Children add so much color to a parent’s life that their birthday should, naturally, reflect that vibrancy. To help you plan a birthday party that celebrates your brilliant child, we have created an entire Pinterest board with all the inspiration necessary to create a colorful party. Whether the birthday theme is Candy Land, unicorns, sprinkles, painting, or rainbows, this step-by-step party planning guide will help make sure your child’s party is as colorful as they are.
6 - 8 Weeks Prior To the Party
Step 1: The theme. As your child’s birthday approaches, sit down with them and pick a colorful theme. There are countless options like sprinkles, artists, rainbows, and Candy Land — just to name a few. Let your child’s personality shine as they help with the planning. Once you’ve nailed down your theme, begin brainstorming various ways to incorporate that theme into the food, decorations, and games.
Step 2: Date, time, location. The date of the party should be close to your child’s birthday, but doesn’t necessarily need to be on the actual birthday. Choose a day that best allows for a birthday party; weekends usually work best, since it doesn’t normally interfere with school or extra-curricular activities. When picking a time and length, remember to keep in mind the age of the guests. After nap-time or lunchtime is a good idea when involving younger children ages 3 - 6. Pro-tip: Children’s birthday parties shouldn’t be longer than 2 - 3 hours. If it is any longer, children can get over-stimulated and become grumpy or tired.
Step 3: Party guests. Ask your child who they want to invite to their birthday party. Optional guests can include classmates, family members, neighborhood children, and team members. Perhaps consider encouraging your child to invite kids who are often left out of school activities.
4 - 6 Weeks Prior To the Party
Step 4: Invitations. This is a great opportunity to incorporate the birthday party’s theme and let your child pick which style they like best. Be sure to include details such as location, start and end time, date, and items that guests should bring such as a swimsuit, towel, or change of clothes. Mail the invitations or have your child carefully hand-deliver them; this is a good time to also remind your child to be courteous to those who were not invited.
Step 5: Gather party supplies. Six weeks out, begin making a list of any party supplies you might need. Remember things like decorations, plates, utensils, napkins, balloons, and party favors. Begin scouring local stores for anything from your party supply list. The benefit of starting the supply scavenger hunt a month prior to the party means you’ll have plenty of time to order anything online that proves difficult to find. If you want a one-stop-shop, we have an entire Rainbow Birthday Kit on Amazon with everything you’ll need for a rainbow extraordinaire!
Step 6: Food planning. Brainstorm the party menu, keeping in mind that a child’s party doesn’t need to be an elaborate event with a six-course meal. Choose food that will be simple and easy to clean up. Whenever possible, try and incorporate the theme into the food. For example, if planning a sprinkle party the cake should, naturally, include sprinkles. If your theme is rainbows, a rainbow-colored fruit plate is nutritious as well as delicious.
1 - 4 Weeks Prior To the Party
Step 7: Game time. Pick which games will fit for both the party’s theme and the age of the children present. Search the internet or check out this Pinterest board for ideas on what games will be perfect to play. Some different game ideas to consider playing are:
- Color War Field Games
- Color Freeze Tag
- Color Carnival Games
Step 8: The cake. Is a birthday party truly complete without a cake? Determine if you want to make the cake from scratch, from a box, or order it from a bakery. If you’re planning on ordering the cake, call your local bakery and place the order. Pro-tip: if it’s a busy bakery, you might want to order earlier to ensure the cake is ready for the party. Again, try and highlight the party’s theme with the cake.
Party Week
Step 9: Prep work. Two days before the party, go grocery shopping for all the necessary food and cake supplies (if making it yourself). The closer the party gets, the busier you will be, so also consider wrapping any birthday gifts you will be giving your child, putting together any party favors, and organizing the decorations that’ll be used at the party.
Step 10: Clean and Decorate. The day before the party, be sure to clean the area where the party will happen. This will help ease your own stress when guests start to show up the next day. You can also begin decorating the area with any non-helium balloons or streamers if you feel it won’t be disrupted prior to the party. Pro-tip: Pick up helium balloons on the day of the party to ensure the helium doesn’t leak and leave the balloons slightly limp.
Day of the Party
Step 11: Party Time! Pick up any food you’ve pre-ordered, like a cake or pizza. Also, swing by your local party store and fill up any helium balloons you’d like at the party. Once you’ve returned home, finish decorating the party area and set out any party favors you’ve created or bought. Don’t forget to set out candles and a lighter in an easily visible location so you don’t have to scramble to find them when it’s time to cut the cake. Also, put your phone charging! This way, it will be charged and ready to capture every moment the birthday party will provide.
Step 12: Clean Up. Cleaning up from the party should be a relatively simple process. Brush the powder from any leftover surface with a dry rag or vacuum it up if it was tracked inside. For the color powder left outside, you can wash it away with a hose or wait for the next rainstorm. Don’t worry, the powder is ecofriendly and biodegradable.
Be sure to check out our Pinterest board for additional party planning ideas, or look at @chameleoncolorsinc on Instagram for inspiration and pictures from similar parties!