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Every parent wants their child’s birthday party to be really good. A birthday party is special. It’s exciting for the birthday child and it is a happy and memorable occasion for family and friends. The child’s mum is usually the one who does all the hard work of organising everything. Sometimes it’s the Dad but often father is in a supporting role rather than being the main driving force.
Inevitably the question arrises of who to invite. Before I go any further I need to explain that I am very experienced in the world of birthday parties. First of all Hazel and I have three daughters, all grown up now but we have been through the birthday party phase. We have experienced first hand the stress and effort that goes into party planning. Second, I am a very experienced children’s entertainer. I am not bragging when I say I’ve seen it all. I have been employed to entertain at the most lavish birthday parties you can imagine where people have spent an absolute fortune ( and I mean thousands and thousands of pounds )and I have also worked at parties where I’ve been in someones garage with the mum and four kids. So on the subject of birthday parties I do speak with some authority. I’ve seen so many different kinds of parties that I’ve got a pretty good feeel for what works and what doesn’t.

Here are a few considerations to make when deciding who to invite to a children’s party.

1. Age Group. If you are hiring a children’s entertainer it is much better to have all the same age group.If it’s a fifth birthday party you don’t want a group of ten year old boys getting bored and deliberately spoiling it for the little ones.
2. Space. If you are hiring a hall this shouldn’t matter too much but if you are doing your birthday party at home then you need to think carefully about how many children ( and parents ) you can comfortably fit in.
3. Cost. Some venues will charge per head and therefore the more children you invite the higher the cost. If you are hiring a hall or having a party at home then increasing the numbers shouldn’t have too much of an effect because children don’t eat too much anyway. A few extra sausages on sticks, sandwiches or crisps won’t break the bank. Also the cost of your bouncy castle or children’s entertainer will be same whether you have ten kids or a hundred.
4. When. Will the party be on the actual birthday? Is it going to be mid week or weekend? Friends and relatives living farther away may not be able to come at certain times.
5. Naughty kids. This is always very tricky as you don’t want to offend people. Unfortunately there are some children who are very badly behaved and they could spoil the party. Have you got the courage not to invite them?

Once you have thought about all of the above you need to make a list. Involve the birthday child. Sit down with him / her and ask who they would like to come. Use this list to help you :

1. Best friend
2. Friends
3. School friends / class mates
4. Friends from clubs / organisations / hobbies
5. Relatives ie cousins
6. Children of parents close  friends

Cross off people who you don’t want to invite and those you know can’t make it and you now have a list which you can use for sending out the invitations.

Incidentally it’s a good idea to make a proper list and make sure you know the child’s full name, the name of their parent or guardian and a contact telephone number / mobile number  so that you can contact them if you need to either before or during the party.

I hope you found this article on birthday party planning useful. If you have any questions or would like to add anything on this subject please use the comment form below. Your views are most welcome.

Related articles

• Ideas for Planning The Birthday Party of Your Five Year Old Daughter! (socyberty.com)
• Birthday Party Etiquette Tips (mamasbagoftricks.blogspot.com)
• Party dos and don’ts (theglobeandmail.com)

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