Everybody loves a good party, whether you’re six or sixty-six. However, many, understandably, don’t like the logistics that often come into them. Hosting a party is hard work at the best of times, and kids parties doubly so. So when people consider planning their child’s next birthday party, they may find themselves wishing they could just offload the hassle onto someone else.
Actually, that’s not a bad idea in the slightest. Many parents have seen the benefits of hosting birthday parties away from home.
Marking an Occasion
That’s not to say that hosting birthday parties at home is a mistake. Arguably there are many reasons why you should. For example, the home is a familiar and comfortable space for your children, which helps them relax more. You know the area, and can plan more efficiently around it. You don’t need to rely so much on other people to make sure the party is a success. It’s also in many ways a lot cheaper and is useful for those who want a party on a budget.
On the other hand, there are a lot of downsides too. The most principal one being that having a crowd of excited children full of sugar and excitement bouncing off the walls is a recipe for something valuable getting broken, damaged, or soiled. Another issue arises in the immediate aftermath – you’ll be responsible for the mess. Then there’s just the stress, panic and frustration with trying to get a party off the ground with only the resources you personally have access to.
At the end of the day, we want our kids to have a day that’s special to them in particular. We want them to know they’re loved and appreciated. We want them to enjoy themselves. But at the same time, we want to be able to enjoy it too.
Outsourcing is Not Just for Businesses
In this light, you can probably already guess what the major advantages are to hosting your birthday party elsewhere, perhaps with the assistance of the on-site staff. What the exact benefits are will vary from venue to venue. Some will only go so far as to offer a space to host it in and some tables and chairs, others may offer to organize the whole party from start to finish, and from the catering to the games and decorations. In general, though you can expect the following perks.
- Your house is left intact. All the noise, mess and damage is contained somewhere far, far away from your fragile ornaments and good curtains. The neighbors will also not be disturbed.
- There’s generally more space. If a venue hosts parties, they usually have space and facilities to accommodate the boundless energy of young children.
- Easier logistics. Trying to organize a party within the home frequently means it’s just you, and perhaps one or two friends and relations, doing the work. Hosting off-site allows you to co-ordinate with the venue’s staff and streamline planning.
- You won’t have to deal with the mess. The venue will frequently have its own staff and volunteers to clean up after you, leaving you free to focus on other things. If you’re still expected to clean up afterwards, the mess is still a lot more contained and manageable, and you’ll have more help.
- You’ll be able to record or take photos of your child, or better yet, you’ll actually be in some of them!
As mentioned previously, there is a variety of different venues available that allow you to host kid’s parties away from home. Each type will offer different facilities and services, at varying costs and conditions. The choice will most likely be limited by your budget, as well as personal preference. Some parents actually like managing parties, for the most part, but just want to keep it away from the furniture. Others just want to be able to focus on their kids, with only nominal input in the overall structure of the party itself.
Church halls, community centers and other such buildings will frequently allow parents to host parties there for a modest fee. This provides for a basic space in which the birthday can be hosted and some furniture. Many will also have kitchens for serving food and drinks. However, these are also the most hands-off. You’ll be expected to provide your own entertainment and food, and to clean up afterwards. For some though, this is ideal. It allows them full creativity and control over how the birthday party runs.
An alternative is to seek out a restaurant. Many offer to host kids’ birthdays at special rates, with various perks such as free ice cream, a cake and even decorations. Larger restaurants may even set aside your own personal space separate from other diners, to the convenience of both parties (pardon the pun). This basically removes the two major hassles of birthdays – the food and cleaning – however, entertainment may be limited. In such a case, restrict the party to an hour or so. Any longer and kids will start to fidget.
Another option is to seek out a leisure centre or indoor playground. These offer the full gamut of party services, with you merely overseeing general details, such as theme, dietary restrictions, and decoration. The venue will provide its own food (many have their own cafes), provide the entertainment, and staff will clear up all the mess afterwards. This is ideal for parents who just dislike managing a party. Of course, this is not without cost. Hosting parties in such locations is often very costly, however, many consider it a fair exchange for all that’s provided.
Hosting Away from Home on a Budget
If you’re really pressed for cash, you can consider cheaper alternatives. It costs you absolutely nothing to take a party to a park or the beach, for example. Although you’ll need to provide the food and entertainment. You can even put together a themed party and decorate a park gazebo with low cost decorations. Another advantage to a party at a park, is the freedom kids will have to run around and burn off all that cake energy. Also, if you do opt for a party theme, you could always have the birthday boy or girl dress up in a customized themed outfit, such as the ones lil threadz creates, to go along with picked theme theme.
Christian Mills is a freelance writer and father two beautiful kids. He enjoys the tiem he spends with them and loves to share with his audience his experiences of parenthood. If you would like to learn more about him, you can check out his Google+ profile.
I want to make sure that my son’s birthday is memorable, but I don’t want to have to do a ton of work around my house to make it so. Using somewhere else as a venue would definitely be a lot better than using my own home! That way I wouldn’t have to worry about setting anything up, or the clean up afterward.