A child’s birthday is both an exciting day for the kid and a proud moment for the parents. Throwing a birthday party for their son or daughter and their friends can be stressful though – it has to go well and the child has to enjoy it. Here are some handy tips to getting it just right.

First of all, you need to sort out the guest list. Ask your child who they want to invite and, perhaps more importantly, who they don’t. Obviously the older the child the more sense this makes, but you still want to make sure that the guests are those your child wants to be there.

You will also know from your experience at school who is in your child’s class and who their friends are, so don’t be afraid of inviting some he or she doesn’t mention.

Now you need to decide on a theme and one great option is fancy dress. Kids love to dress up and if you pick a specific theme then you can base your whole party, including the fancy dress around it. Pick something the kids know well – Disney films or Superheroes for example – and they will enjoy it more.

Send out your invites with the date, time, occasion and the theme of the party. In this example we’ll use Disney films so your invite should ask guests to come dressed as Disney characters.

Now you need to think about the cake and the food and drink. The cake should reflect the theme and any decent cake maker will be able to design and make one in the form of a Disney character or similar. And, of course, you need the number of candles to match the age of your child!

Food should be a mix of sweet and savoury. You want the children to eat something healthy but it is a birthday party, so something sweet should be included!

Sandwiches, an array of vegetable sticks (eg. carrot, cucumber, celery) with dips and cheese and pineapple on sticks will cover this just fine. As your theme is Disney, you could get some American sweets and potato chips instead of normal sweets and crisps. It’ll really add to the theme.

Examples include Hershey Caramel Kisses, Tootsie Rolls and you could even try Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Potato chips like Fritos can be put in bowls on the table as well.

Organise lots of games for the kids to play and keep to the theme. This is where your imagination really comes into play. You can base your games on traditional party games but give them a Disney twist!

What about Pin the Tail on the Donkey – but make the donkey the one from Shrek. Or Pass the Parcel with the prize a Disney toy. Musical Chairs will work just fine with songs and music from a variety of Disney films. The options are endless if you think about it.

For a bit of quiet time, sit the kids down in front of your child’s favourite Disney movie – though getting 10-20 children to sit quietly through a film might be a challenge, so be prepared to abandon that one in favour of more games.

The important thing to remember is that this is your son or daughter’s party and they will want to end the day with a big smile, a sleepy head and some fantastic memories. All it takes is a little planning and a lot of imagination!

Author Bio: Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of American Soda, suppliers of American sweets, American candy and American drinks to the UK.

Category: Advice
Keywords: birthday party, birthday games, birthday cake, birthday food