Party Plans
Planning a party should be fun for all, including the birthday child! If your child enjoys these types of activities, make sure to include him/her in all of the pre-party planning, such as developing the guest lists, planning the games, selecting the decorations, even preparing the party treats.
If your child is younger, consider creating a countdown calendar to keep track of the number of days until the party. Think how excited he/she will be by the time the big day arrives!
Deliver or mail your invitations at least 2-3 weeks in advance so that your guests can respond and plan accordingly.
Set a budget. Before you make any purchases or deposits, put together a list of all your expenses by item. If the total expenses are more than your budget, think of how you can creatively reduce your expenses by trimming some of the less important items. If necessary you may also need to trim your guest list.
Schedule
Consider limiting your party activities to no more than two hours. At this point the energy level of most children starts to fade, and all of those amazing party activities you have planned will cease to be fun. A two hour party will provide enough time for your child to greet all of his/her guests, play a few games, open gifts, celebrate with refreshments and cake, and say goodbyes.
Guests
It's tempting to not want to leave anyone out when planning a party for your child. Will this be a family event, or school friends only? What about brothers and sisters? Remember, it's important to keep the party size managable. If the weather permits, an outdoor event might provide more flexibility if you're working with a larger group. Together with your child develop his/her "wish" list of attendees, and then determine what will work best for your party setting. If the party is a large event with lots of guests, remember to include friends or family who are willing to lend a helping hand.
Decorations
Think about how you can "transform" areas of your home, yard, or other party space so that your guests truly experience the party theme. Reinforce the party theme with coordinating wall and table decorations. Firefighter includes a Centerpiece, Dangling Cutouts, and Banners and Garlands.
Are you creative? Try crafting a fire station for your party, complete with firehoses and ladders. A variety of different materials can be used depending on your level of detail and targeted finished size. Check the internet, the library, or your local craft store for ideas on how best (and easiest!) to construct these items for your event.
If your party is at home, don't forget to decorate the outside of your house! This will help set the mood for the party and direct guests to the correct address. Consider: stand up fireman, fire hydrants, or dalmatians (made from cardboard or foamcore), "flames", orange pylons, balloons, and more.
Activities/Games
To encourage participation from everyone at the party, it's always a good idea to stick to simple games that children may already know or can learn easily. Consider starting with something less active to allow the party goers to warm up to each other. It's also good to have these kinds of activities or games at the end of the party also, so that your guests can start to wind down prior to refreshments and saying goodbye.
Depending on the age of your party guests, be sure to include the Firefighter Pin Game when planning your party activities. Think of simple ways to adapt standard party games to complement the theme of the party. These include Pin the Hydrant on the Firehose, Dress Like a Fireman Relay, or an Obstacle Course.
Make sure you have enough activities to last the length of the party, and then some. Running out of activities can quickly take your event from loads of fun to a party downer. Remember board games and craft materials can always be used in a pinch.
Other Ideas
Spend some time teaching your guests about fire safety. Focus on when to call 911, what to do in case of fire, "stop/drop/and roll", etc.
Do you live near a fire station? Take your guests on a prearranged tour, or better still, see if your local firemen can bring the fire engine to you! Again, this is a great way to teach young ones about fire safety, and have fun doing it.
Create a personalized fire badge for each guest to wear during the party.
Create a lifesize fireman from cardboard, cutting out a hole for the face. Then, take a picture of each child standing behind the cutout and give it to them as a fun party momento.
For a fun craft activity, have each guest make his/her own "emergency" card. Depending on the age group, this might require some preliminary planning by the host to ensure each child has his/her address and phone number.
Create a memory book or box of the event. Take lots of photos, everything from the guests, to the food, to the games, and the gifts. Make special note of the current events of the day. Include a few small decorations or momentos.
Include your guests in a group photo and include the photo as a momento with your thank you notes. Your guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness, and treasure the memory for years to come!
Party Wearables
Firefighter includes coordinating paper cone hats. But don't stop here! You'll also find a Plastic Fireman's Hat, Fire Chief Badges, and Sticker Badges to coordinate with this pattern.
Favors / Prizes
Squirt Hydrants, Squirt Fire Extinguishers and Stickers are just a few of the accessories available from Creative Expressions.
Game prizes are fun for both winners and losers. Keep the prizes simple so others do not feel left out. Make sure to have some silly prizes on hand for the losers as well so they have something to take home.
Food
Treat your guests to a variety of creative snacks complete with fun names. Talk to your bakery about a firetruck shaped cake.
Don't Forget
What's a birthday cake without the candles? Make sure to have plenty on hand.
Unexpected
No matter how much you plan, be sure to expect the unexpected, both good and bad. Be prepared with a good attitude and a camera!
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