How This Year's Birthday Party Can Help Plan Next Year's Party!

You are going to plan many parties throughout your kid's life - save yourself time and money, and have a high-quality party every time, by thinking of each party as the start of a series of parties.

My youngest son A(4) turns 5 in a couple of weeks, and I’m in the middle of planning his 5^th birthday party! It’s been really fun to work on this because this year he now totally understands the idea that his birthday party will be ALL ABOUT HIM. Plus, he also can remember parties he’s gone to in the past year so he’s been asking for certain elements to be included in his party which is so cute (he really wants a pinata, but I am wary of a pinata at a party full of 4- and 5-year-olds!!). As I plan this birthday party, I realize that between my 3 kids, I’ve planned over 20 kid birthday parties! It’s crazy but true - I have a 10-year-old, an 8-year-old, and an almost 5-year-old and the math doesn’t lie but it’s still wild to think about…

Planning a party is similar to making a movie. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into movies and then it hits the theatres on its release date and that’s it – no more edits or changes allowed – what people are watching is the movie forever! It is the same thing with parties – you plan behind-the-scenes for weeks/months ahead of time and then the day of the party arrives and guests experience it during that time, and that’s it – it’s all done once the party is over and never to be repeated again!

But, as we’ve all seen, there is a way that a movie can sort of be made again – by making a sequel or a remake. In the example of a sequel, it isn’t really making the same movie again, but it is taking the same elements and extending the story of the previous movie. In that case the movie studios will use items from the previous movie: props, locations, actors/writers/directors, production crew and postproduction crew, etc. Using those items can save a lot of money and hassle when making sequels! The props are already made, the locations have already been scouted, and the actors/writers/directors have already been found and most of the time their sequel pay is pre-negotiated in advance of making the previous movie (in case of success, movie studios often have a sequel clause and pay negotiated for a sequel), and the production and postproduction crew are all familiar with one another so can run the set and editing room with a shorthand that they didn’t have during the first movie.

When planning birthday parties for kids I find that if I view them as either the first movie in a series, or as a sequel to previous movies, it is very helpful to many elements of the party planning process! By thinking of a party as a movie sequel, or as a first movie that will one day become a sequel, you can save yourself money, time, resources, and effort on subsequent parties! The key is reminding yourself that the birthday party you are currently planning does not exist as a solo party – elements of it can and should be used at next year’s party or for the next kid’s party. By keeping that idea in mind, while planning your party you are both helping your sequel party and helping your future self!

Here are a few things I’ve learned through experience (and research) that will help you plan birthday parties (and any other kid parties) with a “sequel” in mind:

• Party Supplies: When purchasing disposable plates, cutlery, napkins, etc. consider getting just a few of those in your kids’ theme but then most of them in a solid color/neutral design that you can use again since you will inevitably have some left over. Also, if you use solid colors/neutral designs it will save you quite a bit of money since the themed party supplies are more expensive.
• Party Favors: If you’re offering party favors/goody bags then consider offering items that can be used for next year’s bags or the next kid’s bags. For example, I like to buy a set of favor bags that comes in many colors so if we have too many bags one year then I can save them and use them the next year. This is also why I always offer the same kind of bubble wand, the same kind of lollipop, the same beach ball, etc. in the bags – I can easily use any extras for the next party’s goody bag. I usually also add an item that is tied in to the theme of each kid’s party (and that I don’t mind having extra of in the house). This year, for A(4) we are doing goody bags with bubble wands, 2 Play-Doh cans, and Minions stickers since part of the party’s theme is Despicable Me. If we have extra Minions stickers I know that all of my kids will enjoy them!

Party Entertainment: Consider using the same entertainment you previously used for a different kid! That way you know what to expect and how to host around that activity. For example, at A(4)’s birthday this year we are having the same magician/clown come that came to my older son’s 5^th birthday almost 5 years ago! I know he’s a hit with this age range and I know what to expect for timing at the party, and it helps me relax to know all of that! Or, plan an activity that you want to have at your house after the party -  for A(4)’s party he wants the board game “Sorry” to be one of the themes (in addition to Despicable Me, Bluey, and UNO😂) and I found a huge Sorry game on Amazon that I’ll set up at the party but then we’ll be so happy to have it at the house to play many times after the party!

• Invitations: Use the same app for all your party invitations. When you start to send out invites to your parties, so that all your information (guest lists, previous invites, leftover funds that can roll to the next party invite if the invite costs money) is in one place, choose an invitation app and stick to it. For me, I like Paperless Post because it saves all my addresses in my account and I can easily find a previous party’s invite list and import it to my new party’s list. It also keeps all my previously sent and received invites so I can look at them for reference when making a new invitation.
• Food: If you have a great experience with a bagel shop, a sandwich shop, pizza place, etc., then use them again! You know what you’re getting (and can choose the best things from previous parties) and you’ll know how much to order of everything. If you are making cupcakes for everyone, order wrappers that are neutral so you can use them for the next party. And, if you are offering packaged snacks on a buffet for kids, only offer what you want to serve at another party (assuming expiration dates work out) or that you want to have in your house after the party. For example, if your kids love applesauce pouches and Pirate’s Booty, then that is what you should offer at the party since it’s going to be helpful (rather than taking up space in your pantry for a long time) if you have extras.
• Food Platters/Drink Bins: Use platters from home or buy some inexpensive ones that are unbreakable and will last from party to party. Worth the investment and this is a great sustainable option!
• Location: If you find a great location, keep using it! You’ll know all the ways you can make a party super fun there because you can draw upon your previous experience – you can save money by knowing what you actually need to purchase/bring in in order to host a great party there, you will know what details to focus on to better host your guests, and a big bonus is you’ll feel comfortable/less stressed since you’ve already hosted there. This year A(4)’s party is going to be inside a recreation room at a local park. My older son N had his 6th birthday party there and it was great, and I knew exactly how to sign up for it (they open up signups 30 days in advance and you have to go in person) so I got the space, time, and date I wanted. I also learned that I need more time to set up and clean up (we were so frantic setting up for N’s party and then people stayed longer than the party and we had to rush them out so we could clean and I felt bad!), so for A(4)’s party I added 30 minutes to both our set up time and to our clean up time and I’m sure that will help!

• Phone Notes: Keep a list on your phone of party items that worked great at each party and then refer to it when planning the next party. If you order a cake for a party, make sure to write down the size you ordered and if there was too much or not enough cake - I find that remembering that can be difficult so it’s good to write it down to refer to for the next party! Other things to note are items you bought that worked great. For example, my daughter C(8)’s 1^st birthday was a rubber ducky theme and the ducks from Oriental Trading Co. were super cute so I wrote that down. Fast forward 4 years and I needed something Halloween themed for preschool kids at A(4)’s school and I looked at my list and ordered those same ducks but with a Halloween theme and was so happy my list reminded me about them! This notes list is also a great place to keep ideas you see that work great at other parties - like, if there is a face painter at one that you love then get their info so you can use them at your next party. Keeping a list of what works will save you time and money later because you’ll only have to do the research once and you’ll know it’s great when you book it.

A(4)’s birthday party this year will have these items that are from previous parties I’ve planned:

• Goody bags
• Cutlery in bright blue
• Food platters and drink bins
• Magician/clown from N’s 5th birthday party
• Same cake bakery from my kids’ parties every year
• Bubble wands
• Guest list from his 4th birthday party (it was saved in PaperlessPost)
• Same location as N’s 6th birthday party

I want to be clear that by doing these things, my kids do not feel like they are getting the same party as their siblings! They always get to choose their theme, what activities they want to do, and many many other details that make their party unique to them in so many ways. I just like to be able to repeat things from previous parties that have worked well since there are many parties to plan throughout their childhoods and there is no need to waste time and energy “reinventing the wheel” every time if I don’t have to! Plus, if I can use extra items from previous parties then I’m saving money which I appreciate!

I hope that these ideas help get you started in thinking of your party as a sequel, and I hope that viewing your parties this way helps you with all of your future parties!  

❤️, Amanda, your Type A Mom friend