Your Go-To Birthday Party Essentials

Have you ever organised a birthday party where things felt a bit too awkward? This only happens when you haven’t planned it out beforehand. When your party guests are not given an agenda or a fun activity to participate in, the party ends up uncomfortably silent. Avoid such situations and plan a birthday party that will blow your guests socks off.

Birthday parties are always fun if planned well. So, to help you plan birthday parties for the rest of the year refer to this article for your go-to birthday party essentials. From balloons to bins, we have covered everything you need to do to organise a legendary party!

Organise and Execute

Birthday parties are all about having fun with your friends and family. Whether it is a party for adults or your child’s first birthday party, you should have an idea of the kind of party you want at least two weeks before.

Start planning from the beginning. The number of guests you will be inviting, the kind of food, themes for the party, music, decorations and after-party clean up, are all important factors of party planning. Birthday parties are usually informal, so you don’t need to create special invitations for your guests unless you want to. Based on the number of guests, you will be able to plan ahead.

Food, Glorious Food!

Let’s be honest, people go to parties for the food and drinks. It doesn’t matter if it is a kid’s party and the only drinks being served is regular soda, as long as the food is good the kids and the parent will enjoy it equally. The best part about birthday parties is that you don’t have to make complicated dishes that take hours to prepare. While the birthday is usually the star of the show, the rest of the food is important as well.

There are multiple options here. If you are having a daytime birthday party, a brunch or a barbecue setup is perfect. Finger foods and fruits are great for a brunch-time party while burgers and hotdogs are perfect for a barbecue birthday bash. Furthermore, if it’s a kids birthday party, a barbecue will give all the Dads a chance to bond as well.

If the party is at night opt for the middle ground. Food that is not as small as finger foods but not as big that it requires you to sit down and use cutlery. A smart way to organise a lot of food is to get some catering or delivery and cut everything into smaller portions. Pizzas, burgers, burritos, quesadillas, etc, are great options.

Cutlery, plates and serving dishes

Birthday parties are not the time to get your fine china out. They are loud, messy and things can break (this goes for both adult and kids’ parties). Steer clear of using any of your serving dishes even if they are indestructible. When you are getting your party supplies, buy a few aluminium dishes, disposable plates and cutlery along with disposable cups.

You can be very creative with disposable items since they are usually available in multiple colours. Using disposable items saves you a lot of time and effort. Additionally, keeping a track of who is using what cup can be very difficult. However, with disposable items, you can just write a person’s name with a permanent marker and not feel guilty about having to clean it later.

Birthday Party Themes

Theme parties are a very common trend. Everybody likes to dress up and behave like their favourite character from a movie or TV show. The best part of these party themes is that they are perfect for both adults and children. Here are a few themes you can try out for your or your kid’s birthday party this year:

Disney Theme

Who doesn’t love a party full of your favourite Disney characters, Disney themed food, cutlery and decorations. Singing along to your favourite Disney movie songs with friends and family is the best feeling.

80s Birthday Bash

Transform your home into a club from the 80s and have all your guests dress up in 80s fashion. It is always fun to go back in time and enjoy the best things about the era even if it is just for one night. You can have dance-offs to the footloose soundtrack or sing Madonna songs all night long.

Birthday Bash Under The Sea!

While this theme doesn’t necessarily have to be about the Little Mermaid but who’s stopping you. However, if you’re not keen on Little Mermaid just go for a simple under the sea theme. You can be a little ironic and serve a lot of seafood to your guests. This theme also allows you to play with lights; a mixture of blue, white and yellow lights will create the perfect underwater environment.

Change My Mind

This is a great birthday party theme for adults. Did you know that our tastebuds change every five years? Hence, “change my mind” is a great birthday theme where your guests can bring a dish or drink that they like. These things may consist of ingredients that you absolutely detest but that is all part of the fun. Moreover, this doesn’t have to be limited to food and drinks, it can also include activities. This theme is a great way to see how far you have come or how far you still have to go.

It’s a Superhero Birthday

Everyone likes superheroes. Children and adults alike would love this theme. You can have a simple party with everyone dressed up as superheroes and with superhero-related decorations. However, if you like to be a little more detailed with your themes, specify- Marvel or DC. Additionally, you can refer to the movies and have dishes that are served in the movies to be served at the party as well. You can also have a supervillain theme if you want.

Decoration and Lights

The decoration for birthday parties can be elaborate or simple depending on the theme you choose. Helium balloons, colourful paper cutouts and a sign that says “happy birthday”, is quite common. This is also a great time to re-use some of the decorations you had for Christmas, just make sure your decorations don’t end up looking too Christmassy.

You can amp up the decorations with lights. Lights can transform your place if you use the right ones. Mix and match a few colours or just use one type of lighting. You also have the option of using decorations such as disco balls or LED candle lights.

Music and Games

Always! Always have a few playlists ready before the party. Looking for songs to add to the queue while your guests are waiting for the music to start is just not good. Have a couple of playlists with some upbeat songs ready to go. You must also have a couple of speakers for the party if you have a big house. If the area where all the guests are hanging out is big then you will need more than two speakers to keep the party going.

Another great way to keep your guests engaged is with games. Birthday parties are always more fun when there are games and prizes involved. If you are thinking of birthday party ideas for adults, a few drinking games or even a treasure hunt is a great way to get your guests to participate in activities. Treasure hunts are a great idea for children’s birthday parties as well.

After-Party Clean Up

Cleaning is the worst part about any party. There is too much to do when you’re really tired to do anything. So, we recommend taking a few precautionary measures to avoid dealing with double the work once the party is over.

• Always have more than two bins lying around the house. Distinguish between the bins as well, that is, one for recycling the other for general waste.

• Lots and lots of tissues. Having a lot of tissue boxes is always helpful, especially in the bathroom. This way your guests can just use and dispose of it instead of using hand towels.

• Keep the breakables out of reach. You can clear out bottles during the party to avoid them from breaking. Furthermore, if you clean up during the party your guests are bound to help you out one way or another.

• Takeaway containers will always be useful. Birthday parties can result in a lot of food wastage but that doesn’t have to be the case. Layout some takeaway containers and inform your guests that they are free to take any of the leftovers with them. Problem solved!

If the disposable items have already been taken care of then you don’t need to do much. If you are too tired you can leave the vacuuming to the next day. Moreover, birthday parties would always have your close friends and family visiting. So, get them to help you out as well.