Hosting a birthday party, especially for children, can be quite the undertaking. Between the organization, picking birthday party appropriate food and prep work, it’s easy to let important considerations fall to the wayside. Never fear! My Food and Family is here to help with an easy-to-follow check list to keep even the busiest birthday party host on track.

Choose a Theme

Many parents find it’s helpful to choose a theme for their child’s birthday party around which they can organize everything else. Does your little one have any niche interests you can tap into? Consider any sports they may enjoy, games they may be deeply focused on or literary characters they admire. Talk to your child and see if they have anything in mind for this year, and come to a decision together. If you’re having difficulty deciding, try exploring our collection of birthday party themes and cakes. Remember, hosting a birthday party is supposed to be fun! Choose something together that you both really enjoy.

Set Your Guest List

Find out who your child wants to celebrate their special day with. Be sure to consider friends from school, the neighborhood, and those your child may know from after-school activities. Send out your invitations as soon as possible. About a month out from the date of your party should be sufficient time for people to both plan and respond to your invites. This way you’ll know what to expect and how much birthday party food to prepare.

Decorating

Decorating is one area where having a clear theme really can help you out. In addition to staples like streamers across the room, banners with words of congratulations and plenty of balloons, there may be thematically specific elements and designs you can incorporate.

Entertainment

A great way to take some of the pressure off of you as the birthday party host is to make sure there is plenty of entertainment for the children to enjoy. You might consider setting up something physically engaging like an obstacle course that your guests can decide how to interact with on their own. Or you may decide to go with more participatory activities like party games. Traditional party games like tug of war, a water balloon toss or capture the flag are always great choices!

Nibbles

You need a way for your little guests to fuel themselves while they enjoy the festivities. It’s always a good idea to have plenty of kid-friendly birthday party food around to keep their spirits up. Here are some ideas for birthday party snack-like foods they may enjoy.

Carrot Pinwheels:

No need for the kids to slow down when you serve Carrot Pinwheels. These yummy snacks are a great grab-and-go choice when your guests are on the move.

Easy Caramel Popcorn:

Save yourself some time the on the day you’re hosting your birthday party with our Easy Caramel Popcorn. This sweet dish is super simple to make and will be ready to set out when the time is right.

Pizza Pockets:

Pizza is almost universally adored, and our Pizza Pockets are a great way to serve up that amazing flavor without much mess. This tasty dish is a pretty ideal birthday party food choice!

Cinnamon-Apple Fruit Snack Recipe:

With only four ingredients and no baking involved, our Cinnamon-Apple Fruit Snack Recipe is ideal for a birthday party full of kids. You can whip up several batches in less time than it takes to watch a television program.

For even more inspiration, look into our great collection of birthday party snacks.

The Main Event

The big reveal when it comes to birthday party food is traditionally the cake. There’s nothing more thrilling than blowing out candles surrounded by loved ones. Make sure that the stage is picture perfect with one of our great cake recipes. If you need a little extra coaching to be in top form, be sure to read our tutorial on how to bake a cake.

Dirt ‘Cake’ Recipe:

A beloved birthday party staple, our Dirt ‘Cake’ Recipe is always a big hit with the kids. It’s almost as fun to look at as it is delicious!

BAKER’S ONE BOWL Chocolate Cake Recipe:

Chocolate is always a safe bet when you have a large crowd to please. Serve up a dish with almost universal appeal with BAKER’S ONE BOWL Chocolate Cake Recipe.

Piñata Cake:

Surprise your guests with a gorgeous and whimsical Piñata Cake. This cake has a hidden surprise just waiting to be revealed!

Mini Cake Cones:

Why not try something a bit out of the ordinary for your child’s birthday cake? Mini Cake Cones are playful, sweet and ideal for small hands. Plus, no need to cut a cake!

Sure, hosting a birthday party for your child can be a daunting task. But if you start early, stay organized and plan out your birthday party food choices well in advance, you’ll be sure to treat your beloved child to an unforgettable day you both can enjoy!