Q&A for How to Host a Birthday Party

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.

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

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

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.

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.

No.

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.

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

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.

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.

Of course! It's your party, after all. Just make sure your car is clean.

You can serve the cheese and wine first, or you can set it out on a table so guests can serve themselves. Use lids to cover the pots you made for dinner so they stick to the cheese at first. Or put the food items for dinner on a separate table, maybe even with a cloth draped over it, creating a moment of surprise when you reveal dinner. You can also collect the plates after each course and give guests new ones or wash the ones you collected, creating a pause between courses.

It is normal to have a party or to not have a party. It is entirely up to you and your family's preferences. While birthday parties can be fun, not everyone enjoys them; some people even find them stressful, expensive and challenging. If you don't want to have a party as a teenager, that's just fine. It's completely up to you and what makes you feel comfortable.

If all your friends hate each other, you must be very busy seeing them separately all the time. As such, your party might be a great opportunity to get them together to talk over a few things and see if you can't get them to at least be friendly toward each other, if not good friends. Tell each of them how much it matters to you that they all come to your birthday party and to be on their best behavior at least just for the day.

Absolutely!

It is the responsibility of the host to ensure that guests have the opportunity to get to know one another. Hence, introduce them when they first arrive, take the time to bring them into conversation during the party and pair them up with people you think they'll get along with easily.

For a Zoom party, you can play games, together online (i.e. Cards Against Humanity or Kahoot) or just with each other on the call (Would You Rather, Never Have I Ever). The most important thing is to have fun, so just talking together is enough!

Generally not - if it’s a big birthday celebration and is being held at a venue, there may be live music/a DJ.

Invite all your friends and introduce them to each other. Maybe they'll mix better than you think. Or have a mini-party for each group.