Kids Party Memories

Childhood memories are so important. They stay with us for very long and color our outlook in life.

That’s why it’s important to celebrate your kids and more than that, make the celebration fun and memorable in a way your kid will pin and cherish for a very long time.

But you probably know all that already. What you’re looking for, as parents, is how to find ways of doing that year after year. Here are some tips and tricks to help you.

Not just birthday parties

Find every chance to do something remarkable for your kid. There are many reasons for celebration- Birthday parties, graduations, losing the first or last milk tooth, leading the school football team to victory, performing at a recital, bar mitzvahs.

Just think about it. You’ll find that all these are memorable parts of growing up so you should celebrate them and let your kids feel special and loved by the family.

Big vs small parties

Clearly, the ‘why’ of the celebration determines the ‘how’ of it. Some parties will be small, intimate, and just within the family while others will be grand with lots of activities and friends. You’ll find some won’t cost a penny while others, like a birthday party, will require extensive planning and ideas and you’ll spend a lot. Just remember that the whole point is to give your kid a special, happy experience; a day to pin in the mind and think back on with fondness.

Party smart

Remember, you don’t have to go pin broke in a day throwing a party for something as simple as graduating from kindergarten. A few cupcakes, pin wheels and a big hug at family time is plenty to enjoy.

And even at larger events such as birthdays, you’ll still find ways to save money. For example, these days, instead of printing paper invites for the birthday, you could send texts messages to other parents or put up social media posts. Not only is this less expensive, it is also faster and reaches many parents all at once.

Party fast

You don’t want the party to go on for too long till  everyone gets tired or bored and your kid is disappointed at the end. That won’t be a pleasant memory for either of you. These days, most parents find that an hour or two is wonderful for much younger kids while three to four hours will do for older teenagers, especially on school nights.

The thing about birthdays

Because birthdays are special by their very nature, you’ll find that this will need more time and effort than other children parties for them to be memorable.

Since they come every year, some as milestones, you’ll find that you have to create new ways to make each birthday stand out especially if your kid is the type that loves to celebrate birthdays in a fun, happy way. But if your kid isn’t that into birthday cakes and hats, that’s okay too. Just give them the kind of experience they’ll enjoy as long as it’s good enough for them.

Always the kids first

Whatever you’ve chosen to do for the party, keep the children, yours and others that have honored your invites, as the point of focus. Let them have all the fun that’s allowed for their age. For birthday parties, there should be enough treats and drinks for all the children.

Also consider making birthday games non-competitive to create a free, fun atmosphere or let each child have a participation gift for the games. It’s been found that this helps kids relax and this way, everyone has a good time and fun memories of the party and not just the birthday kid.

A themed party

This is another great method of making memories at birthdays or any other kid party. Find out from your kid what theme they would like or make suggestions of your own.

Costume parties are usually a hit with children and their friends but if you have a teenager, they might have outgrown such ideas so make sure that they’re super into the idea before spending time and effort on it .

With a theme, you’ll find it easier to pin and make preparations as your options will revolve around that theme. The food, games, music and decorations.

On the other hand, this can be a drag if the options are too limited. So the trick to balancing them is to pick and pin a theme that’s easy to follow. Popular costume themes every year for kids’ parties include superheroes, famous people and princesses.

How about a movie themed party?

If your kid is thrilled with the idea of making movies, you could pin together a movie themed party where they and their friends get to handle real film making equipment and the birthday is made to resemble a movie set. The Young Film Academy organizes great parties like this if you want them too. Find out more here.

 The group birthday party

Another idea for a great memory is having a shared party. Children who have the same or close birthdays as their best friends or relatives e.g. cousins or children who’ve just graduated from primary school together could have one party where they have fun together.

One benefit of doing this is that you and other parents can share the cost of preparation and save money. There will also be more hands to pin up the decor, help with the menu and the end of party clean up.

However, there are a few things to consider. First, find out from your kid how s/he feels about a shared party. Obviously, this might not be a problem if they are very little, say one or two year old kids.

Also, try to limit the number of kids doing the sharing to less than five. This will allow each child to still be unique even in that group setting and will reduce the number of potential guests. Having more celebrants will mean more guests, more goodies, and more spending. You get the idea. And if possible, make sure each of the celebrants has got their own cake.

Quality family time

Probably far more important than any tip given above is this: love. This is what your kid will pin and always remember years from now when she’s off to college or  he has his own kids later in life. More than the games and gifts, more than the balloons, candy, cake and anything else on the menu that day, they’ll create and pin memories of being cherished and loved by those closest to them.

So be part of your kid’s party memories

Sure, it’s easy to get so carried away by things and perfecting the thousand details of a birthday party that you forget that your child is the reason for all of it but now that you’ve found out, pay a little more attention. If you’ve planned for a party with invited guests, spend some quality time with your kids before the party or later that day.

Or you could put a pin in the party idea till next year and have a simple, quiet family dinner where you and the rest of the family cheer up the little one with birthday songs and warmth. Of course, there’ll be a gift or two, a little pin up decor and maybe cake with candles but there’ll be loads of love for the little one to feel.