Tips for Throwing Birthday Parties during the Holidays

Tips for Throwing Birthday Parties during the Holidays

Do your kids have birthdays that fall during the busy holiday season? Whether your kiddo is a Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, or even Valentine’s Day baby, you want to make sure that she still feels like her special day isn’t going by unrecognized. The build-up to the new year is always super busy with invitations for various social occasions, so here are a few tips to help prevent your child’s birthday from getting lost in the shuffle.

1. Give extra notice for parties.

The first thing you’ll need to think about is whether or not you’re going to throw a party. If you are, you’ll need to give your guests more notice than usual. Lots of people travel during the holidays, so be sure that your daughter’s BFF isn’t going to be out of town on the big day. If you have a theme, you’ll need to give your guests plenty of time to pick up their costumes, especially if they need specific items like plus size fancy dress or movie-themed costumes.

2. Choose a memorable theme.

Make the party stand out by giving it a (non-holiday) theme. Ask your child for input here, and they’ll probably give you some ideas. Superheroes, princesses, and sports themes are always popular. You’ll need to think about costume ideas to match the theme, giving guests time to pick up their superhero or baby fancy dress from Funidelia or other retailers. You can also carry the theme through to the decorations, party games, and invitations.

3. Don’t double up on presents.

If you know people with a holiday birthday, it’s tempting to buy a present that covers both occasions. But for birthday boys or girls, this can leave them feeling like their birthday doesn’t matter, no matter how big and shiny the two-for-one present may be. Make a point of making birthday presents separate, and don’t put them under the tree!

4. Create a birthday area for decorations and cards.

If your child’s birthday falls within the two weeks surrounding Christmas, this can really be an issue since it’s likely that your house will be dominated by trees and tinsel. A way to get around this is to designate a special room, or even just a corner of one room, that’s free from anything but birthday decorations. Give birthday cards their own special display area. You could surprise your child by decorating their bedroom with banners and balloons, creating a birthday enclave.

5. Celebrate at a different time of year.

Finally, you could save the party for a less hectic time of year. Many families with holiday birthday babies choose to postpone the party a few months. You could celebrate on the child’s half-birthday instead, or let him pick a special day with its own meaning.

Whether you decide to be ambitious and throw a themed bash or postpone your child’s party until June, there are a number of ways to handle this common situation. With a little bit of extra care, you can make sure that your special holiday baby still gets the recognition he or she deserves!