The A2 Magic Guide to Planning
Successful Children's Birthday Parties
Birthday parties are a huge event in a child’s
life! A great party will provide your child with the gift of
cherished memories for years to come. Jeff Wawrzaszek has delighted
thousands of children’s audiences with his Birthday Party Magic
Show. Here, you’ll find a treasury of valuable tips and suggestions
that he has gathered over the years to help ensure the success of
your child’s special day!
Planning a birthday party can be lots of fun, especially if you get
your child involved. There are plenty of things kids can help with.
Choosing a theme, making a guest list, putting stickers on
invitations, helping to choose party supplies and making the goody
bags are just a few suggestions. If your child is 4 or older,
getting them involved in the planning and decision making is a great
way to make them feel important, build self-esteem and create
excitement for the big event.
Below are several steps and considerations for planning your child’s
birthday party. Taking a few minutes to read them may not only give
you ideas as to how you may get your child more involved in the
planning, but will also keep things running smoothly every step of
the way.
Setting the Party Date
First things first...consider the possible dates and
times, as well as the location and the number of guests you’d like
to invite. Once you have a couple of dates in mind, make sure there
are no conflicts with family schedules, sports or other commitments.
If your child has a best friend or two that just have to be there,
check with their parents to see if they would be able to make it.
Finally, if you are considering hiring a magician, clown or other
children’s entertainer, call for available dates and details first.
Setting the Time
Once you’ve nailed a date down, decide on the time.
Birthday parties usually run between 1½ - 3 hours, with most
averaging 2 hours in length. Choose a time of day when your child is
normally at their best. If you don’t want to provide lunch or
dinner, consider a time when cake and ice cream will suffice.
Choosing a Party Location
While the vast majority of birthday parties are held
at home, there are other great places to hold a kid’s party. If you
have limited space or don’t like the idea of having to clean up
after the big event, or if you’re just looking for other activities
to do, a remote location may be the answer. Here are some
suggestions for great places and activities to consider for your
child’s party:
Arcade, Dance Studio, Bowling Alley, Child Care
Center, Classroom, Play Arena, Children’s Theater, Community
Center, Craft Store, Family or Fast Food Restaurant, Farm,
Firehouse, Gym, Miniature Golf, Nature Center, Swimming Pool,
Park, Petting Zoo, Pizza Parlor, Playground, Pottery Studio,
Recreation Center, Skating Rink.
If you have a monthly community magazine that
publishes a calendar of local events, check to see if there are any
special activities that you can take advantage of on the day of your
child’s party.
Number of Guests
Keep the group to a manageable size. I’ve
entertained at thousands of birthday parties, and most tend to
include 8-15 kids. If you are inviting the whole class or a larger
group, enlist the help of a couple of teens or adults to keep things
running smoothly. Below are suggested guidelines for additional
help.
3-4 year olds, 1 helper for every 3-4 kids
5-8 year olds, 1 helper for every 5-6 kids
9-12 year olds, 1 helper for every 8 kids
Choosing a Party Theme
If your child is 4 or over, let them help you choose
a party theme. Limiting ideas to a single theme helps put the focus
on many other aspects of the party as well. Consider their
interests: What do they love? Who are their favorite characters or
heroes? What games do they like? What kind of party do they want to
have? A trip to your local party or dollar store will give you
plenty of ideas of what is available in the way of invitations,
decorations and table supplies.
Planning the Party
Once the invitations have been mailed or delivered,
it’s time to plan the party. “The A2 Magic Checklist for Planning
Successful Children’s Birthday Parties” is a handy page that
will help you keep track of what needs to be done. A copy of the
checklist is included further down on this page.
Ice Breakers, Games and
Party Activities
Have some ice breakers ready to get the party
started. Kids generally don’t all arrive on time. Usually there is a
10-15 minute frame of time when they’ll be arriving. A craft or an
activity that they can easily join in on is a great way to get
things going.
Select several party games and activities that are age appropriate
and geared to the skill levels of your invited guests. You can find
plenty of game ideas online or at your local library. Plan more
activities than you think you’ll need. Some may run faster than
expected, and others may not be of interest to the kids.
Generally, the best types of games for birthday parties are
non-competitive games or games where everybody wins. If you are
playing team games, stay away from having captains who choose team
members. This may help to eliminate any hurt feelings for the last
ones picked. If you are handing out prizes, it’s usually best to
have a prize for everyone.
Piñatas
Piñatas can be lots of fun but may be the cause of
some potential accidents. Watch just about any episode of America’s
Funniest Videos and you’ll see people getting hurt, ceilings
crashing down, something getting broken or nobody being able to
break open the piñata. If you are using a standard piñata, exercise
a little caution.
There are some special piñatas that will eliminate all the above
problems. They have several ribbons attached to the bottom. One is
attached to a trap door that will open the piñata and let the prizes
drop out. Kids take turns pulling ribbons. The ribbon will either be
pulled out or, if they’ve selected the correct one, will open the
piñata.
If You’ve Booked
Entertainment
Good, professional entertainment is always a great
highlight to any kid's birthday party. If you’ve hired a magician,
clown or some other children’s entertainer, here are some
suggestions that will help to guarantee great results:
-
Limit the entertainment to 30-40 minutes. This
seems to be the ideal amount of time for most kid’s birthday
parties.
-
Scheduling the entertainment for the first half
of the party helps to keep the attention focused on the birthday
child. Singing Happy Birthday and opening gifts is usually best
saved for the last half of the party and after the
entertainment.
-
Save the goody bags and balloons for the end of
the party. Party blowers and noise makers can become a real
distraction for the kids who are trying to enjoy the show.
-
Exercise equipment, musical instruments and lots
of toys can be very tempting to the youngest guests. Having the
entertainment in an area where there are fewer distractions will
help guarantee a great show.
Food
If you are planning to do more than cake and ice
cream, it’s best to keep the menu simple. Pizza seems to be the
popular choice at most kid’s parties. If you are going to get a
little fancier, strawberries and nuts may be best left off the menu,
as some kids have allergies to them. It’s always a good idea to ask
parents when they RSVP about any food allergies their kids may have.
If necessary, you can have an alternative food available for any
guests with special needs.
Opening Gifts
For most kids, the highlight of the birthday party
is opening gifts. Kids love to open gifts, and their friends love to
watch the reaction the birthday child has to the gift they’ve given.
Half the fun of giving a gift is knowing that it’s going to be
enjoyed by the person who receives it.
Before the party, take a little time to talk with your child about
the proper way to say thank you and what to say if they receive
duplicate gifts or something they may already have. Make sure you
have a teen or another adult helper keeping a record of what your
child receives and who gave it. This will come in very handy when
it’s time to write thank you notes.
Winding Down
It’s always a good idea to give the kids a chance to
settle down before going home. All high-energy games and activities
should stop about 10 minutes before the party comes to a close. This
is a great time to get the kids together to pass out the goody bags
and say thank you for coming.
Goody Bags
Save the goody bags for the end of the party. Not
only is it a great way to resign your guests to the idea of going
home, it also insures that nobody misplaces their little treasures
during the course of the party. Goody bags don’t have to be
extravagant. A small favor or gift for each child to take home is a
great way to say thank you for coming. You can find great ideas for
the goody bags at your local dollar or party store. Make sure you
keep everything the same for each child. Customizing gifts may cause
disappointment for some.
Handling the Unexpected
and
Special Touches That Make a Difference
If you’re planning an outside party, have a back-up
plan in case of rain.
Have a few extra games and activities in mind in case you need to
fill some time.
Have extras of almost everything...favors, balloons, prizes, food
and drinks. Sometimes an extra child or two will arrive, or
something will break or get lost. It’s always best to be prepared.
Be sure to have a party bag for the birthday child as well.
Kids love to see their names in print. Putting their names on
badges, name tags and table cards makes them feel important and
helps you keep track of who's who at the party.
The A2 Magic
Checklist for Planning
Successful Children's Birthday Parties
Here is a timeline countdown for planning a great
children’s birthday party. While the suggested time frames are the
ideal, great parties can still be planned by combining and
condensing the time frames on the checklist below to fit the amount
of time that you have available.
3-4 Weeks Before the
Party:
❏
Consider possible dates, times, locations, number of guests and
budget.
❏
If you are
considering hiring a magician, clown or entertainer, or booking
a remote location, call for details and availability first.
❏
If your child has a
friend or friends that just have to be there, call the
parents and check their availability as well.
❏
Set the date and
time.
❏
Choose a theme.
❏
Make or buy
invitations and thank you notes designed around your
theme.
❏
Fill out invitations,
including RSVP date and maps, if necessary.
2-3 Weeks Before the
Party:
❏
Mail
or deliver the invitations.
❏
Plan activities,
games and party starters.
❏
Plan your menu.
❏
Make a shopping list
of groceries and party supplies.
❏
Pre-order balloon
bouquets or any special supplies.
❏
Start making or
buying decorations.
❏
Shop for goody bags,
prizes, candles, paper and table supplies.
1 Week Before the Party:
❏
Order
the cake.
❏
Follow up with guests
who have not responded.
❏
Enlist the help of
adults or teens to lend a hand on the day of the party.
2-3 Days Before the
Party:
❏
Check
to make sure you have film and/or videotape ready.
❏
Purchase food,
beverages and any other final supplies.
1 Day Before the Party:
❏
Bake
or buy the cake.
❏
Prepare any food that
can be made ahead of time.
❏
Prepare goody bags
(make a couple extras, just in case).
❏
Make extra ice.
❏
Child proof party
area.
❏
Prepare and organize
games and activities.
❏
Decorate the house.
The Day of the Party:
❏
Pick
up balloons.
❏
Mark the party
location with balloons or yard signs.
❏
Prepare food that
couldn’t be prepared earlier.
❏ Chill extra beverages.
❏
Have Fun!
1 Day to 1 Week After the
Party:
❏
Write
and send Thank You notes.
Here is a list of supplies that you may need to pick up or gather:
Invitations, stamps, directions to location, thank
you notes, napkins, plates, table covers, table skirting, plastic
tableware, cups, serving trays or bowls, place cards, name tags,
straws, centerpieces, balloons, candles, piñata, yard sign, favors,
party hats, favor bags, candy, pencils, stickers, toys, games.
See how Jeff
Wawrzaszek can make your child's party memorable and fun!
Contact Jeff Wawrzaszek to
book your Birthday Party Magic Show
