning their child's birthday party anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks in advance. Planning your party can be a time-consuming task. Here are some tips to make the most important celebration of the year run smoothly:

Tip #1: Basic rule:
Consider the activities that your child enjoys, i.e. bounce house, crafts, video games, dress up, stuffed animals, etc. If you are unsure what type of party to throw for your child, simply figure out what they enjoy best! It is very simple, and if you follow this basic rule, the chances that your child will have an incredible party are very high!

Tip #2: Location! Location!:
So you have figured out what type of party would best celebrate your child, now you must consider whether you want to host the party at your home or whether you would prefer the party to be held at a party location. Here are three (3) important things to consider:

Amount of Party Guests:

• Home: You may invite as many or as little amount of guests as you choose.
  
  
• Party Location: There may be set minimums you have to meet and/or you may have to pay for a set amount of children whether or not all attend, i.e. minimum of 25 required when only 15 attend.

Budget:

• Home: Stay on a budget and serve cake and juice boxes or serve a full meal -- it is your choice! It is always great to have choices.
  
  
• Party Location: Some party locations do allow for the birthday parents to bring all the typical birthday food, some restrict on certain types of food, and others do not offer parents an option and must purchase all food through them.
  
  No matter which you choose and if budget is important to you, make sure you stay on your ideal budget. Check your party locations' policies and fee schedule.

Cleaning: Honestly, this is probably the main reason parents choose to celebrate their children at a party location. Very understandable!

• Home: The cleaning is obviously your responsibility.
  
  
• Party Location: The party location staff cleans up after your party.
  
  Consider your options and what is most important to you: If you want to stay on a budget and keep costs down, cleaning up after your party may not be too much of a hassle. If you absolutely do not want to worry about any cleaning, then a party location is probably the best way to go.

Tip #3: Scheduling Your Party:
Do you wait until the last minute to schedule your party? Do you schedule your birthday parties one year in advance? Relax, we have all been there!

Once you have decided on your party location, date, and time, make sure you contact the party location for availability (if hosting your party outside your home). As an example, yesterday, within one hours' time, we received two phone calls from two different parents requesting the same date for their child's Beary Cute Party. Reserving your party date is very important in order to secure your ideal date and time.

Tip #4: It's all about your child:
No matter what type of celebration you choose, small with a few close friends or all your child's classmates and friends, what is important is that your child has a great time. As parents, we only want the very best for our children as it should be. Children grow very fast, and the memories from your child's celebration are priceless.

Have a great day!