Safety First: Planning the Perfect Outdoor Birthday Party

Kids birthday parties aren't just the traditional birthday cake and song anymore. Recent trends have shown a drift in the concept when it comes to celebrating a child’s birthday, including the use of themes and specialized party venues, particularly those favoring outdoors. According to parenting publication, Parents.com, the average parent spends $250 on their child’s party, while only 12 percent of them spent under $100. As parents look to throw the perfect celebration for their kids, families, and friends while keeping their birthday party budget in check, there is one aspect that should also be considered: making it safe. Holding children's events outdoors, such as in play parks and kids outdoor venues can prove to be a handy choice when it comes to your budget and space. However, precautions should always be taken to keep the children safe in your backyard or any other outdoor venue you choose.

Pick The Right Attractions

When you are planning your child’s party, one of the popular topics that will come up is the entertainment to keep the kids happy. Besides the food, parents tend to spend a significant amount of their party budget on entertainment and it is cited as a popular way parents can save on parties as well. Most parents opt for the traditional clown and comedy show while others choose to include attractions and rides such as bouncy castles, trampolines inflated slides and even miniature petting zoos (for animal lovers or kids parties with a complimenting motif or concept). When you are making the decision on what to include in your event, take into account the safety warning, for instance, bouncy castles are generally recommended for individuals aged  6 years and older.

They also come with a weight warning which means you should limit the number of kids on it at once. More importantly, when hiring or purchasing attractions be sure to check that the contractors and equipment have passed the safety checks such as no tears and annual check performed. When positioning the equipment, be strategic about your layout. Stay away from walls, trees and other surfaces that could be harmful should a child fall.

Map Your Guest Invites To Your Capacity

This is linked to both your venue capacity and the attractions you choose to hire for your child’s birthday party. Once you have mapped out a plan for the party, plan the other aspects around the number of proposed guests and assume a positive RSVP from each guest. It is better (and safer) to have extra space and capacity on the attractions than to have it too crowded. Kids tend to be curious and generally excited. Combine this excitement with a full space and this creates a recipe for injuries such as falls, trampling and bumps due to too many kids being on one attraction at the same time. If you prefer, you can decide on the venue and budget first and then plan your guest list around it instead.

Consider The Demographic Of Guests Invited

The age range of your guests will tell you what safety precautions you need to take when it comes to the actual party day. Younger children need more supervision especially when there is entertainment such as trampolines. In this case, it is always wise to utilize the help of a few other adults such as fellow parents. Assigning tasks can help to avoid confusion and greatly reduce the chance of oversight and an accident occurring. This also helps when planning the party. Some plans and inclusions such as large scale slides, inappropriate sized/prepped foods and latex balloons can be considered potential hazards at birthday parties for younger kids (such as under age 2). However, for older kids, they would be completely acceptable. This is where knowing the characteristics of your guest list comes in handy.

Pick A Venue That's Already Child-Proof

Finally and possibly one of the best tips, skip the childproofing and head to a pre-done venue instead. Kids parks, bowling alleys or bounce venues are already designed with kids in mind and therefore have taken a lot of the safety precautions for you. Of course, there will still be a few steps you would have to take as a parent but it takes a lot of the guesswork and prep work out of the equation. If you choose to provide your own food, certain safety rules should still be followed as should the recommendation about catering to your demographic and guest list size. While some venues may cost a bit more, they certainly remove a lot of the worry from the birthday planning process.

Planning the perfect kids birthday party does not have to be stressful or complicated. Incorporating a few simple guidelines into your party planning can ensure your child and their guests enjoy a day filled with fun, laughter and less filled with tears and accidents.