Tips on Planning your Childs Birthday party yourself.

Plan to keep the birthday party short and sweet (one to two hours) to match your guests’ short attention spans. Children ages one to three get cranky if they’re kept awake too long.

In general, the best times for young children are late morning (after the morning nap) or late afternoon (following the afternoon nap). 

Try planning the birthday party for a weekend. 

For ages one to three, be sure to include the parents as guests, so they can help their own children participate in the birthday fun.

One guest per each year of your child's age, plus one extra guest, is a good rule of thumb. Too many guests may put the party at risk of deteriorating into an almost unmanageable gathering with a fair amount of crying.

Plan to get extra help from a babysitter, grandparent, or friend-so you can participate in the party activities and share the fun with your child.

Another way to plan ahead: Stock up on film. Take lots of pictures, but avoid shooting flash photos too often. Camera flashes can irritate young children and make them edgy. Be sure to use film that photographs well in indoor lighting.