Advice on How to Make a Birthday Party Flow Smothly

Everyone I told this to loves it. At present openining time have the kids sit in a circle holding the gift they brought. The birthday child will not be holding a gift at this time. Start playing music and have the kids start passing the gifts around the circle. When the music stops the birthday child opens the gift they are holding at that time. Keep going until all the presents are gone. You may have a couple of cheapy gifts on hand in case there are siblings that brought only one gift. That way they each get to hold one starting out. This game will provide the opportunity for the child to say thank you in a calm manner and give an adult the time to write down who gave which gift for thank you notes.

Most people want to see the kids open the gifts. I think it may be rude not to do so. I know people who need to leave, but don't want to until they see the kid open his gift.

I personally serve cake right before they open gifts. That way the adults can eat cake as they watch. Serve the kids first - that way they are done in time to open gifts. You'll need assistance with all of this. But, most people don't mind helping out. My friend, who also does double parties for her kids, has the kids open gifts at the same time. It's a little chaotic for someone who likes things organized, etc., but it gets the job done. Have your husband handle the cards with one and you with the other to announce who it is from.

Hi D..

It sounds to me like te grown ups need some coloring pages and crayons!

Really, I have been having and attending little kid birthday parties for about 8 years now, the order of which has always been: food and cake, open presents then some activity or the reverse - some activity then food/cake then open presents.

The kids are generally excited to "help" with or ooooh and aaah over the presents or brag that it's the one they gave. Adults generally help herd kids back from the birthday person or stand around in groups visiting. It's only a two hour time span.

My vote is that you really don't need to do much of anything differently, and the adults need to take it easy and enjoy the two hours.

B.

I was definately at a loss myself when I started the party thing. The smooth ones I have been to were usually: gather and play, eat pizza or whatever, cake, then gifts, then miscellaneous play, pass out goodie bags, the end. People can finish with their cake and snacking if they are bored during gift time. Then pass out the goodie bags at the end. One of the best ideas was to lay some party favor toys on the table. That way the kids had something to play with during bored times. However, there was only a few laid out and it was kind of a fight for the gadgets on the table. I will for sure put one little toy; car or twisty block or something at the place setting for all the kids at our next party.

Enjoy!

I always just have a nice little spread of food for adults to munch on as soon as they walk in. I direct them to the food/drinks and then welcome the kiddos, this take a few minutes and everyone has something to do. Then once most people have arrived I will start with some fun activity. Like for my son's two year old party I had the kids make mini pizzas. Each child got 1/2 of an English muffin and they got to spread on pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and these little mini pepperonis I found. It works fine with the normal size as well. Then I just popped them under the broiler to get the cheese all melty. They loved it. All the kids could participate and the older helped the younger. It kept the kids busy while the adults visited, I had a couple friends help me with the pizza patrol. We also played fun music to loosen everyone up, I think Michael Jackson or something like that. After everyone eats I do some sort of craft. You can get little crafts at Michaels for like a dollar. Or you can just look up ideas online, like maybe an ornament for the holiday. Then I do cake, presents, then leave. You can do all that in a couple hrs and have a great time. So basically I do food/mingle, craft/activity, cake, presents, done! Have a fun time:)

I would have a small craft that the adults could help with and get each person started on that as they come in. I normally have a teenager handy for the kids that the parents just drop off and the teenager can also help with instructions on the craft.

Have some music playing in the background to keep the atmosphere upbeat also.

Then when it comes time for gifts, play musical gifts. (That is normally the last activity of the party.) Have all the children sit in a circle. Each child should start out holding the gift that they brought to the party. Play music and ask the kids to pass the gift to the next person (right or left) as long as the music plays. Once the music stops then the birthday boy opens whatever gift he is holding. Start the music back up and start passing again until all the gifts are open. This keeps all the kids and adults entertained during gift opening. I have done that at several of my kids parties and it always goes over well!

Hope your party is awesome!!!

P.S. I Just noticed that my gift idea was a duplicate... I guess that just proves that it works and is fun! :)

In your mind schedule out the activities... When people arrive make sure the kids all have something to do..

Play outside with trikes, wagons, the playset.. then have a game.. Maybe Simon says.. Get the adults to also play..

If you do an activity, make it something everyone can do.. Make cereal necklaces.. Yarn and different cereals with holes in them.. Cover the table with butcher paper and let everyone color whatever they want all over it.

Maybe a pinata, again let everyone hit the pinata.. Start off with the youngest (no blind fold needed for the youngest) then blindfold the adults and have them hit at it..

Then serve the food and while people are still eating, the birthday kids can open gifts.. Maybe just a few if they cannot handle all of the activity...

Hi there,

This is how I have found best to do parties after having MANY of them over the past year.

Give people about 20 minutes after the arival time and serve the food, not the cake and ice cream. People always seem to be late for parties. Let the kiddos play for a while and the adults talk. After about an hour of that bring out the pinata if you are going to have one. Then serve the cake and ice cream. The cake and the ince cream seems to be the signal that things are wrapping up. Plus you don't have a house full of kids high on sugar. If you want to open the gift (two did last year out of over 40) then do that after the cake and ice cream. Most kids won't sit through it especially if they are younger. It is more for the adults and most of them really don't seem to care either way. If they were opened at the party, I would wrap them back up after the parents opened them for the adult guests and the kids went off to play. They then went home and opened the gifts. The dollar store has some really cute craft kits that the kiddos could do if you want something for them to do as well. Good luck with your party!