You should plan your kid’s birthday a month beforehand, especially if you’ve arranged something which involves more than cake and parlor games. Some party themes also require plenty of preparation; you have to deck the venue according to the theme, choose, create, or order the costumes, and purchase all the trappings that match. Moms know better than to plan a party off the top of their heads, because it’s too overwhelming to try and pull everything together a week before the big day. Do your child a favor and mark your calendar; you’ll have to come up with a checklist and tick off the days so you won’t fall short of expectations.

You should set a date that accommodates all your guests’ schedules. Even if your child’s birthday falls on a weekend or a holiday, there’s still a chance guests have other things to do or there’s a school event their children can’t miss. You should also make sure the party doesn’t compete with other gatherings scheduled on the same day. The last thing you want to do is set up a great party and find out your guest list is halved a few days before you kick it off. You can’t go wrong with weekends, but contact everyone ahead of time and confirm if they have other things planned on the day of the party.

Plan meals your guests will approve of but their children will enjoy. Even if the invites are exclusive to children, you’ll still have to answer for their spoiled appetites come lunch or dinner time. Choose a cake which is sweet enough to the taste, and give candy as farewell favors instead of free-for-all treats. It’s best if you whip up the meals and the cake on your own, so you can use ingredients as you please and opt for healthier substitutes. You can mix in fruit and vegetable pulp into the batter and plate meals that are both healthy and delicious.

Party games work on all themes if you know how to tweak, mix, and match. Your surefire choice for hyperactive kids is a scavenger or treasure hunt, though. It’s a great way for kids to band and work together, and you’ll drain enough of their energy to keep them at bay for the rest of the party. You don’t even have to fuss over the details; bury toys or puzzle pieces all over your backyard and let the children have at it with plastic shovels. Make sure the dirt is loose enough so children can unearth pieces without much effort. Create decoy mounds as an added challenge so children feel the weight of the reward and accomplishment.

Don’t forget the keepsakes and goodie bags for your guests. Party favors go a long way, even if you’re only handing out trinkets and candy for the ride back home. You can order favors packaged into party themes (make sure the items meet safety standards) if you don’t want to make them, but you can also ask your kids to contribute with homemade favors if they’re up for it. Send out formal thank-you notes to the parents so they’ll think of you when it’s their turn to send birthday party invites.