Survival Guide: How to throw a Kindergarten B-day Party.

Okay, so I am being a tad dramatic. On the other hand, if you are throwing a birthday party with 20 to 30 small children fleeting about this title could be painfully accurate. Lucky for you, I am going to take you through some easy, thrifty, and sure-fire ideas on not only how to survive the onslaught of that many little children, but to actually enjoy the birthday party yourself...and possibly looking forward to throwing another one next year(possibly).

My eldest is turning 6 this year and I can see a glimpse of what he may look like as a grown man. He is so handsome and he has a smile that lights up the room...oh and those dimples! Initially we invited local family and friends, but it is the beginning of the school year and I wanted to invited both my son's kindergarten class as well as my other son's preschool friends. Needless to say, we got to 30 people quite quickly. Not only that, it was supposed to rain....I was not even remotely prepared for that!

Survival Tip #1. Try to have the party outdoors. Luckily, it did not rain and the children ran around, climbed trees, and hit each other with foam swords for quite some time before becoming bored.

Survival Tip #2. Introduce toys or other activities upon noted boredom. I had bounce balls, little containers of play dough, and stickers you could foil at the ready. All of these activities are activities the children can entertain each other with. That is the key to happy children and happy adults during a large birthday party. They can play and you can eat...genius.

Survival Tip #3. Include holidays when applicable. My son was 4 hours away from being a Halloween baby. I was already in labor 12 hrs+ when he arrived, but part of me wanted to hold out for the last 4 hours so that he could be an October baby...yes, I love Halloween that much. Because the party was "Star Wars themed" we got Star Wars masks at Target that included stickers to decorate them! This is also a perfect party favor for the kiddos. These masks were sold in a pack of 10 for $7.00. Relatively cheap and they were already assembled!

Survival Tip #4. Balloons. Out of all the little toys I purchased, the balloons reigned supreme. They chased the balloons, kicked the balloons, dragged the balloons, squeezed the balloons, popped the balloons, and everyone left with a balloon. I am obsessed with Knot & Bow. If you live in VA, know that Creme de la Creme is one of their carriers. I bought the cutest vintage-swirled balloons from them!

Survival Tip #5. Keep your party short and on a Saturday. This tip seems like common sense, but I am going to throw it out there anyway. As parents of multiple children, we are chronically overworked and very tired individuals. A short Saturday party ensures both a good turn-out plus the keeping of the party throwers sanity. This tip is win-win for everyone involved. Sunday is a fabulous recovery day!

In short, I hope these tips prove helpful and lead to a Happy Birthday celebration for all!