From entertaining games and activities to kid-friendly food and decorations, there’s a lot involved in planning a pint-size birthday party. Try some of these ideas to keep a positive attitude from start to finish:

Pre-Party:

• Take the party outside. For a fun yet low-maintenance party, host it at your local park. The playground provides endless hours of fun, and you can bring food from your neighborhood Publix for a picnic or barbecue.
• If you’re worried about the weather, check out bowling alleys or other activity-filled venues with party rooms. Simply pick up treats from your neighborhood Publix before the celebration to enjoy when the kids are done playing.
• Line up party assistance in advance. Ask other parents for a hand with photography and food. Or hire a babysitter to assist with activities during the event. And don’t forget the birthday boy or girl; most love to take the lead in planning and prepping for their own party.
• Establish a reasonable party length. A one- to two-hour event is sufficient for 3- to 5-year-olds, while two to three hours is an acceptable amount of time for ages 6 and up.
• Keep the guest list manageable by inviting the number of guests equal to your child’s age, plus one or two additional friends. If more guests are coming, arrange for extra adult supervision.
• Teach your child how to be a good host:
  • Ask the birthday child to greet guests when they arrive and take them into the party area to introduce them to other guests.
  • Encourage your child to say “thank you” after opening each gift and give equal treatment to each guest.
  • Practice saying “thank you” and “goodbye” to each guest when the party wraps up.

• Avoid chaos at cake-eating time by scooping single servings of ice cream into cupcake liners ahead of time and placing them in the freezer until the cake is ready to serve.

Party Time:

• Keep the kids occupied from the time they walk in the door until they leave with a mix of energetic and relaxed activities.
• Be sure to plan extra activities in case something falls through or the kids finish games earlier than expected. With younger children it’s best to stick to noncompetitive activities where everyone wins.
• Let older kids open their gifts in front of guests. If the guest of honor is younger than 6, however, it’s best to wait until the guests have gone home to avoid unpredictable (and uncontrollable) reactions.
• Take a picture of your child with the guest who brought the gift. When the pictures are developed, have your child write a thank-you note on the back and send one to each guest.