Children’s birthday parties have become more and more elaborate as the years have gone on. You may have noticed that there are a lot of Pinterest accounts that focus on how to make perfect homemade decorations for every event and children’s birthdays are no different.

This can be a little overwhelming for a lot of busy parents who simply don’t have the time to sit down and hand crochet each invitation or make a bowl of origami fruit.

So, how can you make your child’s birthday party special while still keeping up with your busy schedule of hockey practice, piano lessons and many of the other activities that you need to do on a daily basis?

1. Send out online invitations

Remember that this isn’t a wedding, nor is it 1995. You do not need to send out paper invitations to the children who you are inviting to your child’s birthday party. There are so many online options that are free or at very little cost. Paperless post is a very cost-effective way to invite people to your event.

There are free alternatives such as email and Facebook. These can all be tailored to include pictures and colours and only take a few minutes to put together.

2. Hire a mascot

Mascots are a great way to take a party to the next level. You may even find that this is what separates the party you’re planning from all of your child’s friends. A mascot can be anything from whatever cartoon character is popular at the moment to a sports mascot. If you are considering this then you should look into hiring a professional as there will be able to stay in character at all times and give a memorable performance that will have the kids and parents at school talking about for years to come.

When you choose a mascot, you need to make sure that you are making the right choice. You should be focused on what your kid will like and what will make them the toast of the schoolyard. It is always a good idea to ask your child what mascot they would like to show up at the party. You don’t need to say the word ‘mascot’ but you can ask them if they would like Barney or Big Bird for example.

3. Timing is everything

You already have a busy schedule, as do a lot of the other parents at the school. For your child’s birthday party to be a success you need guests. For this reason, you need to make sure that the date, time, and location of the party is suitable for all concerned.

This last thing that you want is to plan a party that only a few children can attend. If you need to ask around a few of the parents first to establish when they are available then that might be the best idea.

4. Pick the right venue

This is also very important. Once you know the number of children that are coming you need to make sure that the venue can handle the logistics of the party.  If the children are very young will want to make sure that there is room for the parents at the party. Also, you will need to think about parking availability.

5. Have the party in a local park

This has s number of great advantages. The venue is free and open to the public and as a local park, you will probably be able to ensure that everyone is familiar with the location. This also means that there will be no problem finding the venue or parking.