Last week I talked about the many options parents have for hosting kids' parties at outside locations. Many people choose this kind of party for any number of reasons, including a long guest list, households with two working parents and little time, or simply the desire to have someone else handle all the details.
However, there are still many families that enjoy hosting an old-fashioned children's party at home. Your guest list will usually be smaller, limited by the size of your home and yard. You'll have to organize all of the activities, unless you pay a clown, magician or entertainer to come to your home, or there's a kind uncle who volunteers for the job. But the rewards will be greater since you'll be able to watch your own creativity enjoyed by the children. And, finally, your budget will be much more manageable.
If the children are pre-schoolers or younger you should expect the parents to stay, and you might want to serve some adult snacks, too. If the children are older, let the parents know whether the party will be a "drop off" event, or whether you'd like the parents to stick around (particularly if you have activities requiring a lot of adult supervision).
Pick a theme for the party. It should revolve around your child's favorite activity or character, whether it is a TV character, a book character, a favorite country, sport or other interest. Once the theme has been selected, you'll want to tie as many elements of the party into the theme as possible including decorations, activities, invitations, food, party favors, and the all-important cake.
You should plan on the party lasting anywhere from one to two hours. The younger the children, the shorter the party should be.
Plan a quiet activity to start the party as the children arrive. You could set up a simple craft project to keep them occupied until the party 'officially' begins. Once all the guests have arrived, plan for two or three organized, active games or projects that will last for approximately 1/2 hour to 45 minutes depending on the age and attention span of the children (the older they are, the longer they can focus.) When the children are ready to settle down again, serve the snacks and refreshments, followed by the birthday cake.
