Home Birthday Party Planning
Are you looking to plan a Cincinnati birthday party for your child? For some parents, this can often seem like an overwhelming undertaking that no amount of planning can assist you with. Given everything on a modern mom’s plate, the last thing you need is to start from scratch coming up with the perfect kid’s birthday party that will compete with all of your fellow moms. But don’t worry, we are here to help! To get started, you first need to determine if you want to clean every square inch of your house (before and after the party, I might add) and host the gathering of loud, little humans at home? Or would you rather pay a sometimes ridiculous amount of money to have all the mess at a venue? It honestly can seem like a lose-lose decision! But the laughter and smiles on your precious child’s face on their special day will make it all worth it.
Hosting the Gathering of Loud, Little Humans at Home:
Okay, so you probably don’t REALLY want to clean every square inch of your house before the party, because the only person that will possibly even notice is guest #1. After that, chaos will ensue, shoes will be thrown in the corners (or the smack middle of the floor, let’s be honest), little humans will be taking over the living room and before you know it, the house is no longer clean. Don’t waste your time scrubbing the kitchen floor or tackling those small food smudges in the corner that no one really sees. Your time can be better spent on way more important things that your guests, and more importantly the birthday child, will actually notice. Like food, food and food. And it might be important to add here that cake, and delicious desserts, fall into the food category. Decorations, party supplies, goodie bags and games come in a very close second to food and desserts.
Coming from someone who has attended far too many kid’s birthday parties than I would like to admit, you don’t have to go overboard on the food, in appearance or cost. As long as it tastes good, you are good to go! A big pet-peeve, however, is showing up to a party, especially one that is during a meal time, and there being little food to consume. The adults are most likely already dreading spending another Sunday afternoon at a kid’s birthday party, so make them happy and have some food, people. And if you are the drinking type, it may not hurt to have a cooler with beer for those dads who just want to relax and watch football while the moms actually do all the difficult work of chasing down the kids and ensuring they don’t break a family heirloom.
Back to the food, you don’t have to have a sit-down meal by any means. Pizza is always a huge hit that the majority of children will eat. For the birthday party host, this is usually relatively low in cost and allows you to have a stressless pre-party experience instead of slaving away cooking for 30+ people. Remember to always have a veggie tray of sorts, or fruit, for those individuals who like to have some balance to their meals. There is no shame in calling good ol’ Papa John’s, folks! Don’t give yourself a headache if you aren’t the hosting type. There are also plenty of restaurants that cater, but that can be very expensive.
Another option is to provide finger foods and appetizers. The key here, though, is to provide enough of them to give an individual the opportunity to have a full meal, especially if the party is during lunch or dinner. At a 3pm party, a large quantity is not as necessary and you can plan for everyone to munch on apps while the party goes on. Use your judgement. You most likely know the majority of the guests well enough to plan how much, and what types of, food you should have.
Dessert time.
Cupcakes are the latest kid’s birthday party craze! They can be ordered to look like a cake, if desired, or be individually decorated to fit the birthday party theme. When it comes to the big moment of the day, singing “Happy Birthday”, divvying up the cupcakes is easy as can be. And you don’t have to worry if people want those darn corners of the cake, or not. Just pass the cupcakes out and call it a day.
Something that the majority of birthday hosts don’t do well, however, is account for food allergies. Before you roll your eyes, hear me out. I know the party host has an enormous amount on their plate, especially if he or she is hosting the party at home. But knowing the allergies of the children (not adults) is such a nice gesture that will go a long way for that child, and their parents. Kids with allergies feel isolated on a daily basis witnessing others eat yummy things that could potentially send them to the hospital. Wouldn’t it be amazing if at your party, this was different and they could actually feel included? This doesn’t mean every food item needs to be allergy free, as this is nearly impossible. But go to Kroger, pick out some “Nut Free Mini-Cupcakes”, put them on a festive little plate, and set them out with the rest of the pickings. Sometimes, the birthday party isn’t just about the birthday kid. What a great lesson to teach your own children, right?
Winter Birthday Parties are Always a Challenge
A challenging component to hosting Cincinnati birthday parties, especially in the winter months, is entertaining the guests. You have the most beautiful , food and cupcakes galore, but your guests walk in the door and have nothing to do. It’s fine if the crowd is a close group of friends who can mingle while the kids play, but having a TV on with a sporting event, or a nice, inviting seating area, can be a safe haven for the adults who don’t really know what to do, or where to go. are always a great idea for the kids! Having cute little prizes for the game winners is always a good idea, but in today’s world, please make sure all kids get something at the end of the day. Goodie bags are a must have for a kid’s birthday party!
Plan on the party going on for about 2 hours. By the time everyone arrives, you eat and mingle, play a few games, sing “Happy Birthday”, eat cake and open presents (if you choose to do so at the party), the 2 hours will be up in a flash! Don’t over plan activities because the natural atmosphere of the day will eat up a large chunk of the big day!
Pay to Have the Party at a Venue
I may be exaggerating just a bit. If you are racking your brain trying to think of Cincinnati birthday party ideas, the list is a quite extensive one. And not all of the kid’s birthday party venues are out-of-this-world expensive. For those of you who read the beginning of this blog post and were overwhelmed with the thought of hosting the party at home, then forking up a chunk of money to let the show go on without a hitch outside of your home may be the right decision for you. Check out our great kid’s birthday party venue here. The reasons to having the party at a venue are obvious to the host. The host doesn’t have to worry about cleaning, cooking, providing entertainment, etc. But on the flip side, the thought of a guest attending a birthday party at a venue is sometimes very appealing, as well. For those guests who don’t know the host well, for example if their kids are in school together, it isn’t as uncomfortable to attend a party at a venue as opposed to a “stranger’s” home. The thought of going to a business is a little more inviting in these situations. And typically these venues are childproofed, so the party guests don’t stress as much about making sure their kids aren’t breaking special household items or removing shoes before entering the house, for example. Overall, Cincinnati birthday parties don’t have to be stressful or break the bank! Do your research, make the decision that best fits your, and your guests’, personality and move forward. And when you start getting overwhelmed, remember it is about celebrating another year in the life of your sweet child and as long as they are happy, that is all that really matters.