So you’ve decided to have a birthday party for your kid! Great idea! Whether you’re a seasoned veteran whose attended lots of birthday parties or this is your first as host – there are lots of things to consider. We’ve compiled a list of the most important things to think about when creating your invitations. Check out our list below:
Invite List
So now that you’ve decided to have the party – you need to decide what your budget is and how many kids you want to invite. Figure out how much you think you want to spend per kid and then multiply that by the number of kids you’re inviting – that should give you a good idea of your costs. If they are coming out too high – reduce your numbers.
If you’re inviting your child’s entire class – you might want to discuss it with the teacher beforehand and get a class list. If that is too expensive for you – consider inviting only one gender to keep numbers down. Or invite another group from your neighbourhood or group from one of your kid’s extra curricular activities. Another option is to invite the number of kids based on your child’s age (if they are turning 4 – they get to invite 4 kids).
Just remember – young kids don’t understand discretion – they will be telling EVERYONE about their birthday – and other uninvited kids can feel left out.
Gifting Policy
Kids get invited to so many parties and many kids already have tons of toys. Before you send out your invitations – consider doing something different with your guests. Indicate on the invitation that gifts are not required. As an alternative, offer up a charity to donate to instead of bringing a gift. Echoage has a great evite with charity gifting built right in. Another option is the fiver party – where guests give $5 for the birthday girl or boy. The birthday kid can either donate to a charity of choice or purchase their own gift.
Evite or Print Cards
There is no standard for which type of invitation to use. Both digital and print invitations have their pros and cons.
If you’re going digital, ask your kid’s teacher for the email addresses of the parents in the class. Digital invitations are more discreet than paper invitations. You will know the invite is going to the parent (when party is for younger kids). Digital invites also make it easier to keep track of RSVPs and allow for follow-up messaging if needed. There are some great FREE options for digital: evite, facebook, punchbowl, and paperless post to name a few!
If you go print, you will need to decide whether to mail them out to home addresses or drop them off at the daycare or school. It’s a good idea to check with the teacher first as they may have some policies and rules around this. Print invitations are great because you can get your kid involved in the making of them. Kids also love getting a little souvenir for the party. However – print cards can get lost and kids aren’t always discreet with print cards when they are distributed at school.
Venue
Make sure your venue is booked and you’ve got your dates and times correct before sending out your invites! You should include the address, a map and options for transit and parking for your party guests. You might want to do a site visit prior to booking.