Start planning very early. Proper planning at least a week before any party begins will help the event run smoothly. Choosing a day well advance is a good idea. Saturdays and Sundays are both excellent days for a small child’s party. Try to steer clear of holiday weekends if possible. Memorial Day weekend and Mother’s Day are best avoided in May because people often have plans.
Pick an Exact Time
Think about the exact time to hold the party. Afternoons are good because they allow parents to attend to any religious services or errands beforehand. A small child’s party should also be of short duration. Little kids may become overly excited during a prolonged fete. Two to three hours is an ideal timeframe. This allows a child to have fun but gives her time to recover from the thrill of her party.
Invitations should ideally go out at least two weeks before the date in question. Purchase very nice ones at the local mall or use a program such as Photoshop to make customized invitations at home.
Invitations should include the time and date of the party. Include the child’s name, home address and a number where a parent can be reached. Email is also a useful tool to help others contact the parent holding the party.
Include All Children
Try to include every child in a child’s preschool or kindergarten class. If this is not possible because of space considerations consider limiting guests to a single gender. Decide if there will be other children’s parents at the party. If this would expand the guest list too much think about enlisting any older children to assist during a preschooler’s party. They can help the small guests participate in activities and even supervise them if necessary. Buy them a little treat as a reward for helping mommy.
Once a date and time have been settled upon and sent out invitations think about what the child’s friends will do during the party. If worried about any valuables remove to the temporary storage space. Valuable furniture or carefully finished floors can be lined with paper or even covered in drop cloths. Preschoolers have short attention spans.
It is a good idea to provide lots of activities to keep the child’s guests busy. Many kinds of inexpensive toys and crafts can be purchased at a party store. Excellent choices include little jars of playdoh, small watercolor paint sets, spinning tops, musical instruments and even miniature animals to encourage creative play.
With a bit of advanced planning, including as many children as possible in a child's class and careful attention to details such party games, everyone involved can have a great time.
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