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How much to spend on a gift
Gift giving can be tricky business. Spend too much and your wallet feels the pain by the end of birthday party season, spend too little and you may feel embarrassed. A good rule of thumb is the younger the child the less you need to spend. A one year old will be just as happy with a squeaking duck as a princess costume. Try to think more about the actual gift and not get stuck on the dollar amount. If you know that 2 year old Ava loves to dress up, it won’t matter if you get her $15 sparkly shoes or a $40 tutu and her parents will appreciate your thoughtfulness either way. Click here to see out favorite places to Shop.
TIP: If the party is celebrating two kids, make sure you bring each one a gift, even if you only know of the children. Even a small token is the courteous thing to do.
TIP: If you’re bringing more than one of your children to the party, make sure you spend a little more on the gift than if you were just bringing one child.
TIP: When giving a gift, use stickers on the wrapping that say TO: and FROM: instead of having to buy a separate card each time. You can print your own or buy preprinted ones.
To see gift giving suggestions by age from the Pros at GiftHero.com, click here
The Guest List: Who should be invited?
When planning your guest list consider what type of party it’s going to be. An intimate get-together in your apartment or a blow-out bash at facility? Birthday parties are expensive and although you may want to include everyone you know with a child, you’ll have to draw the line somewhere to keep within a budget.
Be honest with yourself about how much time, energy and money you want to invest in your child’s birthday party. If you’re a full-time working mom, have other young children or are just overwhelmed even thinking about planning a birthday party, your child and you will probably have more fun if you just take two or three of their playmates out for ice cream sundaes or have the grandparents come over and sing Happy Birthday over a cupcake. A happy parent is much more fun for a child than a big party with a stressed out mom and dad.
If you’re taking the plunge and planning a party keep in mind that preschool-aged children and elementary school kids should invite all of their classmates. In fact, many schools have rules about inviting the entire class. If that’s more than you want on your guest list then ask the school’s policy about inviting just the girls if it’s your daughter or all the boys if it’s your son’s party.
If you’re willing and able to accommodate a larger party, make sure to say siblings included on the invitation. Many parents would be thrilled to have a fun party the whole family can attend. If you are bringing more than one child to a birthday party, make sure to bring a gift that reflects the generosity of the parents including your whole family. (See our gift giving guide for more details)
What kind of invitation should I send?
Nowadays, just as many people send electronic invitations as mailed paper ones. If you choose the electronic route, Big City Moms likes the following sites:
Evite.com (free)
PaperlessPost.com (free)
Punchbowl.com (free e-invitations, you pay for paper invites)
Pingg.com
For printed invites, Big City Moms likes the following:
Michele Zipper Design
Tiny Prints
Fine Stationary
Minted
Snapfish
Shitterfly
What information should be included on the invitations?
· At a minimum, include the guest of honor’s name, the occasion, the date, time and location of the party.
· Make sure to include the party’s end time so parents can plan accordingly..
TIP: Try to avoid planning your party during typical nap times, for example, many kids 3 and under nap from around 1 to 3 and kids younger than 18 months often take a morning and an afternoon nap. Parents tend to be very protective of their kids’ nap schedules and you don’t want a lot of no’s because you picked a bad time.
As an example, your invitation wording might look like this:
Max’s 3rd Birthday Party
February 6th
4 -5:30 pm
Gymnasium, 123 E 91st Street between York and East End
Be sure to dress comfortably for lots of jumping around!
Food will be served
RSVP to robin@bigcitymoms.com by January 31
Thank You Notes
Do I really need to send thank-you notes?
Absolutely! If the family took the time to select a gift for your child, you should take the time to properly thank them. Here are our tips for sending the perfect thank-you:
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To make keeping track of the gifts simpler, keep a list of the all the invitees to the party and then jot down the gift next to their name as you open each item.
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We like making our own thank-you notes with a picture of the birthday honoree enjoying their party. You can upload a picture to Snapfish, Kodak Gallery, Shutterfly or Photobucket and turn it into thank-you cards.
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The note doesn’t have to be long, just be sure to thank the giver for the gift and say how much you appreciated them attending the party.
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For children who are too young to write, one of the parents should write the note and then the child can draw somewhere on the card
Who gets one and how do I give them out?
Party favors, although not necessary, are typically given out at the end of birthday parties. Each child who attends the party should receive a favor. Place the favors near the exit so everyone can take one on the way out. Try and have one or two extras in case someone who previously said they couldn’t attend makes a surprise appearance.
What do I give for a party favor?
That depends on your budget and your interest. Although lately the trend has been towards toys personalized with each child’s name, if you have more than a few kids at the party, this can quickly add up to a few hundred dollars. For inexpensive and fun party favors for the younger set, Big City Moms loves OrientalTrading.com. For personalized party favors we love Promises NYC on Second Ave between 82nd and 83rd.
Here are some of our favorite party favor ideas:
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Box of crayons and a coloring book
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Sand pail and shovel with each guest’s name written on it
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Anything with dinosaurs
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Customizeable musical instruments, mugs or placemats. Kids can draw and use stickers to create their own take home item.
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Seed kits. We love the Fairy Tale ones from uncomongoods.com. Choose from Princess and the Pea, Jack & the Beanstalk or Cinderella’s Magic Pumpkin
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Decorate your own picture frames or placemats at the party and then take them home. Try the giant Michael’s craft store on the Upper West Side. For older kids, Scribble Press sells make your own superhero cape and be your own fashion designer kits.
For a staff at a venue:
If you’re having your birthday party at a dedicated space, ask the manager what the protocol is. Some places do not allow tipping, others may point out in their contracts that gratuity is not included. Generally, the amount of the tip depends on how many staff members were on hand at the party. If you have a pool party that required two lifeguards, you may want to give them $20 each. On the other hand, if you had a gymnastics party with a staff of five, then $10 each would be appropriate. Unlike restaurants or salons, there’s no exact formula and your decision on how much to tip should truly be based on the level of service provided.
For a private performer: (like a musician, magician etc)
In this case, whether or not to tip depends on a few things. If the entertainer owns their own business, then it’s not a have to although most people do. However, if the person was hired through a company then a tip is considered part of their compensation, much like the wait staff at a restaurant.
Event Planners:
Party Poopers
98-100 Greenwich St., near Rector St.
212-587-9030
partypoopers.com
Linda Kaye Birthday Bakers Party Makers
www.partymakers.com
The official party planner the Central Park Zoo and The American Museum of Natural History, also available to help you plan parties in your home or at other venues.
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