At eight years, your child is really coming into his or her own and will be starting to remember and treasure their birthday party traditions. Still, as your child gets older and you deal with more expectations from child-age…. and parent guests, being a great birthday party host requires some know-how. Here are some tips to help make eight great! 

Do…Get The Birthday Kid In On the Planning

Now that your child is taking on more responsibilities and has more defined interests, it’s a great idea to have them help you plan the party. Not only will they be able to offer their ideas for their favorite themes, games and birthday snacks, but they will also learn a little about what it takes to be a good host. Make sure they are learning about everything from writing out the invitations to scheduling in time for cleanup so that the birthday celebration can be an opportunity for growth. 

Don’t…Let Your Child Run the Whole Show

A caveat for the above advice is that giving total reigns of a party to an eight-year-old probably isn’t your best option. Instead, offer options for them to choose and plan from that you have already decided will fit your time and means. For example, let them help you plan the menu for the party snacks, but keep their option to healthier treats with maybe one or two sweet selections. 

Do…Let The Kids Loose

If your son or daughter and friends are around eight-years-old, they’ve been in school for a fair amount of time and have likely built up skills in playing nicely on their own in the classroom and on the playground. Therefore, you can probably trust the kids to do their own thing for a while during parties without extremely close supervision. Let them run around for a game of soccer, work on crafts or eat their meal with light supervision, and you can take the time to set up other activities, take a break, or snap some pictures from afar. 

Don’t…Tolerate Drama

With consideration to letting the kids be independent, it’s important to keep a light radar out for drama, so that it can be stopped before ruining your child’s party. As your kids self-regulate, there will be room for certain children to take charge, argue or depart from party-planning etiquette. If that happens, don’t be afraid to have a timeout or switch to a different activity so that the party doesn’t go awry. 

Do…Get Creative

With more than a few birthday parties under your belt, why not have a little fun with this one. Switch out the classic birthday cake with s’mores or even donuts. Instead of party games, put out your child’s favorite board games. Even consider switching the classic afternoon party for a breakfast bash. There are no rules for birthdays, so simply lean into your child’s favorite things and have fun with it! You’ll be teaching your child that the key to celebration is good friends and family. 

Don’t…Break the Bank

Your child is going to remember a few things about their eighth birthday party…but the extravagance of the party won’t be one of them. While it may be really tempting to try to impress your child and your visiting friends and parents with impressive color-coordinated decorations and magazine-ready goodie bags, don’t fall into this trap. It will only make you stress more about the party and your bank account, not to mention adding a sense of competition among parents trying to top one another in party planning. Keep it simple and all about fun. 

Do…Get Your Child in on Thank You Etiquette

Now that your child is eight, they should know their P’s and Q’s from school, sports and your own family lessons. While you may have written thank you notes in the past for your guests’ attendance and gifts, it’s about time to get your kids into the habit of sending out thank you notes after parties. Take them to the store to pick out some fun thank you cards that they can get excited about and have them send out thank yous to all their friends and family. 

Don’t…Forget to Smile

Don’t forget to take time for pictures. Whether it be a family pic before the guests arrive, a group shot of kids’ faces covered in frosting or a picture of the parents coming together for their little ones’ fun, capture it all. Believe me! In ten years when your child is *technically* an adult, you will treasure these pictures from the eighth birthday party!

So, we hear someone is turning one… it’s time for a birthday, right?!

Don’t worry – there are plenty of other birthday parties to host down the line. According to professional party planners, your little one likely isn’t ready to celebrate in style, so it’s OK if the party is geared towards the friends and family of mom and dad. 

Your baby’s first birthday is a big deal, both for you and baby. That means it’s the perfect time to celebrate this milestone for both of you. While your baby might not be walking, talking, or really ready to enjoy a party of their own, a first birthday needs to be celebrated. Mark the occasion by hosting a birthday party for your baby, close friends, and family. We’ve got you covered on how to do this in style but without breaking the bank. 

First, we’ll cover a few basic questions like how long the party should last, some great places to get both gifts and gear, as well as a few theme ideas. Then we’ll get into the specifics!

Here are a handful of commonly-asked questions about hosting a first birthday party. 

• What can you do for a first birthday?
• How much should you plan to spend on your baby’s first birthday?
• What are some popular party themes? 
• How long should the party last? 

What can you do for a first birthday? 

Celebrate, of course! 

A first birthday party is a big occasion for both baby and parents, so there’s no reason to skip out on a party or celebrations just because the guest of honor isn’t fully ready to appreciate a party in their name. 

There are so many different things you can do to celebrate your baby’s first birthday. There are some special things you can plan to do, like take a photo with your baby for a keepsake. You can also think about writing them a letter to read later in life. Another way to celebrate baby’s birthday is to try a new experience together. Of course, these aren’t necessarily party ideas, but they are activities that baby can enjoy too. 

In terms of the party, keep it simple. 

How much should we spend on the first birthday party? 

Party planners suggest budgeting somewhere between $300.00 and $1,000. Of course, budget is a personal preference. To help you get a better idea of what exactly you might need to add in to your party budget, consider the following: 

• Food
• Decorations
• Goody bags or party favors
• Gifts
• Cake 

That should help you get started!

What are some popular first birthday party themes?

At this stage, there won’t be too many opinions from the peanut gallery (your baby) about what sorts of decor to have, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with the party theme. Experts suggest staying away from clowns and similar costumes or decor in order to make sure your little one doesn’t get scared or shy away from the party. 

These 46 creative 1st birthday party ideas should get you going, but some of our favorites include: 

• A country fair
• Forest fur friends
• Cars-themed
• Sports of any kind, from football to hockey
• Baby shark (check out this sweet decor theme) 
• Disney
• Princess themed (you should absolutely order a crown like this) 
• Sun and Moon 

Check out some other fun themes for your baby’s party here. 

How long should the party be? 

For one thing, you know your baby’s schedule. Plan to host the party during a 2-hour window that will help baby be on his or her best behavior. You don’t want the party to be too close to nap time, bed time, or another part of your routine that could throw behavior off. That said, 2 hours is a great timeline for a first birthday party so the guest of honor isn’t overwhelmed after the party, or even during. 

What to Expect shares some great insight on how to time the birthday party for the little guest of honor. 

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s talk about the goodies! 

Party Favors for the Kids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35G4uCXNVDU

One of our favorite parts of our childrens’ birthday parties is the goodie bags. Party favors are a fun way to make the celebration memorable for everyone. From cake-pops or decorated edible favors to cutesy boxes full of small toys, trinkets, cups, or similar items are perfect for a first birthday. You can even find matching party favors to your decorations from Etsy or Amazon, which we totally recommend. There’s nothing like a one-stop-shop.

Party favors for the Adults

Depending on the theme of the party you’re hosting, party favors for the adults can be lots of fun too. Especially if you manage to match them with your theme. Say your little girl is the perfect match for a princess party. There’s no reason not to order personalized glasses or cups that will go along with the decor and the guests when they head home. 

Maybe baby girl isn’t necessarily ready for a bottle, but your gal pals will be ready for this rose-gold bottle opener. 

Giving Little One Their Gifts

No party is complete without the gift table. Even though your baby might be a little young to enjoy the full festivities, gift-giving is not one of those things. With the help of moms everywhere, we are putting together a little list of great first birthday gifts for your little one, all of which are below $100. Check back soon! 

I feel everyone is always looking for fun birthday party ideas for preschoolers.  Once they are in grade school the kids seem to have their own ideas of what they want for their birthday parties.  So why not have a Lion Jungle Party.  This party was awesome and very inexpensive!

We decorated the house with different shades of $1 green streamers hanging from the ceiling to give it a jungle feel.  We also got some jungle looking plates, napkins, and a table cloth.  Green balloons littered the floor as well.  As the party kids arrived they sat at the table and played play dough with all my animal cookie cutters and plastic animal toys.  I called one child over at a time and had them pick an animal face painting design I had preselected (I checked out a book from my local library).  I painted each child’s face with some left over Halloween face paint.  After everyone had their face painted we went to the basement and played freeze dance to some sweet jungle songs (Lion King sound track, Wild Thing, Jungle Fever, etc..).

After that it was cake and cupcakes!  Easy and inexpensive!  The party went really well and the kids had a great time!  I highly recommend a Lion Jungle Party!