How to Throw a Successful Party

Write By: admin Published In: ROOT Created Date: 2014-10-14 Hits: 3759 Comment: 0

parties can be great fun, but they can also be incredibly stressful for the person trying to pull them off! Don't worry. There are some particular considerations (like how many people, the venue, the entertainment, etc.) you'll need to figure out, but once you've got those figured out, you'll be ready to go. See step 1 to get started throwing your amazing party.

Method 1 of 4: Throwing a Children's Party

1
Plan carefully and in advance. What you really don't want to be doing is flying around a few hours before the party trying to get food and decorations and goodies all sorted out. You also want to make sure that you know who is coming to the party, so you want invitations to go out at least a few weeks in advance.^[1]
- Make a list of the food you're going to have, the decorations and games you're going to need, what your budget is. This way you won't be caught by surprise when the party suddenly rolls around.
- Have a people limit. Make it clear to the parents of the kids who are coming whether siblings are allowed, what the age group is going to be, and whether or not they need to stick around with their child (the answer to that is yes, yes they do). Some people will ignore your request, but at least it will be out there and will make the more polite parents do as they are asked.
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2
Line up help. Make sure that your family knows what they need to do to help you out. Do not attempt to run a children's party all on your own. You will end up exhausted and worn out, no matter what, but having people to help with things like set-up and clean-up and the games can make everything 100 times easier.
- Ask family members or close friends to lend a hand with the party (especially if they've got a kid coming to it). It can be something as simple as bringing over some food, helping put up decorations, or even pick up the cake if it's a birthday party and you can't.
- Have your kid help you make the invitations and the decorations. This can be a fun process for both of you. It will lend a kid's touch to the proceedings, which is really what it's all about, right?
3
Have a time limit for the party. If you don't do this, there are going to be meltdowns from the children and you'll end up as a de facto babysitter for some of the kids who aren't yours. By having a specific time that you start and end, you'll make sure that people get there kids out of the way before all the tantrums start.^[2]
- If your child is at the age where they're still napping, make sure that you don't schedule the party right during nap-time. That's basically a recipe for a meltdown. Keep to their schedule as much as possible, by having it in the morning before the nap or in the afternoon after the nap.
- Keep the party short (unless it is a sleepover, in which case, you'll want to limit the number of guests). Have the party go for about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. This will help make sure you and your helpers don't get too exhausted.
4
Have kid-centric food. Even if you're a health nut about what food your kid eats, you can still make it so the food at the party is food that they like and that the other kids will like. Parties are supposed to be fun and a little out of the ordinary (especially if it's a birthday party, or a party for a holiday like Halloween).
- Try and avoid really messy foods. This is why chips and snacks are so good for children's parties, because they're easy to eat while you're running around. For example: spaghetti and meatballs is probably not a good choice for a kid's party, especially one with lots of younger children.
- Depending on the type of party you can style the foods to go along with the theme. For example: for a Halloween party you might have cookies shaped like pumpkins, or delicious pumpkin bars. You could have baked pumpkin seeds, peeled grapes (eyeballs!), and that sort of thing.
- It can be a fun idea to have a build your own ice cream sundae or cupcake. Set out bowls of different sprinkles and different things they can build for dessert. Make sure that you've put out newspapers underneath, because sprinkles will get everywhere.
5
Have appropriate games. Whatever kind of children's party you're throwing, you want to make sure that the children are properly occupied. In the time that you have (1 1/2 hours to 2 hours) you'll probably want to have 1 or 2 activities. Too many and the kids will be all over the place and too few games, the kids will get bored.^[3]
- Make sure that you have some activity planned right off the bat. This eases the awkwardness and gets all the kids involved in something, so that they aren't just running all over the place.
- Scavenger hunts are great fun for kids. The level of difficulty can be raised or lower depending on the age of the children. They can also be adapted to a variety of themes (Pirate treasure hunt, a princess scavenger hunt, find a pumpkin scavenger hunt). Simple make sure that there are prizes for all the children.
- Avoid competitive games. You especially want to do this for younger children. Competitive games mean winners and losers and the losers will inevitably start to cry. To avoid that, have games like freeze tag where no one actually wins or loses.
6
Send them away happy. This is an especially good idea for a birthday party, because (especially amongst the youngest crowd) tantrums may be thrown because they want gifts too. To avoid this, have a little something for each child so that they feel included.
- Have goody bags. Most kids don't care that much what is in the goody bag, they just like that they're getting something. Have it be a cheap, small thing that goes along with the party's theme (a sparkly princess hair clip, or a pirate's eye patch). If you don't want to overload them with candy, too, have a thing of animal crackers instead.
- You could also do a craft project that they can then take home with them. Do something like make tie-dye (there are really easy kits out there, so that it doesn't turn into a huge mess), or get a bunch of different fun beads to make necklaces, or have them draw something related to the theme of the party.

Method 2 of 4: Throwing a Party for Teens

1
Plan in advance. Throwing a party for a teenager can be a difficult process, since what they think is cool and what their parents think is cool, often are in entirely different universes. You will want plenty of time to check in with them about what they would like, or if you're the teen planning the party, you'll need plenty of time to check in with your parents and talk to your friends.
- Budget the party. See what you can spend on things like food, drinks, decorations, music, and so on.
- Have the teen deal with invitations. Again parents usually don't understand what is cool or embarrassing for their teenagers and handwritten invitations could be just the ticket to loserville at school. Let them decide how they're going to invite people, as long as it's the agreed-upon guests and not open to every person in school.
2
Pick a type of party. While a theme party might not be cool enough for your teen, there are lots of different kinds of parties to have. Is it a birthday party? A holiday party (like Halloween)? A graduation party? Each of these will require different decorations (if the teen wants decorations) and, sometimes, different foods.
- You should also think about the type of party in terms of its location. A beach front party with a bonfire is going to require different set up and energy to pull off than a Halloween party at your house. An outside party is going to require weather preparations (having an area nearby that's under some sort of cover, for example).
- Remember, a girls sleep-over is going to be very different from a graduation party. For the former, a chaperone or parent will simply need to make sure that the girls aren't sneaking out, otherwise you don't usually have to worry about them. The latter type of party is more likely to get out of control and will need supervision.
3
Set a time. You want to make sure that the teen's friends can make it to the party, so try for advance notice for a bigger party, like a birthday bash or Halloween extravaganza (a couple weeks, at least). For a smaller party, you usually won't need as much time, unless it's a really important party.
- Avoid school nights and Sunday nights during the school year. Teens should, hopefully, be rested for school and have time to do their schoolwork. Partying will cut into that time.
- Make sure that the parents of the invited teens know what's going to be happening at the party and that alcohol won't be served and that they know there is adequate supervision.
4
Get the pieces of the party together. Pulling everything together will make the party successful. This means having the right food and the right music. If you've planned it out beforehand, this part shouldn't be too difficult.
- For food, you want something that is easy to snack on. Chips and dip, pretzels, candy and cookies, pizza, and some cut up veggies and dip, are all great choices. You could also cut up some fruit and have a fruit platter. If you put some chocolate dip in the middle you'll have a fun (and somewhat healthy option).
- Let the teens provide music themselves. They will typically have iPods and phones packed with their types of music. Simply hook up some speakers and an MP3 hook-up, so they can have it louder to dance to. If you're worried about the neighbors, make sure to test it beforehand and check in with them.
- For drinks you'll want sodas and water. Remember, unless the drinking age is 18 or less, you could get in trouble for having alcohol at the party, even if you didn't provide it.
- It's a good to use paper plates and cups and forks to make for less clean-up afterwards. Teens aren't usually that picky about what they use to eat with. If you're environmentally conscious, there are usually biodegradable paper plates and things that you can use.
5
Set up zones for the party. Again, this can depend on the type of party, but it's usually a good idea to have different designated areas for different activities, like dancing, playing Foosball, video games, an eating area.
- Make sure that you've provided obvious trash containers in each area. This will make it easier for them to be less messy and have the clean-up be easier.
- It's best if the teen figures out where each area to be (with adult consent) because they know their friends and peers best.
6
Make sure there is appropriate supervision. While having a chaperone hovering nearby can be off-putting for teen parties, not having some sort of supervision can result in a lot of poor decision-making by the teens have the party.
- If it's an adult doing the supervision, try and be somewhere else during the party. For example, if the party is at the teen's house, one of the parents or an older (responsible) sibling should be in one of the other rooms of the house. Occasionally, check up on the party by doing a walk-through on the way to the kitchen or the bathroom.
- If there's someone who is in their late-teens, or twenties that is trustworthy, see if they will chaperone the party. They'll be a lot cooler than a parent, but will still be able to keep the party from getting out of hand.
7
Clean up afterwards. It's best to have the teen clean-up as a part of their learning process. They have the party, they have to clean-up afterwards. It should also make it less likely that the party gets out of control because they know that they'll be taking care of whatever happens.
- Have a few friends stay afterwards to help with the clean-up. Put on some music to make it more enjoyable.

Method 3 of 4: Throwing a Party for Adults

1
Choose the date. It's best to decide this in advance so that you're able to invite the people you want and have the party that you want. Choosing the date will tell you how much time you have to get things ready.
- Unless you're only having a small get-together, you'll want to make sure that your guests have enough time to plan to make your party.
- You also want to take into consideration things like the weather, other events that are happening, when you're picking the date. For example: you don't want to plan an outdoor party in the middle of winter (or if you do, you'll want to make sure both yourself and your guests are prepared).
2
Decide on your budget. You will need to know how much money you have to spend on the party since this will mean that you may need to come up with creative solutions in terms of food and drinks and entertainment.^[4]
- It's a good idea to set out how much money you're willing to spend in certain categories: drinks, food, entertainment, decorations, etc.
- You can also think about what you would like to be able to do (have a 20s themed party, etc.) and figure out ways to make that possible on a limited budget (for example: print out prohibition era images, drape your lamps in fabric, tape bead chains to your ceiling, to give the effect of a 20s speakeasy).
3
Figure out the type of party. This could be a birthday party, a cocktail party, some sort of special celebration, or just a friendly get-together with your favorite people. How you prepare for the party will depend on how big it is, how lavish it is and what it is the party is about.
- There are certain logistics to consider for different types of parties. For example, if you're planning a surprise birthday party for a friend, you have to make sure that they'll be available, that other people don't spoil the surprise, that you have a way to get the friend to the party, and so on.
4
Choose the guests. Now it's time to figure out who you're inviting and how many people you're inviting. This will depend on things like the timing of the party, what kind of party it is, and what your budget is.
- If you're having the party in your house or a friend's house, consider how many people you can comfortably fit into it (or not; maybe you'll all be dancing up on one another).
- If you've decided to have a nice dinner party, then you should probably keep down the number of people you're inviting. Make sure that you invite people you find interesting and who might find one another interesting. The worst thing is when you invite people who are really unsuitable for one another and don't mesh well (for example: your friend from your punk rock group and your boyfriend's corporate work cronies).
5
Pick the location. Now that you know what kind of party you're having and how many people you're inviting it's time to figure out where you're going to have the party. If it's a dinner party or a small group of friends, it's fine to have it at your house or apartment. If it's going to be bigger you might want to start considering alternate options.
- You also want to make sure that you're aware of the limitations offered by the different locations you're considering. For example: if you're having the party at your house and you only have a hot plate, or a very small stove, you might want to avoid food that you have to make, or you might want to farm out that task on a friend.
- If your party is too big for your house consider different options like: having outside at the park or in a greenhouse, having it at a museum, going to a state park and having it there, renting some sort of hall.
- Have the appropriate seating. If you're having a sit-down dinner you will definitely need to make sure that you have a seat for each person. Even if you're having a buffet style meal, you'll want to make sure that people can sit down and eat (otherwise you'll be having more spills to clean up).