Albany NY Birthday Magician - Keep the party budget.

I am going to share with you some tips that will hopefully be helpful the next time you are getting ready to plan your child's birthday party. Keeping a budget is hard when it comes to our little ones, but with some effort and planning, you can afford to throw a fantastic party.

Plan Ahead

We all know when our kids birthdays are - so it is important to plan ahead for their party. The biggest reason I see that parents spend so much money is because they wait until the very last minute. By doing that you end up over spending every time. You will pay increased shipping on supplies, full price on party goods and so on. When planning ahead you can shop sales and clearance racks.  You also run the risk of your favorite entertainer not being available by waiting till the last minute.  So do not wait until 2 weeks before the party to start planning - try to start at least 3 months in advance. It will also be less stressful and more enjoyable for you in the end as well.

Go Easy on the Theme

I think the themed party goods are great, but if you are on a tight budget here are some tips that my wife and I follow. Use solid colored paper goods and just add in the theme plates or just the dessert plates or Napkins. You can even just get away with the theme table cloth.  Sometimes even a few themed balloons add just the touch without blowing the bank.

One big hit the kids love is to buy solid paper from the roll - usually found at a teacher supply store and comes in various colors.  You top your table with this and toss some crayons out and let the kids draw as they are sitting at the table.

Party Favors

Yet another place parents overspend almost all the time. First you must keep in mind that party favors are just a small token to say Thanks for coming to my party. 

The second thing is to think of what you would want to see come home with your kids from a party and I am sure it is not useless carnival toys and bags full of candy.

Bake some cookies and add a juice box. Attach a note saying something like Thanks for coming to my party it was SWEET of you and your guests will have a nice snack to enjoy after the party.

If you decide to send kids home with toys and candy - keep it minimal and be creative. And again always look for sales and clearance items. Find things sold in multiples to save even more money.

I hope these tips help you plan your party and stay within your budget.

~Magicman

MagicmanAlbany.com

When and How Long Should My Party Be?

Here is a short excerpt from my party planning guide.  This gives you some good guidelines based on my experiences at birthday parties.

• Preschool or kindergarten age children, Saturday morning is recommended as it takes advantage of their high energy levels and gives you the rest of the weekend to recover. Anywhere from 2 to 2 1/2 hours is ideal for kids this age.

• Six to eight-year-olds, weekends are popular. If you can fit an after-school party into your child's extracurricular activities, it should allow plenty of time for celebrating, but not eat into the evening hours, or the even busier weekend. Avoid early evening parties, especially on weeknights. Depending on what activities you have planned, two to three hours should be plenty of time. 

• Nine to eleven-year-olds, Saturday and Sunday afternoons work best, while Friday is the top sleepover night. If you or your guests are regular churchgoers, avoid Saturday slumber parties. Sunday parties need to be held at noon or later to reduce conflicts with church activities.

When planning a party, check the proposed date and time with "key" friends before committing to the party time (before preparing the invitations or making any reservations). It's better to select another date than to have your child be disappointed because his best friend can't attend. 

When selecting a party time, another thing to consider is what level of refreshments you want to provide. If you have a party anytime between 11 am-1 pm or 4-6 pm, you should provide a meal. Outside these times you can provide snacks. Plan the birthday celebration with your child's friends for the weekend closest to your child's birthday, unless there is some big conflict.

I find that 2 1/2 to 3 hours is ideal for a party length. Not too rushed, with some free time at the end, but

not so long that we run out of things to do or the guests become unruly.


Have Fun!


Chris
MagicmanEntertainment.webs.com