Summer Birthday Party Success for Small Kids

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks to Hood for supporting The Mod Mommy!

I can’t even believe I just had my youngest child’s FIRST birthday party. I swear, each time I have another baby that first year goes by even faster.

This year I had my hand’s full, but I still pinned ideas like crazy and left myself plenty of time to plan.

After holding two other first birthday parties, I now know what worked for me and what didn’t.

My goal was to actually be able to enjoy it and not feel like the caterer.

Here are some easy tips to keep in mind when planning a birthday party for kids:

Pick a theme. Choosing a theme can not only take the stress out of planning, but it’s a good way to show off your child’s interests. We live in the Ocean State and my son was born in the summer, so I picked a nautical theme that featured little whales and anchors.

Serve small bites. I held my party from Noon to 3. Most people don’t like having a large lunch, so serving bite-sized food is a great idea no matter how old your guests are.

On my menu, guests enjoyed party-size pizza, calzone bites and finger sandwiches. I didn’t have to cut a thing and leftovers were a cinch to put away!

This was my menu and I framed it and had it on display with the food.

Ditch the cake and serve cupcakes. Cupcakes are a great idea for several reasons.

1. They’re perfect for tiny hands.
2. They’re great to eat on the move.
3. You can serve multiple flavors.
4. They’re low maintenance. No cutting or plating. Just grab and go!

Offer Hoodsie Cups with the cupcakes. It’s summer, so naturally, guests will want to cool off. Hoodsie Cups are fabulous because the portion-size is just enough for the little ones, they’re packed with two flavors and the product is made in a nut-free facility. It’s a safe and tasty bet when your guests are full of children. I grew up on Hoodsie Cups and it was fun to introduce my kids to one of my favorite summer treats!

Shop the seasonal aisle at craft stores and Target for favor bag ideas. We held my son’s birthday a few weeks after the 4th of July, but our theme also happened to be red, white and blue. I thought I struck gold when I found adorable reusable drink cups that were shaped like a star at 70 percent off! They had a straw and a lid and were perfect for my crowd of small kids.

You’ll also find beach pails or other sand toys for a bargain in the seasonal aisle, you just got to get there before they put all the back-to-school stuff out! Beach pails are great to use as the favor bag.

You can fill it with a sand shovel, bottle of bubbles or a snack bag.

A final tip worth mentioning:

I started planning the party about a month in advance, so I decided to store all of my party supplies in a huge box to keep them safe. By doing that, I stayed organized and it made decorating for the party easier because I knew where everything was and anyone could jump in and help.

Happy 1st Birthday to my sweet, giggly boy!

Finally had this sweet boy’s first birthday celebration! We got rained out three weeks ago, but had a great day today. Thanks to all who shared it with us! #angelbaby

What other party tips do you have?