Birthdays = super special days in my family. I grew up with the tradition that, on your birthday, you were basically royalty. Or at least, penniless royalty. But not having much money does not mean not having so much fun! So I am writing this blog article in the middle of global shutdowns. Children aren’t getting to visit with friends regularly, and fun places to go are either closed or difficult to get into. With real socialization being at a near standstill, it may seem odd to be writing about parties. But here is the secret… even a single mom with one kid can have a special day together, with little to no extra money, and without getting out of the house.
Birthday Planning Step One: Pick a Theme
Themes are fun. They aren’t, strictly speaking, necessary. But it is a lot easier to be creative when you have a focus. Need some theme inspiration? Try your child’s favourite colour, age, or animal! How about my children’s parties? Well, Little Fox’s first birthday had a fox theme. I took out many picture books with foxes in them from the library, and used orange and white paper to make some decorations. I even attempted to draw a fox. We got her an ice cream cake with a fox on it. (For the record, ice cream cakes are not the best for 1 year olds. Her hands were super cold after).
Little Badger didn’t really have a first birthday party, because it was in the middle of the first global shutdown, with everything except groceries closed. I wasn’t prepared for figuring out the party amidst all that stress. So I am really going out for her second birthday! (Her first birthday would have been badger themed, for the record). Little Badger (and me, let’s be honest) love the Australian show Bluey, so that is the theme of her party. For free, I went to https://www.bluey.tv/ (the official site) and downloaded party decorations and crafts to print at home. There are also instructions for doing a themed cake. But let’s be real – I paid someone else to do the fancy cake. We are doing a duck cake on our own too, though. I also went to the dollar store to get blue balloons and a table cloth.
Disclaimer about Screen Time
I know I just mentioned that Little Badger has a favourite show. In a perfect world, neither of my kids would have any screen time, except maybe facetiming far away family. Unfortunately, this isn’t a perfect world yet. I do my best to manage screen time for the kids with the in-laws. But one thing I do make sure is if I can’t stop all screen time without ruining relationships, I am going to at least make sure what they are watching is something I am okay with. And Bluey happens to be my favourite (aside from “Jesus shows”). In fact, when my kids are sleeping I sometimes watch Bluey on my own (or with my Husband on our anniversary). Double win – no extra screens for girls, and more Bluey for me haha!
Birthday Theme Plans
So now that you have a theme, you can decide how to incorporate it.
START WITH COLOUR
So if your theme is a colour, this bit is easy. But if it isn’t, find a main colour or colour scheme to go with the theme for the party. So, for a Bluey party we are doing mainly blue, but with orange accents for the second main character: Bingo. We did orange for foxes, and I would have done black and white for badgers. So if you are doing an animal theme, your colour scheme can match the colours the animal can be.
If your theme is an age, the number can replace the colour in terms of theme planning, because you want to decorate with the number rather than with a colour. When you pick a book or a show based theme, colour choice might me more difficult. If the main character is an animal, the colour that animal is works. Otherwise, pick the colour that the spine of the book is or the title of the show is on the titlecard. There is no need to over think it.
Once you have a colour, consider using the colour for everything possible: cake, decorations, invites, gift wrap, party bags. And if your party theme is a colour, you are basically done planning! (P.S. Glow in the Dark counts as a colour theme)
WHO IS THE PARTY FOR
Find fun ways to incorporate the theme into the party. This is especially important with older kids. If you have a child who is into The Princess Diarys, but you know nothing about the story and characters, it is time to dig deep! There may be little elements of the story which can make the party special for your child. Perhaps watches are important in the story, so you can get your child a watch as a gift. Or maybe school had a pet rabbit, so you add a plush bunny from your house to the birthday display. With older kids, getting these little details in helps them really feel seen. You have taken an interest in their party and making it special for them. It is all about these little details.
On the other hand, with younger kids, go for simplicity. Pick a theme that you will enjoy as much as them. Because, let’s be honest, a child’s first few birthday parties are more for the adults than for the kids. You might plan some activities, but don’t be disappointed if no one does them. I recommend picking a theme that is cute, and easy for these early birthdays. Definitely don’t worry about matching gift to theme in these early birthdays. In fact, you can consider the party itself as your gift to your child.
MAKING THE THEME POP: SUGGESTIONS BASED ON TYPE
If Your Theme is an Animal/Food Item (Ex. Fox, Watermelon/One in a Melon, or Tacos).
With animals, get library books (or buy some books) that are about the theme animal. It is enough to have these on display during the party, and you can read them to your children throughout the week. Have pictures of the animal or food item for decor, and if you want, make the cake shaped like the theme. Plush animals (or plush food pillows) can add to the atmosphere of the party.
If Your Theme is a Number (Ex. 7 Years Old).
Then you can go all out based on the number. Have 7 gifts, seven (child) guests, 7 snacks, 7 cupcakes or even a cake shaped like a 7.
If Your Theme is a Book/Show.
Use the main character in your decorations and/or cake design if possible. Elements of the story can also be used for decor and cake. You can always print out images of the characters and tape them to toothpicks, which may then be placed on cupcakes. Check if the official website for the book/show has any printable activities or decorations. The cost of printing may be much cheaper than buying character specific items.
If Your Theme is an Era (ex. the 80s).
Get music from that era for the background of the party. Print posters from the Era, and maybe plan activities that would have been popular at the time! See if you can put together an outfit that matches the era for the child. Make sure to let people know they are welcome to do this too on the invite
If Your Theme is a Place (ex. Jungle, Hollywood, or Hawaii).
Look at pictures of the location for determining colour scheme. Decorations can include appropriate items based on the place. Jungle plush animals, cameras and lights, or a pile of coconuts for instance. Making a background based on the place for photo shoots can be fun.
If Your Theme is an Occupation or Event (ex. Carnival, Theater).
These themes make for a more activity based party. So you would plan some carnival games or to show a movie. I definitely don’t recommend these themes for preschool parties (unless it is mainly for the adults at a first birthday party). Replicate what you can, and definitely match the food you serve to go with the even.
Make The Invitations
Once you have the theme set for the party, it is time to make invitations. I recommend using Canva.com to design them, although PowerPoint/google slides and Photoshop work well too. There are a couple golden rules for making invites for a birthday party.
- Use an odd number of colours and fonts (1, 3, or 5) Black and white do not count as colours when counting.
- The invite sets the tone for the party, whether it will be formal or fun/laid back. Keep that in mind when designing.
- Always include date, time, and address.
- This is the place to write restrictions or helpful information for gifts “no plastic toys please” or “Janet is in size 7 clothes now.”
- If it is a costume party, write something like “wear your best 50s sock hop outfit”
Final Considerations
If planning a party has you stressed… don’t do it. I know I just went on about how to pick a theme and how great and memorable it can be. But I also love doing all this stuff. If you don’t, that doesn’t make you any less a great parent. Birthday parties can just be small play dates with cake when kids are young, or board game afternoons with cake for older children and teens.
Find something meaningful to your family. That is the most important thing.
Want to help your younger children understand what their birthday is? Try this! Get a globe, or some other representation of the planet (a picture of it, or anything). Then have them walk around a yellow circle (the sun) as many times as they are old. Then you can say, “The earth has gone around the sun # times since you have been born. And that is why you are # years old today.”
Picking a time for a party? With younger kids, you want to pick a time that won’t interfere with naps. With older kids, if you don’t want to feed everybody, consider doing a part from 1pm to 4pm. This way you miss meal times and only need to have snacks. Or, consider having the party be a potluck. (Try having a nachos theme and coordinate with guests who will bring what element). Cheese pizza is another cheap party food alternative.
The Byzantine Life
Thank you for checking out this week’s article! We are still working hard to catch up with all the missing photos on the website. But I have also been working on updating old articles as I attaching the missing pictures. Thank you for your understanding!
Please share our article on social media! On our Pinterest we have boards full of different organization ideas! Also, you can follow our Facebook to see our latest blog posts as they publish. The Badger Dad also runs our Twitter (@TheByzLife) and Instagram accounts (username: thebyzantinelife)!
Do you appreciate our work at TheByzantineLife.com? Consider joining us on Patreon for as little as $5 a month. In other words, you can help us run this website and produce quality content. And in return, you get exclusive access to special posts, photos, and updates from our family! As more people join, we will be adding bonus faith and family resources too. In short, click here to find out more: https://www.patreon.com/thebyzantinelife
Have a good week! If you enjoyed this article, please share it on social media to spread the word!
