Birthday Party Do's and Don'ts
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By Laurie Evans

You’ve got a host of choices when it comes to planning a birthday party from the size, the venue, sleepovers, etc.

Here are a few suggestions to ensure the kids have a great time and you don’t have a nervous breakdown.

A Class Act?
Do you invite your child’s whole class to the party or not?

Always a tricky question and the answer may depend on how many children you’re prepared to handle.

Do you really want all 25 kindergartners running around your house?

How well does your child know the kids in his/her class? Do you know the parents?
While 25 kids may not fit in your house, it may be the perfect number for a party at a park.

Prize Winners?
Do you give prizes for the winners of party games or not?

You’ll still find that kids love playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey and relay races as much as we did.

Giving out prizes depends on the age of the guests. Preschoolers may be devastated to be the child who doesn’t win, whereas fourth-graders can accept disappointment.

One solution -- the winner of one game may get the first piece of cake or the first whack at the piñata, or choose the first goody bag.

Food for Thought.
Are you going to feed your party guests or not? Just cake or the whole pizza and soda deal?

This will depend mostly on your budget, but other factors include the time of day of the party, how long the party will last and how big the party is.

Many party venues include pizza and drinks at a reduced cost. If you choose to serve a meal, check out the local $5 pizza deals, or keep your eyes peeled for a deal on your child’s favorite hotdogs.

Whack a Piñata?
Let’s face it, kids love to hit things, and piñatas were made to be hit.

Safety tip -- Make sure you have plenty of room so that the bat swinger is well away from the other guests.

Because piñatas are often well made, consider buying one that opens with the pull of a string.

Sleeping Over?
It’s the ultimate in birthday parties, the coveted slumber party.

Considerations: Size -- Two dozen kids may be perfect for a party at the park, but that is too many for a sleepover in your living room.

Age -- While a gaggle of third-graders will love staying up half the night at a friend’s house, kindergartners may find being away from home stressful.

Time -- Sleepovers generally last 12 hours or more. Are you willing to deal with that many hours of noise, fuss and mess?

Here’s one solution when you DON’T want to host a slumber party -- Have a Half Sleepover.

The kids come in their pj’s, do all the pre-sleeping fun and then go home at bedtime. Perfect for kids too young for sleepover.

Goody Bags?
Handing out goody bags at the end of the party has become a requirement for most families. But rounding up items to stuff in the bags without breaking the bank or loading the bag with junk can be a hassle.

Instead, buy plain paper bags (with handles). Let partygoers decorate them according to your party theme and use the bags to gather goodies from the piñata or other game prizes.

At the end of the party tie each bag with one of the balloons you used for decorating the party.

Remember a party isn’t fun if Mom and Dad are stressed out. Keep the plans simple and rely on the fact that just having a gang of kids together will make the party loads of fun.