Kids birthday party planning success tips based on child psychology (Pt. 3 of 3) - RI Magician Kids Party Ventriloquist Steve Zany
So you are planning a kids birthday party. You don’t need to be a magician like me to make it magical, (although I can certainly help in that department). All you need to do is take into account some basic child psychology and consider where the kids are in their stage of development. Then you can take advantage of those factors to make your child’s birthday party a wonderful time for all.
Below, is the conclusion of a three-part series that looks at planning a kids party by the ages. In the first post, we looked at parties for kids age 1 though age 4. In my last post, we looked at the next stage: parties for kids age 5 through age 8. To wrap things up, let’s look at planning kids parties for children age 9 though age 11.
Age
Your child’s expectations
How many kids to invite?
Number of adult helpers
How long?
Things to keep in mind
8 year old birthday At age 8, you may discover your child may not want kids of the opposite gender at the party. So tread carefully. Sometimes a co-ed party is something to be skipped. 9 – 16 kids (maximum) 3 – 4 helpers because kids can get a bit more rambunctious at this age.A good rule of thumb is one adult for every three to four kids Two hours is a good length The key at this age is keeping the kids well entertained either with activities and/or a performer. Kids’ attention spans can be harder to keep, with this age group because many children have been to all types of parties by now. It can be time to offer guests something different.
9 year old birthday You’ll likely discover your child being a bit more discriminating in their choices. It can take more to impress a child who is turning 9. Often they think they’ve seen and done it all already. 10 – 18 kids (maximum) 4 – 6 adults Two hours tops At this age, it’s important to keep the party moving and having one or more activities that keep the party moving and keep the kids entertained. Fair warning, managing kids by yourself at this age can be a challenge. Time to come up with a memorable idea.
10 year old birthday Parents often say that by age 10 they find their child eager to help plan the party, thankful for the extra mile you go for them as a parent and open to party ideas. 11 – 20 kids (maximum) 4 – 6 adults Keep it to two hours This age group can be a rowdy bunch, so you need to offer an activity or activities that harness their energy, surprise them and capture their attention.
11 year old birthday By this age, many times the girls want to have boys attend their party, but boys would squirm at the thought of inviting girls to their party. Proceed cautiously 12 – 20 kids (maximum) 4 – 6 adults A two-hour time frame continues to be the magic number Party planning professionals suggest keeping the party to either all boys or all girls, at this age. And keep the kids busy. Bowling alleys and similar venues with lots of activities work really well for this age group.
And there you have it. I hope you have found the above insights interesting and informative.
As with any guidelines, they are just that…guidelines. Your experience or mileage may vary. However, by considering some of the ideas above in your kids party planning you’ll be well on your way to leveraging child psychology and development in a way that will help you make your child’s next birthday party extra special and one to remember.
Magically yours,
Steve Zany, RI Magician Ventriloquist
RI Magician Kids Party Ventriloquist Steve Zany - Nickelodeon Parents Pick Award Winner!
