Timing
What’s the Best Time of Day for a Kids’ Birthday Party?
You found the theme.
You bought the decorations.
The cake is ordered.
Now comes one of the least exciting — but most important — birthday decisions:
What time should the party start?
For young children, timing can make the difference between a happy birthday kid and a tiny exhausted person screaming because somebody looked at their balloon.
Work Around the Nap
Do not fight the nap.
The nap will win.
If your toddler normally sleeps between 12:30 and 2:30, scheduling the birthday party at 1:00 probably isn’t your best move.
Morning parties can work wonderfully at this age.
Think:
10:00–11:30
The child is awake, fed and usually in a much better mood.
Another option is an afternoon party after nap time.
Late Morning or Mid-Afternoon
Good options include:
10:30–12:30
or
3:30–5:30
Both avoid the awkward territory where kids are hungry, tired or supposed to be sleeping.
You Have More Flexibility
Older children usually handle a wider range of times.
Lunch parties, afternoon parties and early evening birthdays can all work well.
At this point, the activity itself can help determine the schedule.
Morning Parties Are Underrated
There are several excellent things about morning birthdays:
Kids are usually fresh.
They haven’t spent the entire day asking, “IS IT TIME YET?”
And you still have the afternoon afterward.
Breakfast-style party food can also be incredibly easy:
- fruit
- mini pancakes
- muffins
- bagels
- pastries
Add cake and you’ve basically won.
Think About Food Expectations
The time of your party quietly tells guests what food to expect.
A party at 11:30 suggests lunch.
A party at 2:30 can easily be snacks and cake.
A party at 5:00 probably means you should serve something resembling dinner.
If you don’t want to feed 20 people a full meal, timing can help.
Protect Your Child’s Routine
The birthday is special.
That doesn’t mean every part of the day has to change.
Try to keep meals, naps and bedtime reasonably close to normal.
Because the best-decorated party in the world is still difficult to enjoy when you’re three years old and completely exhausted.
Planning something (happily) low-key?