By: Alvina Brown

Planning a birthday party can either be a blessing or a curse. Picking a theme, buying decorations, making food and thinking of activities is only half the fun. As long as the celebration is focused on the child and cake is involved, you can’t go wrong. But just in case, here are a few tips on how to help plan a fuss-free birthday party.

Ask the birthday boy or girl about a theme

After all, this is a birthday celebration for them, ask them what they were thinking and go from there. Whether its minion themed, Barbie, Batman or Harry Potter, it can be done. Scroll through Pinterest to see how other people have done it for inspiration.

DIY Invitations

Nothing feels more like an accomplishment than creating your own invitation. With so many resources out there like Photoshop, InDesign, PicMonkey and free printables – there’s no reason buy or pay for invitations. If you have time, send out the invitations three weeks before the party and make sure the birthday boy or girl’s best friend can attend the celebration.

Be Your Own Caterer

Many of us know that cooking ourselves is the cheaper route, so why not do it for a birthday party? By doing so you can be more aware of what goes in the dishes, peanuts, gluten, etc. Make your own cupcakes from scratch, doctor up a box cake mix or make this cupcake puppy chow!

For the actual food, try making small kid-friendly finger foods like cheeseburger sliders or buffalo chicken wraps. Foods that can sit out for a while and don’t require much work are ideal for birthday parties.

Call Friends for Help

Is one of your good friend’s a photographer? A florist? Or cake decorator? See if you can use their services to make planning a little easier. Make sure to discuss payment or supply costs. Don’t forget to invite them to the actual celebration and show off their good work.

Go to the Dollar Store

Do dollars make you holler? Go to the dollar store and get cups, plates and cutlery. Some dollar stores like Dollar Tree have helium balloons and decorations that make decorating cheap and easy.

Games!

Classic games like a scavenger hunt, musical chairs, Twister or a piñata are essential to a successful birthday party. Pick a few games and make sure you have the supplies for them. If you’re on a budget, make up your own game and use what you have at home.
Spice them up by adding twists or incentives to them. For example, if the party is outside, spray paint Twister on the grass instead of using the mat or make the scavenger hunt all the birthday boy or girl. Where is there favorite toy? Find their pet and take a picture with it. Get a selfie with the birthday boy or girl.

Have Fun and Create Memories

If you don’t do anything else, have fun, help create memories and make the birthday party a hit. Whether you take pictures or help clean up afterwards, your help is appreciated.
Birthday parties are meant to be fun and talked about for years to come. Remember the purpose of the party when things get overwhelming – the birthday boy or girl. Perfect that picture perfect smile and brush up on those vocal skills and get ready to sing to Happy Birthday!
How do you plan birthday parties? What’s your favorite part of the party (besides the cake)? Let us know what you like to do when it’s time to celebrate!

Published: June 10, 2015
Photo: alex raths