How to Host a Birthday Party

Co-authored by Natasha Miller and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: June 3, 2024 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.

1

Pick a location 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 local park, a restaurant or bar, a community center, a roller rink, a bowling alley, 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.

2

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.

3

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.

4

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.

5

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.

6

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!

7

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.

8

Play fun party games with your guests.

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This is especially important for parties 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.

9

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.
Martha Stewart, Home, Garden, & Lifestyle Expert

Opening your home is fulfilling and enriches your life. "You should feel good about making your home nicer for your family and your friends. You should feel great about things like cooking a good dinner and making a dress for a granddaughter, creating a beautiful birthday party. It's all part of life."

10

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.

11

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.

12

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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Research source} For older guests, fancy chocolates or cocktail kits are a fun way to send them off.
- 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.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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Create a master list of everything you need to buy and do before the party.

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If you’re throwing a surprise party , do all of your planning in secret.

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How to Host a Birthday Party

Steps

Pick a location for the party.

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

Send out invitations a few weeks in advance.

Buy finger food to feed guests.

Grab a variety of drinks and some ice.

Buy (or make) the birthday cake.

Put up decorations to make your location look festive.

Play fun party games with your guests.

Take a lot of pictures throughout the party.

Have the recipient open up their gifts during the party.

Sing “Happy Birthday” and blow out the candles.

Give out goodie bags to guests as they leave.

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