Kids birthday party questions, answered
The ones that come up every time — how many to invite, whether the whole class has to be asked, how long it should run, and what to do about gifts. Then how this actually works, if you get that far.
Planning a party
- How many children should I invite?
- The old rule is the child's age plus one — five guests for a five-year-old — and it holds up better than it sounds, at least to about age eight. Small parties are calmer, cheaper, and much more likely to be remembered fondly by the birthday child.
- Above about fifteen children the party changes shape rather than just getting bigger: you need a second adult, a structured activity rather than free play, and a space where twenty children can run without going through a doorway one at a time.
- Do I have to invite the whole class?
- Many Australian schools ask you to either invite the whole class, all the girls, all the boys, or a small enough group that it isn't conspicuous — usually fewer than about six. Some send invitations home in bags only if the whole class is included. Check your school's policy before you write the list, because it's awkward to walk back.
- The practical middle path is a small party at home plus something inclusive at school, like bringing a treat for everyone on the day. It costs almost nothing and it solves most of the problem.
- How long should a kids birthday party be?
- Two hours for ages four and up. Ninety minutes for under-fours — a two-year-old's party that runs two hours ends in tears from at least three of them, usually at once.
- Put a finish time on the invitation, not just a start. Parents plan the rest of the day around it, and a party with no end time is one where three families are still there at six o'clock.
- When should invitations go out?
- Four weeks before. Earlier and people forget or don't yet know their plans; later and the weekend has gone. Send a reminder about five days out to anyone who hasn't replied — one message to everyone outstanding, rather than chasing individually.
- Expect roughly one in five never to reply at all, and about one in ten who said yes not to come. Cater to the head count you have three days out, not the number you invited.
- What do I do about allergies?
- Ask on the invitation, not on the day. It's the only way you find out in time to change anything. Nut, dairy, egg and gluten are the four that come up most.
- Then write the names and the allergy on a card and stick it to the fridge where anyone helping can see it. The most common failure isn't not knowing — it's one parent knowing and being outside when someone else hands out the food.
- Should I put 'no gifts' on the invitation?
- You can, and plenty of Australian parents do, but be aware that some guests will bring something anyway and then feel awkward. If you'd genuinely rather not have twenty plastic toys, a wishlist works better than a ban: it's specific, it prevents duplicates, and it lets people who want to give something give something useful.
- A group gift or a donation in place of presents is increasingly common for older children and reads as generous rather than austere.
- What should go in a party bag?
- Four things a child will actually keep, rather than eleven they'll lose by Sunday. Something made at the party, something small and useful, one edible thing, and one novelty is a reliable formula — and it costs less than the pre-filled bags.
- Hand them out at the door as guests leave, not before. Given out early, they're opened, swapped, spilled and half lost before anyone goes home.
- What's the best time of day for a party?
- For under-fives, mid-morning — 10am to 11.30am, well clear of the nap. For school age, early afternoon, 1pm to 3pm, or 2pm to 4pm.
- For an outdoor party in an Australian summer, avoid the middle of the day entirely. Morning or after 4pm, with shade and far more water than you think you need.
- How do I check an entertainer is safe?
- Ask to see their Working with Children Check before you pay a deposit. Every state has one — it's the WWCC in Victoria, NSW and WA, a Blue Card in Queensland — and anyone working with children professionally will expect the question and won't mind being asked.
- Also ask whether they carry public liability insurance, and get the booking confirmed in writing with the date, time, address and how long they need to set up.
Using Birthday Planner
- What does Birthday Planner actually do?
- You describe the party in a sentence — whose birthday, how old, how many children, what you want to spend, where — and it writes the plan: a theme, a timeline for the day, a menu that accounts for allergies, games chosen for the age group, a shopping list with quantities worked out for your guest count, and a budget split across the categories.
- Then it runs the rest: invitations you share as one link, RSVPs that come back as numbers instead of a group chat, a gift registry so nobody duplicates, check-in at the door on the day, and a shared photo album afterwards.
- Is it free?
- Planning is free, for as many parties as you like — the AI plan, invitations, RSVP tracking, the gift registry, the budget, the shopping list, and check-in on the day. No card to start.
- You pay once, for one party, if you want that party's invitation designs, printables and shared photo album — and it stays unlocked. There's a subscription too, but it only makes sense from about three parties a year.
- Do guests need an account to RSVP?
- No. A guest opens the link, replies, and that's it — no sign-up, no app. They give their email and choose a short PIN, which is what lets them come back later and change their answer if the numbers change.
- Can I use it on my phone?
- Yes, and it's built for the phone first — most of it is used standing up. You can install it to your home screen from the browser, after which it opens like an app and the door check-in list and the timeline keep working with no signal, which matters at a park.
- Is my child's information private?
- Invitation pages are unguessable links rather than public pages, and they're explicitly excluded from search engines — a party's details, the venue and the address are not indexed. The address is only shown to a guest after they've replied that they're coming.
- The full detail of what's collected and how long it's kept is on the privacy page.
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