Most parents will stop at nothing to ensure that their kids are making memories they’ll never forget. From vacations to birthday parties, we love to make our kids feel special, and honestly, it’s one of the best parts of parenting. Use these tips to throw the ultimate kid’s birthday party.
Throwing a kids’ birthday party is a bit more complicated than it used to be. There was a time when a child’s birthday party only consisted of a homemade sheet cake and a couple of pizzas.
Now, there is music, party blow-ups, inflatables, and other fun rentals available that will absolutely take your party to the next level. In general, party planning is a lot more fun than it used to be. With endless options of party supplies provided by companies with the sole purpose of making your party unforgettable, the sky is the limit.
Table of contents
- Kicking Off the Ultimate Party Planning Process
- Lighten Your Load: Get In Touch With A Party Supply Company
- Perfect Rentals for Water-Themed Parties
- Have a Park Party and Bring it Indoors
- Planning a Party with a Theme
- An Extensive Selection of Bounce Houses
- Make Your Ultimate Party a Smash with a Carnival Theme
- Set Your Guests up for Adventure
- Don’t Be Afraid to Keep Things Basic
- Tent Rentals for Kids Birthday Parties
- Keep Your Ultimate Party Ambience in Mind
- Never Underestimate the Power of a Karaoke Machine
- Remember the Little Things
- This Party is for Children, and You Need a Bathroom
- Checking Off Your Must-Have List Provides Reassurance
Kicking Off the Ultimate Party Planning Process
There are few things more daunting than the beginning process of planning a moderate to a large party. Start your ultimate party planning process by making a list of everything you have to do, purchase, or rent. Whether your event is a backyard bash or a carnival blowout in your local church parking lot, your party will likely take quite a bit of detailed planning to execute according to your visions.
Lighten Your Load: Get In Touch With A Party Supply Company
Party supply companies can take care of most of your decorations, games, and activities. Companies that specialize in party rentals are well-versed in providing you with what you need to make your party incredible. Not only will knowledgeable employees take you through the rental process, but they’ll be happy to assess your situation and work with you to figure out what inflatables and jumpers you can rent that will work best with your space and theme.
If you’re planning on using a rental company to help you plan your party, it never hurts to bring your list of ideas and desired items along with you to have a look at what they can offer. It will give an exact route of communication between you, and the result will be satisfying on both ends.
Choosing a Rental Company for Your Party
There are plenty of businesses out there that offer inflatables, blow-ups, concessions, and more for consumers to rent for their festivals, parties, and events. Before choosing one, don’t be afraid to call around and see what they each have in stock.
If they have what you’re looking for product-wise, you can continue with the planning and rental process. Do a bit of research regarding your company of choice, such as local user reviews and ensuring that they are appropriately licensed and insured.
When you know a good deal about the company you’ve chosen to work with, you can find peace of mind throughout the rental process, knowing that your rentals will show up clean, on-time, and in fantastic condition.
Speaking of rentals, let’s talk more about the must-have items for your kids’ birthday party!
Perfect Rentals for Water-Themed Parties
When warm weather rolls around, there is nothing better than a water-themed birthday party. Kids love everything about playing in the water, from swimming in a pool to jumping around on a splash pad. Water slides, slip n slides, and water games are a fantastic way to create a ton of excitement around your event.
A rented water slide or slip and slide will likely be inflatable, but party rental companies often offer various versions of each product, including differing sizes. Letting the company you work with know your venue’s dimensions will help them find products that compliment your party.
When planning a water-themed party, you’ll want to keep a close eye on the weather and rent a tent if it looks uncertain. Of course, that protocol makes sense for every outdoor event, but if your party revolves around having fun in the water, you’ll want to pay extra close attention.
If you’re making your party a whole water-themed, consider choosing decorations that mimic a beach party, lakeside vacation or tropical get away. Your rental company may help you in this sense as well, by providing table decor and balloons. Products will differ according to the company, so make sure you verify first.
Keeping squirt guns and water balloons on hand will ensure fun for all, and don’t forget the sprinkler and refreshing party punch!
Have a Park Party and Bring it Indoors
The best thing about party rentals is the ability to use them indoors or out. With party rentals, you can have an outdoor park themed party in the dead of winter. Renting a slide, bouncy house, or obstacle course is perfect for a larger inside the venue and allows you to bring the inside out.
For park parties, consider including a popcorn machine and a dry slide. The rock wall is perfect for park-themed parties, and all ages will love playing on it, with supervision, of course. Kids love to climb, so it’s sure to be a massive hit.
Consider adding face painting as well, primarily if your event revolves around a toddler or kids. They love it!
Bungee jumping may work for an indoor or park party as well, depending on your space. Truthfully, you don’t have to have a theme to incorporate these products into your event, but it sure does make it fun to plan.
Each of these products mentioned is super popular when it comes to must-have items for kids parties, and remember, you can use them outside. Party inflatables work with so many themes, and while they don’t come cheap, you’re likely to find a rental place that will offer you a party package discount, depending on what you plan to order.
Planning a Party with a Theme
Planning a party with a theme can get complicated when it comes to tying all the details together. We’ve talked about water-themed parties and park parties because these are two incredibly popular choices, and kids absolutely love them.
However, you can put together whatever theme you like (superheroes, Luau, ponies, Spongebob), and your party company will be on board to help. Many of them have themed jumpers and bounce houses that already have themed decor, such as Marvel or Frozen.
The options and combinations are endless, and you’ll be able to put together something truly unique. Themed parties are all the rage right now, and your little party guests will never forget how much fun they had at the one you threw!
An Extensive Selection of Bounce Houses
A majority of party companies currently in operation have an extensive supply of bouncy houses and giant commercial jumpers. Bounce houses come in a wide array of sizes, and they suit every get together from festivals to parties at home.
Bounce houses come by many names, including the moonwalk, moonbounce, spacewalk, and jumper house. Party inflatables appeal to all ages, both adult and kid, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Circle or square, large or small, there is a bounce house to fit every personality.
One of the most popular rental options for kids’ birthday parties, no matter the gender, is the bouncy castle. Kids love the bouncy castle, and it’s such an adorable addition to a party space that parents love it too. Bouncy castles fit into any party theme; in fact, you don’t even need a party theme to pull off the bouncy castle.
They come in different sizes and colors, so be sure to check with your supply company and ensure they have what you need. Chances are, they do, and if not, they’ll probably be able to get it. Bouncy castles are bright, colorful, and the kids you invited to the party will see it from a mile away.
Make Your Ultimate Party a Smash with a Carnival Theme
One of the must-have party themes for kids is the carnival theme. Not only are the combos, games, and obstacle courses so much fun, but the food is incredible and packed with nostalgia.
Popcorn, snow cones, and cotton candy machines are a few concessions available at most party supply rental companies, and each of them is sure to excite your guests. In fact, even teens enjoy a well-planned carnival party.
There are plenty of rented party games, including the giant four-in-a-row, inflatable wheel-of-fun, huge dice, free-throw basketball, the plink disk game, skeeball, and oversized inflatable bowling pins and a ball. Guests love games like this, not only because they’re so much fun and easy for kids to play, but because they encourage togetherness and conversation.
For any ultimate party, but a carnival party specifically, make sure that you’ve rented enough chairs, thereby making sure your guests have plenty of places to sit. You’ll want to place chairs by the party table or tables, as well as next to the games so parents can sit and watch or play along if the mood strikes them.
Set Your Guests up for Adventure
Kid parties often have a wide age range of people that attend. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, and the parents of the children that attend will likely end up getting in on the party action at some point. Turning a kid party into an adventure for everyone that shows up isn’t as challenging as it sounds and requires the addition of a few choice supplies and party rentals.
Over the years, party rental companies have branched out extensively regarding the amount and type of party inflatables and event games they provide. Massive bounce houses that contain obstacle courses within them and game combos that encourage physical activity and a bit of healthy competition are so much fun to place in a party venue.
However, the most popular adventure rentals are the rock climbing wall and the bungee jump. The rental company will provide all safety precautions, and often, an employee will stay at your party to help you operate the rentals if you (or they) deem it necessary.
Both of these rentals are safe for children and adults when used correctly, and they offer the opportunity for fun, laughter, and even learning a new skill or two. The rock wall and the bungee jump make our list of must-have items for kids birthday parties, that’s for sure.
Don’t Be Afraid to Keep Things Basic
Typically, kids are only picky when it comes to feeding them, not so much when it comes to birthday party rentals. They will have fun with anything you rent, and so will their friends.
A bounce house on the smaller side will keep them just as occupied as the bouncy castle and the big game combo, so don’t feel pressured when it comes to spending or branching into a different venue in an attempt to throw a bigger party.
Of course, if you want to go big, then we are right behind you. Go big or go home. However, if you’re looking to throw an essential kids party with the traditional must-haves (delicious cake, chips, and pretzels, goody bags), a smaller bouncy house is perfect.
Rental companies tend to keep products in stock that will appeal to every person and every size party. They want to help you when you need them, and if they have what you need in stock, the chances of them being able to do that go up.
Remember, your kids will have plenty of fun without every rental in the catalog. Always do what works for you to ensure the best experience possible.
Tent Rentals for Kids Birthday Parties
We touched on tents a bit earlier in this article, and while they’re essential to have in case of inclement weather, they’re also fantastic for outdoor parties in general. If the weather is hot or cool, temperature-controlled tents will keep the guests, particularly the little ones, feeling comfortable and ready to party.
Tents are the perfect place to set up food as well. From concession items like cotton candy to catered buffets, tents will keep the food safe and out of the way of your party guests. Party tents designate space, and your guests will always know where to find the food and music.
Tents are a blank canvas when it comes to decorations unless, of course, you employ your rental company to do the decorating for you. However, a tent can be an excellent component of your kids’ birthday party because they can play a significant part in decorating their party.
When you have a tent rental secured, you can plan out decorations with little issue, as you’ll have the dimensions and shape of the tent handy. This can make a fun project for you and your little one, so make sure to have fun with it and utilize it as an option to get them even more excited about their upcoming celebration.
At the very least, a tent is the safest option for keeping guests dry and comfortable during an outdoor shindig.
Keep Your Ultimate Party Ambience in Mind
Adding lighting to a kids’ birthday party, especially when renting a tent, can make for a fantastic backdrop. It doesn’t have to be advanced or over-the-top unless that’s what you’re looking for, but many party rental companies offer products such as string lights, paper globes, and light walls.
The rental business will supply employees to hang the lights professionally if you don’t have the time or expertise. Lighting is a small touch that can make a child feel incredibly special. Lights are magical, and they bring out so much life in a birthday party setting.
Again, you can keep your lights as simple or complex as you’d like. It’s your ultimate party, and it will look fantastic no matter what you decide.
Never Underestimate the Power of a Karaoke Machine
Speaking of lights, the icing on the hypothetical party cake is always a karaoke machine. While adults aren’t always crazy about getting up and singing in front of a crowd, kids love it, and they’ll jump at the chance to do it.
You can buy a karaoke machine, but chances are, you won’t use it until your next party, so you might as well rent one from your party supply company of choice. They’re a common rental item, and they often come with music, though karaoke playlists are easy to make on platforms like Amazon Music and Spotify.
Karaoke machines typically light up; some of them project lights onto the walls of the tent, room, or dance floor, depending on the size of your party. It’s typical for them to come with two microphones, so reiterate to your crowd that the party guests will have to take turns.
Challenges and friendly contests are super fun to create with a karaoke machine, and many kids parties even feature a fun American Idol theme with very friendly judging. Kids can pick the song they want to sing, rehearse, and then give it their best shot in front of a panel of “judges”.
Remember the Little Things
While your rental company will take care of your parties’ big-ticket items, make sure you have all the little extras under control. While it’s true that everyone will put more focus on your inflatable water slides or bouncy moonbounce house, they’re going to remember if their kid had to eat cake with their hands.
Plastic wear, napkins, food plates, cake plates, and tablecloths are significant parts of throwing the perfect kids party, so make yourself a list on paper or your phone, and don’t forget to purchase them. Occasionally, party rental companies will take care of your decor if necessary, but typically their focus is on the bigger rentals, party blow-ups, and inflatables.
However, they’ll be happy to point you in the right direction regarding your smaller supplies and odds and ends that pull your party together. They may even have a few things in stock; you never know until you ask.
This Party is for Children, and You Need a Bathroom
When you’re throwing a birthday party for your child or children, you’re likely inviting other children. If you don’t have a bathroom plan in place, you’ll want to construct one immediately.
Depending on the location and size of your party, bathrooms may be easily accessible. For example, if you’re renting a venue, they’ll have bathrooms ready for your guests to use. If your party is small, then you’ll probably allow your guests to use the bathroom in your home, even if your party is outside.
If you’re throwing an outdoor party with little to no bathroom access, then it’s time to rent a portable toilet or two. When you rent toilets from party rental companies, you can be confident that they will arrive clean and sanitized, ready to use and picked up promptly when your guests depart.
Bathroom access is crucial to whether or not your guests enjoy themselves. Nobody likes having to hold it, and children attempting to control it is even worse. Do yourself a favor, and make a bathroom plan weeks in advance.
Checking Off Your Must-Have List Provides Reassurance
Having a party list and checking it twice will give you the reassurance you need regarding whether you’re getting anything accomplished or not. A list will keep you on track and on the same page as your party rental company and any event planners sharing in your responsibility, whether they’re a professional or your spouse.
Kids are relatively easy to please, and throwing them a birthday party with almost any rental that we’ve mentioned here will make their birthday celebration one that they’ll never forget. To reiterate, you don’t have to rent everything on the list. Instead, tailor it to your child and keep in mind what they love.
Their party should match their personality to the best of your planning abilities. When you feel overwhelmed with the planning process, keep their preferences and our recommendations in mind, and it will be impossible for you to go wrong.
If you have questions or are ready to begin discussing the party planning process, give Bounce Party Rentals a call today. We look forward to working with you!