How long should my kids birthday party be? This is a frequently asked question that I receive. My best advice is to make sure you feel your kid’s birthday party is manageable in two ways:
- Limit the number of children. While it may feel necessary to invite your child’s whole class, this can be a recipe you may regret. There’s various rules of thumb. Some children’s party planners suggest inviting the same number of children to the birthday party as your child’s age. I would extend this suggestion and say that psychologically your child can handle a group of children up to twice their age without them becoming overwhelmed.
- So how long should the party be? One hour is more than enough time for a toddler birthday party. Two hours for a pre-school-age birthday party. For older children two to three hours maximum is fine, based on my experience during the past two decades.
Wishing you all the best with your kids party planning!
