How to Host a Birthday Party

Co-authored by Natasha Miller and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 References Approved

Celebrating someone’s birthday is always a fun, festive time for everyone involved. But when you’re the host, there’s so much to think about—food, games, dessert, and presents—it can all feel a little overwhelming. Fortunately, with a little planning and a lot of preparation, your birthday party can run smoothly and your guests can leave feeling happy.

Method 1

Method 1 of 12:
Pick a date, place, and time for the party.

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Make sure your location is big enough to hold all of your guests! You can host a party at your home, a community center, a roller rink, or even at some zoos. Choose a date and time that will work for most people, like on a weekend or in the evening.^{[1]
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- Little kids might appreciate a party at a place with activities, like a roller rink or a bowling alley.
- Older adults are probably fine with a party in your home or at a restaurant.
- If gathering in-person isn’t an option, you can throw a party via video chat. Invite your guests to join a meeting on Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Skype, then eat and chat like you would at any other party.
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Method 2

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Pick a theme or color combination to base the party on.

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This will make decoration and food shopping way easier. If you’re planning a party for a small child, you might choose their favorite book or TV show. If it’s for an older kid or a young adult, something a little more sophisticated might work.^{[2]
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- Jungles, zoo animals, pirates, princesses, and ocean life are all fun themes to choose for a little kid.
- Glow in the dark/neon, sci-fi, night club, and the beach are all great themes for a young adult.
- Older adults probably don’t need a theme, so you can just choose some fun party colors instead.

Method 3

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Send out invitations a few weeks in advance.

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This will give your guests plenty of time to work it into their schedule. Send paper invitations, email invites, or text messages to all your guests a few weeks before the party.^{[3]
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- If you’re hosting a party for your child, have them hand out invitations during class.
- You can buy invitations that match the theme of your party for a cute way to tie it all together.
- Make sure you note the time and place of the party on the invitation.
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Method 4

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Buy finger food to feed guests.

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Your guests will probably eat as they walk around and chat. Pick up some food that’s easy to eat on the go, like chips, sandwiches, and ice cream bars.^{[4]
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- If you’re hosting a children’s party, be sure to check with the other parents to see if anyone has dietary restrictions.
- Popcorn, pretzels, and M&Ms are all fun finger foods that your guests can eat.
- If you’d like a healthy alternative, try vegetables or fresh fruit.
- Older adults might like food that’s a little more fancy, like crab puffs or mini quiches. If you’re hosting both kids and adults, try to get a variety of food that everyone will like.

Method 5

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Grab a variety of drinks and some ice.

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You can’t have food without something to wash it down! For a kid’s party, juice and soda will do the trick. For an adult party, you may want to grab soda, beer, and wine.^{[5]
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- It’s never fun to run out of ice, so make sure you stock up on the day of the party.
- You could also ask your guests to bring a few drinks to share potluck-style.
- If you’re hosting a party for adults, you could also make up a pitcher of cocktails to share.
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Method 6

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Buy (or make) the birthday cake.

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It’s the most important part of the party. If you’d like to get a professional to make your cake, head to your local bakery a few days in advance to put in your order. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can make and decorate the cake yourself the night before.^{[6]
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- If your party has a theme going, decorate the cake to match it. You can use fondant, frosting, or plastic cake toppers for a fun and easy decoration.
- If you don’t want to deal with cutting up a huge cake for all of your guests, get some cupcakes instead. You could also splurge on some cookies as an extra sweet treat.
- Don’t forget to grab some candles!

Method 7

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Put up decorations to make your location look festive.

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Make sure they fit your theme! Balloons, streamers, banners, and confetti are all birthday classics that can’t be beat. Try decorating the outside and the inside of your location to set the mood for the rest of the party.^{[7]
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- If you’re going for an animal theme, put up cutouts of jungle animals, zoo animals, or aquatic animals.
- If you’re hosting a party for a teen or young adult, try putting up a disco ball and a fun “happy birthday” banner.
- Or, try a murder mystery party with cobwebs and old silverware.
- You could also grab a few party hats or silly glasses for guests to wear.
- If you’re hosting the party outside, grab some outdoor lights or hanging lanterns.
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Method 8

Method 8 of 12:
Play fun party games with your guests.

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This is especially important for pirates with lots of children. Little kids might enjoy pin the tail on the donkey, a piñata, or a scavenger hunt. Older kids might like iSpy, cornhole, or making slime.^{[8]
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- Teens and older adults probably don’t need games or an activity to do while at a party. Just make sure there’s plenty of music and snacks to go around.
- You could even have live entertainment, like a band or a DJ, for an older adult.

Method 9

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Take a lot of pictures throughout the party.

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As the host, you’ll probably want to remember all the fun your guests are having. Grab your phone or a digital camera and spend some time walking around the party to take pictures of people.^{[9]
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- You can send the photos out later after the party so everyone remembers what a good time they had!
- If you’re going to post your pics on social media, make up a fun hashtag, like #BradsBdayBash or #AlyssasBigDay.
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Method 10

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Have the recipient open up their gifts during the party.

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This is one of the most fun party traditions there is. About midway through the party, have everyone sit down and watch the birthday girl or boy open presents.^{[10]
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- This is especially important during a party for a little kid. It’s always fun for their friends to see what kind of toys and games they got.
- If you want to remember this moment forever, have someone record the gift-opening with their phone.
- If you’re hosting a party for an older adult, opening gifts in front of everyone isn’t required. However, it can still be fun!
- If you’d like to send out thank you cards, make sure you write down who each gift is from.

Method 11

Method 11 of 12:
Sing “Happy Birthday” and blow out the candles.

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Another birthday tradition you can’t forget is the birthday song! Once everyone’s eaten their fill of snacks and finger food, light the candles and sing “Happy Birthday” before the birthday girl or boy blows them out.^{[11]
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- After that, you can slice up the cake and hand out pieces for all of your guests to enjoy.
- If you decided on cupcakes, put a few candles into a single cupcake instead.
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Method 12

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Give out goodie bags to guests as they leave.

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This is a fun way to thank your guests for coming. For little kid parties, try making bags with art supplies or small toys that kids might like.^{[12]
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- Try checking out the $1 section at your local home goods store for cheap and easy goodie bag fillers.
- Goodie bags are optional, but they’re fairly common at birthday parties for small children.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I host a birthday party just for family members living in the house?

Community Answer

All the steps in the article will still apply. Depending on how many people there are in your family, you may have to adjust some things.
Question

Is it my responsibility as the host to provide my invited friends with transportation?

Community Answer

No, it's not typically the responsibility of the host to provide transportation for attendees.
Question

How do I invite people if I don't have friends?

Community Answer

Family is fine, too. Try opening up to more people a few months in advance so you do have friends to invite.
Question

I want to plan a backyard water slide party for my little brother. About 10 kids are coming, and I want to be their lifeguard, camera girl, etc. How do I plan this all and ensure that everything goes smoothly?

Tom De Backer

Top Answerer

Safety first. Think of the wildest, stupidest things anyone could do on your setup, and prevent this. Kids are wild, and when the fun is on, they're thinking even less of their own safety. Whatever roles you give yourself, don't let anything get in the way of your role as safety supervisor. Make solid, clear rules, e.g. "Absolutely no jumping", and put attendees in timeout the second they break the rules. Finally, consider asking a couple friends or family members to come help you out so you can divide these tasks over more people than just you.
Question

Should presents be opened on a child's first birthday?

Community Answer

It is common to open gifts during the party, but it's not necessary. If you do decide to open presents, there are a few things to consider. If there are a lot of little kids attending the party, opening presents could cause a bit of chaos, because the kids will inevitably want to play with all the new toys. On the other hand, guests might enjoy watching the presents being opened. You could also see what the mood feels like during the party and decide in the moment if you want to open presents.
Question

Are goody bags necessary at a teen's birthday party?

Community Answer

No.
Question

How to talk on the platform?

Community Answer

It's all about confidence. My father says that before speaking in front of others, take a deep breath and remember that even if you screw up, you will make others smile.
Question

What are some good themes for tweens' parties?

Community Answer

Just a few would be a Nerf war, sleepover party, pool party, dance, any sport the kid likes as a theme.
Question

Can you help with which theme I choose?

Community Answer

It depends on the interest of the birthday person. If they like to play baseball, you could do a ballpark theme. If they like glamorous events, you could throw a Hollywood red-carpet themed party.
Question

What type of gifts should be given to girls of 13?

Community Answer

A jewelry-crafting set, Nerf guns, gift certificate for a clothing store, all-in trip to the mall, a set of sleepover essentials, make-up, cute onesie pajamas, sports equipment, a wooden puzzle enigma, school supplies other than the usual stuff, new shoes, an all-girl sauna visit, boxing lessons or a good book are just a few ideas.

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References

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About This Article

Co-authored by:

Event Planner & CEO, Entire Productions

This article was co-authored by Natasha Miller and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Natasha Miller is an Event Planner, Chief Experience Designer, and President of Entire Productions, an event and entertainment production company based in San Francisco, California. Notable clients Natasha has collaborated with include Apple, Google, Gap, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and Salesforce. Natasha and Entire Productions has been awarded Inc. 5,000's "Fastest Growing Companies in America", Entrepreneur Magazine's 360 List of "Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America." Entire Productions is also a Certified Women Business Enterprise. Natasha is a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI). This article has been viewed 97,485 times.

3 votes - 67%

Co-authors: 30

Updated: October 21, 2021

Views: 97,485

Categories: Etiquette | Party Planning

Article SummaryX

To host a birthday party, decide on a fun theme, like Disney characters, with your child and send out invites to the guests 3 to 4 weeks in advance. On the day, try to set out the food, drinks, and games 30 minutes before the party starts so you can take a moment to settle. As the guests arrive, greet each of them, take their coat, and offer them a refreshment. Then, during the party, try to make sure your child opens their gifts so everyone can see what they got, but keep in mind this may not always be possible. For tips on buying supplies for a party or hosting a party for adults, read on!

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