Is your child turning 7 soon? Here's a 7th birthday party program that you might want to consider.
What can you read in this article?
- Program for 7th birthday party
- 7th birthday themes and menu to consider
- On a budget? Here are tips to make a simple 7th birthday party memorable
XX things to prepare for a simple but memorable party
Time does fly by so fast. From being a tiny baby in your arms, your child is now almost a big kid and getting ready to celebrate her 7th birthday.
Here in the Philippines, celebrating a child's 7th birthday is seen as a big milestone. For some parents, it's a simple way to say goodbye to the toddler and preschool years and commemorate her entry into "big kid level." For most, they see it as a "last hurrah," the last time they will be throwing her a big bash, that is, until her 18th birthday.
However, because of the recent situation of our country and all over the world, we have learned to appreciate the simple things. We've come to realize that we don't need to throw a party with hundreds of guests and spend tens of thousands of pesos to celebrate our child's birthday.
That said, your child's 7th birthday doesn't have to be such a plain and boring event. With proper planning and execution, you can make your child's birthday party simple but memorable.
Planning your child's 7th birthday party is hard work, and can be confusing and stressful at times. From looking for a venue and suppliers to listing down the guests and then the party itself, party planning takes a lot of hard work and effort! But don't you worry, we've got a few ideas to help you out.
1. 7th birthday party themes
Things can go from blah to blast with the right theme. One good thing about planning a 7th birthday party is you don't have to think of everything yourself. You can get inputs from the most important person in that area - the birthday celebrant. Ask your child for ideas on what to do for her birthday party. Is she into unicorns? Mermaids? Does she have a favorite cartoon character?
A theme ties all the elements of the party together. And more importantly, it makes planning a whole lot easier, since you already know what 7th birthday program, menu, and activities are suitable for the party. Once you have decided on a theme, it's quicker to work on the other elements.
2. Guestlist and party venue - physical or virtual?
Pre-pandemic, it was always assumed that the party is going to be physical, meaning, everyone attending is just in one place. And if it's a 7th birthday party, it's usually no holds barred when it comes to the guest list. The numbers can balloon up to 500.
Now, considering the safety of your family and your guests, some parents have decided to move their child's party to the virtual world. That, or plan a more intimate birthday physical birthday party where their children can interact with a few guests face to face.
This is something you need to consider. Are you comfortable enough to let your child hang out with other people outside your bubble? Are your guests also willing to attend the party physically? Or would it be better (and more cost-efficient) for you to hold a virtual party with more guests (even your relatives abroad) in attendance?
3. Date and time of the party
Regardless of whether it is a physical or virtual event, you need to consider your guests' availability before setting a time and date. Because your child and her other guests would be in school from Monday to Friday, it would be better to hold the party on a weekend. You also might want to check when is the most ideal time to do it. Morning or afternoon? Remember, if you have kids as guests, you need to consider their energy level.
Also, make sure that you don't drag the party on for too long that guests would be bored and leave. If you have the date and time set, you can work the 7th birthday program around this.
4. 7th birthday party menu
Now, what to serve your guests? You have a couple of options. You can either go for the usual children's birthday party staples such as spaghetti, fried chicken, and some pastries or cupcakes. Or you can go a different route and choose a 7th birthday menu based on your child's theme.
For instance, if you're having an "under the sea" or mermaid-themed party, you might want to opt for seafood pasta, starfish sandwiches (basically sandwiches in the shape of a star), fish fillet, and a delicious jelly(fish) dessert. You can be creative when naming it to keep it in line with the theme.
If you're thinking of having a virtual party, you have to pre-pack the food and send it ahead of time so that your guests would have it before the party starts. You also have to consider proper storage to make sure the food makes it in time and in great condition to your guests. You may send the loot bag and some decorations (party hats or party poppers, perhaps?) along with the food to make it more festive.
5. Decoration and invites
Unless it's a very formal event, you can have the invitations sent online. It's a faster and more efficient way of delivering your invitation, not to mention it's good for the environment (less paper printouts).
Depending on the kind of event you will have, you can choose to go all out with the decorations (for physical parties) or just decorate a wall in your living room (for virtual celebrations). It's best to keep it in line with the theme. You can also check online stores for good deals on party decorations.
6. 7th birthday program
Now it's time to plan on what to do at the party. You can't just sing "Happy Birthday" and call it a day. To make your child's 7th birthday a memorable event, there have to be some activities that the guests can participate in. These things are where you create memories (and fun photos for the gram).
If you don't have a clue on what to do on the "party proper," we've come up with a sample 7th birthday program (physical party) to give you an idea:
3:30 p.m. - 3:40 p.m. - Arrival of guests
Considering the road traffic and other unexpected delays, allow some grace period for your guests' arrival. For the early birds, you could set some fun activities so that the kids won't get bored. Beads & crafts stations are a great way to keep them occupied and for a few more souvenirs as well as a face painting booth. You could also set up food carts so that guests won't get too hungry.
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3:40 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Welcoming of guests
This is where you formally open the party. Welcoming the guests and introducing the celebrant is the best way to signal to the kids that the fun is just about to start. Let's also not forget that the parents would be introduced here as well, because, let's be honest - you have guests too. You may include an opening prayer.
4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Minor shows and games
To start the program, a balloon twisting show or a puppet show would surely get the kids excited. You could also play some games where the parents could participate as well. Focus on the average age of the children attending and choose games that can be played by them. Don't stray away from the theme if you have one.
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Candle blowing & eating time
It's time to bring out the party cake for your kid to blow on the candles. This is the part where everyone sings "Happy Birthday" to your kid and claps. Get your camera ready, or at least cue your photographer to immortalize this special moment with a photo.
Now that you got your guests nice and hungry from the games, it's time to serve them food. Remember that kids don't need the full hour for them to eat so set some side activities to keep them from getting bored. This is also a perfect time to open the photo booth or let the guests have their pictures taken by the official photographer.
5:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Entertainment
This is the perfect spot for a magic show, an acrobat show, or a ventriloquism show. Do it simultaneously while everyone has finished getting their food and have settled down on their seats. This is so that the kids wouldn't have to move around a lot after eating. You could also include dancing and singing numbers by some of the guests.
5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Giveaways & Thank you's
Let the celebrant and the parents thank the guests for coming and bringing in gifts. You could end it with a bubble show as the setup could get quite messy. If there is spare time after the thank you's, the kids could go back and enjoy the side activities you prepared.
You may adjust the program accordingly if you're doing a virtual event by giving time for the celebrant and her guests to interact online. Maybe ask Lolo and Lola to say a few words to the birthday girl. You can also show a virtual slideshow of the celebrant's old photos with her guests.
7. Gifts, gifts, gifts
If you think your kid has too many toys, you could suggest books or bookstore gift certificates from guests. It's also a good idea to create a gift registry so that guests can choose from pre-approved gifts to make things easier for them.
8. Cakes and goodies
Parents put a lot of effort into finding the perfect cake, so it's important to make it not just a part of the food that's served, but also an exciting thing unto itself.
Make it memorable by turning it into a game. Make a mini-tray of cupcakes and frost it with icing. Put out bowls of sprinkles, colored sugar, and mini chocolate chips. Let the kids dip in and make their own creations. They now have a dessert and you have added another program to kid's 7th birthday!
Don't drive yourself crazy thinking about what to put in the goody bags. Just think of what kids love to play with, and put those things in the goody bag. Throw in some fun stuff and a bottle of bubbles. Also, don't forget to put in some candies and sweet treats.
9. Getting your child ready
Depending on your child's personality, she may face the upcoming party with anticipation or anxiety. So prepping her beforehand would be a good idea. Talk to your kid about what's going to happen. Guests would be coming over and your child would be the center of attraction. Some they may know, while some they won't.
Remind your kids to be grateful of each and every present they receive, and say thank you to everyone who gives them gifts. Last but not least, release them of any expectations that you may have. Just let them relax and have fun, as it is their party after all.
The 7th birthday program should be enjoyable and memorable to the celebrant and guests. But no matter how grand the celebration is, the most important thing is that it's spent with the people she loves and that your 7-year-old has the most fun on her birthday!
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