Kids’ Birthday Party Etiquette
It’s that time of year again: Time to throw your child a birthday party. While your child might be excitedly bombarding you with fun birthday party places to reserve and coming up with invitation lists that rival your wedding guest list, you might be secretly dreading the social challenges of throwing a party. Who do you invite? What do you do about presents? What makes a good favor? And how can you afford everything?
Never fear; there are etiquette guidelines to help you through the sometimes confusing maze of child parties. Stellar birthday party locations, like iT’Z, can also help you to navigate some of the tougher situations you might find yourself in. Read on to learn some of the big rules of throwing a kids birthday party, and the ways that a venue like iT’Z can help.
Etiquette Rule 1: Number of Invitations
You cannot have a party without guests, but exactly how many guests do you need? If you have a social butterfly who wants to invite the whole class, you might struggle to figure out how to accommodate all those kids. If you have a quieter child who only wants to invite a few close friends, you might wonder how to invite those kids without making others feel left out.
One good rule of thumb is to use your child’s age to guide you. Invite as many children as your child is old. For example, a 5 year old could have 5 guests at their party. This rule of thumb helps to minimize over-stimulation and keep your guest list manageable.
There are also ways to avoid hurting other children’s feelings if they are not invited to the party. If you are inviting less than half your child’s class, for example, you should feel free to invite as many or as few kids as you like. Just keep the invitations quiet and maybe consider sending the invites outside of class. If you are inviting more than half the class, you should plan to invite everybody.
Sometimes, parents hesitate to invite as many children as they want because of budget concerns. We get it: Your child’s birthday is not the royal wedding, and your budget for the event reflects that fact. Maximize the number of guests you can invite by looking at fun birthday party places that offer affordable packages.
For example, here at iT’Z, our birthday party packages allow you to invite 8 or more children to enjoy amenities like our fun activities venue, reserved seating, and an unlimited buffet for less than you would pay if you simply showed up at the door. We even allow two adults for free. It is hard to beat the affordability of that kind of deal. You might be able to invite the whole class and the soccer team to boot.
Etiquette Rule 2: Party Favors
Some people love ’em. Some people hate ’em. Regardless of your opinion, however, the consensus is clear: Party favors are a must at any child’s birthday party. Plan to bring some at your next celebration.
You don’t have to settle for a bag of cheap knick knacks, however. Some fun birthday party places lend themselves to easy and enjoyable favors. For example, here at iT’Z, you can purchase Fun Cards or gift cards as favors for your guests. Consider allowing kids to pick out their favors from our redemption store.
Alternatively, you let your creativity loose and bring homemade treats, have children make their own favors as part of the party, or incorporate favors that fit your theme. Favors might be required, but the types of favors you provide are totally up to you.
Etiquette Rule 3: Opening Presents
If your child has ever started to cry when they opened a gift they didn’t want, then you know: Opening gifts at a party can be a little bit risky. Luckily for you, party etiquette does allow you to save the gifts to open later, if you wish.
Should you decide to save the gift opening for after the party, tuck them away as they come in, and tell guests your child will enjoy opening them later at home. If you want to make sure your child does not ask about opening those presents during the party, choose fun birthday party places that will keep them distracted from the gifts for the length of the celebration.
If you do choose to open gifts at the party, make sure to practice gift opening etiquette with your child before the celebration starts. A simple thank you should accompany each gift, and your child should send a note later as well.
Etiquette Rule 4: Activities
There are two things you should never do at a kid’s birthday party: Run out of food and run out of activities. If you want to avoid the latter, choose fun birthday party places that already provide an hour or two’s worth of fun for your small guests.
For example, here at iT’Z, we offer more than 150 video games, bumper cars, bowling, and more. And, our birthday party packages are designed to keep your guests busy for a couple of hours. When your kids are happy, parents are happy, and your party goes down in the books as one to remember.
Planning a child’s birthday party can be a challenge. Make it easier by following some basic etiquette rules, and by finding fun birthday party places that can help. Here at iT’Z, we have lots of experience in parties for children. Reach out to find the right birthday party package for your event.
