Successful birthday parties don’t happen, the good ones are planned. The secret is keeping the party manageable, yet flexible. Here are a few of the important details that need your consideration.

1. Your baby’s first few birthdays
are really milestones that
mark the anniversary of
becoming parents. You blow
out the candle(s), open the
gifts and guide your little one
throughout the birthday
celebration. This is a chance
to create memories that will
last a lifetime, so remember
successful birthday parties
don’t happen, the good ones
are planned.
The secret is keeping the
Planning your party manageable, yet
Child's flexible. Here are a few of the
important details that need
Birthday Party your consideration.

2. The Party Invitation
Don’t feel you must create a
theme to build the party
around. Your party already
has one theme-it’s a Birthday
Party! Your invitation can
center around favorite stories,
interests, songs, or
characters. There are a wide
variety of party invitations on
the market at very affordable
prices. You can choose from
"fill-in-the-blank" styles, print
them yourself or have your
invitations custom printed. A
custom printed invitation
makes a wonderful,
personalized keepsake of
your child’s special birthday.

3. The Date
Weekends are great,
especially if you want help
from your spouse or baby-
sitter. A small child won’t care
if the party isn’t on his
birthday. If your child’s
birthday falls on a holiday,
make sure you send out the
invitations extra early or
consider having the party on
another day. Also be sure to
first check the date with
guests without whom the
party wouldn't be a success,
such as grandparents,
godparents, or best friends
and make sure their
schedules are free.
Otherwise, you might be
having two parties!

4. The Time
For a one-year old, keep the
party short. A good way to
ensure your party won’t run all
night is to only serve cake and
ice cream. They are really the
main components of a party
anyway. Remember to
consider nap times and other
schedules too. A happy child
after a nap will love being the
center of attention. For older
children, keep an eye on the
clock, their energy levels and
their interaction abilities with
other party guests. A cranky
guest of honor is no fun for
anyone.

5. The Decorations
These are the magic that
transform your home into a
special place, and they don’t
have to cost a lot. You can
decorate with crepe paper
streamers, (attach to your
walls with toothpaste, it will
wash right off), balloons with
curled ribbon tails to bounce
on the ceiling (buy helium
balloons the day of the party),
and inexpensive posters
(attach with rubber cement, it
will rub right off). The cake
can be your centerpiece with
party hats, blowers and party
favors arranged around it.

6. The Cake
For kids, the cake is the party,
and a "squash cake" (a small
cake especially for the
birthday person) is a must!
Put it on their highchair tray or
sit them on the table with their
squash cake between their
legs. Some children will be
very dainty and gently touch it
and taste it and not make
much of a mess. But other
kids will pat and hit the cake,
dig their fingers in for a
handful, and even put their
face in it for a big bite. A video
camera is a must for this! It
will probably be your favorite
part of the party, especially if
you’re lucky enough to have a
child that’s not shy with the
cake! (A garden hose and
extra change of clothes are
usually a good idea too.)

7. Party Favors
Favors are definitely a must at
any age. From simple sacks
filled with a variety of small
items to personalized party
pails or boxes, there’s
something to fit any budget.
Pass out the favors as your
guests are leaving. They will
love diving into them on the
drive home.

8. Entertainers
Don’t let the entertainer be a
surprise to your child. It could
prove to be terrifying instead
of terrific. Consider the age,
interests and attention span of
the children present. A one-
year old might enjoy a puppet
show, a brief visit from a
clown, or a story teller. Local
or regional magazines that
focus on kids are great
sources of ideas for party
themes as well as finding the
perfect entertainer to hire for
your party.

9. Capturing Memories
At least a day before the
party, make sure you have
charged your video camera
battery and have checked
your still camera batteries or
digital camera memory
available. Make sure you
have plenty of video tape and
film set out in plain site so you
know where it is when you
need it! Some disposable
cameras sitting around for
your guests to also capture
the action can yield some of
the best pictures of you, the
parents, with your child.
Most of all, make sure you
enjoy the day!