From the Dog’s Perspective

One question often asked by those planning a birthday celebration for their dogs for the first time is: will my dog enjoy this party? Absolutely. Dogs enjoy attention and a whole day affair that focuses on them never goes unappreciated. In fact, a birthday celebration for your pet could boost their confidence in interacting with other animals and pet owners.

Food and Decorations

Decorating for the dog’s birthday party is never different to anyone’s birthday party. However, you might want to add some things necessary for the visitors who will also bring in their pets. Food bowls are required for this type of party because dogs will need to have a separate space where they enjoy the food.

Speaking of food, you don’t have to spend a lot on dogs but you don’t have to be cheap. Ask your friends and fellow dog lovers on their dog’s preferred brand. Take note of this so that every dog will enjoy the day since they have the food they really like. For the guests, buffet style will be a good way to let the guests enjoy their meals. As a precaution, never use long linens on the dining area so that the table will not be dragged if a dog gets caught in the table cloth.

Activities and Treats

There are many activities guests can have fun with their dogs. For example, dogs can compete in a small obstacle course. They could even play tug of war but instead of a group challenge, each dog tries to pull harder for the win. For additional activities; talk to an experienced party supplies provider so that they could recommend games which will naturally result to more fun.

Before the guests leave, give everyone something they will treasure. A good souvenir would be the same bowl you bought for the birthday party. Decorate it a little bit so that it will become a reminder for a unique and exciting birthday party.

Get the Gears

The best thing about a firefighter themed party is that decorations and supplies will never be a problem. Almost every party supplier has this type of decorations for the party. This means your decorations, plates, spoons, forks and even party games could come from a single provider. With the supplies already in hand, you don’t have to think too much on the decorations and utensils as everything you need is already there.

Invite a Firefighter

Most parties hire a mascot or a clown to make the party more interesting. This could be a good addition to the party but you can make things a lot more interesting by asking a real firefighter to come visit the house. He or she could come in their uniform and it would even be better if they show up with a fire truck. This type of preparation could take some time and some clearance before a firefighter agrees to visit your house but it could happen with enough preparation.

Play Some Games

You could always have traditional party games with the kids. But if you want something related to firefighting, here’s a good idea. Have the kids group into five and give each team one bucket. The objective of the game is to successfully transfer water from one location to the other. They would have to line-up so that they could easily pass the water bucket and reach the destination faster. The first one who reaches the line wins.

A Simple but Memorable Souvenir

The best souvenir for a birthday party with a firefighter theme is the hat. Fortunately, this could be a part of the supplies offered by the party provider. Order as many as possible so that each guest will have something to remember about the party.

Getting the Mood Right

To set the mood for the party, decorate the entire house with music-related objects and pictures. Look for some posters about singers especially previous contestants of the show and add some large musical notes as part of the confetti. If it’s a birthday party, have some songs performed by American Idol contestants as background music. If it’s a viewing party, you just have to make sure you have a large screen TV good enough for everyone to have a good view of the show.

Activities and Games

There are two games that will surely gain the interest for everyone interested in the show. The first activity is a trivia game based on the show. Download some information online and use them as basis for questions.

The second game is an actual singing contest. As homage for the show, have three judges sit in a long table who will comment on the song. Just be gentle on the comments so that no one will be offended.

A “Name that Tune” contest is also a good idea for an activity in this type of party. You don’t even need a piano for this type of contest. Prepare a couple of CDs and play the music until the title is guessed by the contestants.

It’s also a good idea to rent a karaoke for everyone to enjoy. But only do this after the show if you’re in a viewing party. Even kids will enjoy the karaoke especially if the songs are updated.

Party Favors

Prepare a CD which contains a collection of the best songs from the show. Because of technology, this type of party favor is no longer expensive. This just requires a bit research to know which songs should be added in the CD you’ll send out as party favor.

Location, Location, Location

The best way to celebrate a soccer theme party is to actually do it on a soccer field. Your school or community will most likely have one because of the increased interest of the sport in your area. Be sure to coordinate the location with the site administrator to have the field for your party.

But don’t push too much for the location. A soccer theme party is also possible even at home. You just have to decorate your home with posters of popular soccer clubs (US and European teams). Your kid will most likely have a favorite soccer player so this could be another idea for a decorative poster.

Mini Soccer Games

The birthday party could be complemented with some mini-soccer games. A good example is to have a small 3-on-3 soccer game or just have someone stand on the goal post while everyone else tries to score a goal. Another small soccer game is to have a small maze wherein the winner will be determined on how fast they go through the maze.

Food

If you’re having a party on a soccer field, it’s best to have simple finger foods with drinks. Of course, have some cakes and balloons but don’t overdo it because it will be simply knocked out. Light foods are highly recommended as kids will be focusing on playing games instead of eating. Prepare lots of water and juice so that everyone could be refreshed immediately.

Party Favors

Look for a party provider in your area to find suitable soccer party favors. This is also the ideal place to grab some supplies such as decorations and soccer-themed utensils if you’re celebrating at home. If you have some extra budget, purchase small soccer balls as party favor. It’s just one item but very memorable.

Variety is the Key

When you’re considering food carts, be sure to bring in a good variety of food, snacks and sweets. As much as possible, combine something to eat as snacks with sweets or dessert. For example, look for food carts for hotdogs, potato fries and cotton candy. Many food cart companies have extensive selection on what you can serve in your party. For example, if you want to have Mexican flavor you can have Tacos or Quesadilla.

Compare Rates for Food Carts

This is the tricky part when you’re considering food carts for your party. Talk to as many food cart companies as you can so that you can properly compare rates. The following are the questions you have to ask to these companies:

• Rate per cart – this includes how many servings they will provide per cart and their rate per hour.
• Rate for additional serving – when you have additional guests
• Transportation
• Personnel – the rate they will indicate might not include the person who will man the cart. Know this before agreeing to their terms so that someone will handle the cart while everyone enjoys the party.
• Decoration – as much as possible, the food cart you’ll rent for the party should have additional decoration so that it would coincide with the occasion.

Visit their Headquarters for Taste Test

You don’t just talk to the manager or owner to determine if they can provide the service you expect. As much as possible, have a taste test to make sure they prepare the food well. Also take a look at the cart to make sure they look clean and safe especially for kids. It’s a little precaution but ensures that everyone will enjoy the party.

Work with a Professional

Finding a good petting zoo perfect for your kid’s birthday party could be challenging. To make things easier, ensure you only work with professionals or those that have been in business for years. Before hiring a professional, ask them about their experience and how they handle their animals. Although you don’t know a lot on how to take care of animals, the way they will explain safety and set-up will give you a good idea of their expertise.

Expected Rates and Payment

Payments and rates in petting zoo are just like other performers for a party. They will charge per hour and the rate is usually from $150 to $250 per hour. The rate is often determined by the number of animals they bring and the distance of your home or party place from the place they keep their animals. More often than not, they will ask for advance especially the popular petting zoo companies. This is the reason why you need to make sure you work with a known company as your advance payment could lead to disappointment.

Insurance Agreement

Expect some insurance requirement from the petting zoo company. Contact your insurance provider for this type of service so that you can be assisted and the certificate approved before the agreed date. Ask the petting zoo company if they have to be named as the insured or a certificate of insurance without any name would do. Expect to spend no less than $25 for this type of service from your insurance provider.

What if it Rains?

Never forget this question. Rain can easily ruin the celebration because a petting zoo is an outdoor entertainment. Make sure their proposal would make sure the kids will still have fun even though it rains. Most will bring tarps to make sure the party and your payment will not go to waste.

Get More than Just Colored

But even though a balloon would be an interesting decoration for the party, you have to be creative on the type of balloon you use. Instead of restoring to colored balloons, look for something unique such as metallic balloons because they would have a sturdy and future-like look. If you’re planning a party outdoors, look for opaque balloons. Not only will it have a different color but it’s very durable.

To Float or Not to Float

Floating a balloon would be a novel idea for specific type of parties. Kids will always be fascinated with floating balloons so this would be a great addition for a birthday party. There are helium cans that can be purchased from party suppliers and they are good enough for 40 regular sized balloons. For office parties, you really don’t need helium. Just stick to traditional balloons with prints and it will still work its magic of improving the atmosphere of the party.

Decorative Balloons for Elaborate Party

Balloons are not just your regular ball-like toys with air that sometimes floats. There are hundreds of designs so that the balloon would even look more interesting. If you are really fascinated with balloons, you can look for an expert in balloon or a balloon twister so that he or she can demonstrate how to create specific form of balloons for your guests. This is a great alternative to magicians.

You can also look for party suppliers that focus on balloons. They will most likely stock very unique balloons that can be used to decorate the room. You can have an arc made of balloons and floating animal balloons in the party area. Of course, it might be a bit more expensive because of their expertise but if you really want to improve your party’s atmosphere an extra fee should be expected.

The challenge with this type of service for a party is not on availability but on quality. If you’re thinking of getting a costumed character, here are ideas to make sure you get someone who can really play the character:

Book in Advance

It’s highly recommended to book in advance for this type of service at least three weeks. Aside from making sure that they will be available for your kid’s special day, you can also check in advance the quality of their work. Ask for photos of the characters to make sure you have someone who has the same body structure with the character. You don’t want an overweight batman or superman in your party since that could be very difficult to explain to the kids.

Know the Rates

Party characters will charge per hour and the party coordinator will most likely tell you up front how much you should prepare for the character. Expect no less than $100 per hour but it could go less if you hire more characters for additional time. If the company you are dealing with has experience in this type of entertainment, expect a lot more. Don’t expect that the costume character is included with the party package because some costume characters are independent from the party provider.

If overtime occurs, the rates will not go up and the charges will still be hourly. This is the reason why you have to plan the number of hours and have the right timeframe for the party so that the characters will show up in time to entertain everyone.

Look for “Cosplayers”

Here’s another way to get a good costume character for your kid’s birthday party. Look for groups who can “cosplay” or costume play for a kid’s party. They are usually enthusiasts about a specific character which means they know a lot about the character and have the right costume. While they are limited to few characters; that could be a good option when your kid is familiar with the character they play.

Sticking to Tradition

If you’re a parent and you’d like to celebrate your kid’s birthday, don’t think of radical ideas on how to celebrate the birthday party. More often than not, your kid would want something like everyone else has – balloons, birthday cakes, themed decoration of their favorite characters, etc. This will work to your advantage since there are a good number of party suppliers in most cities. Shop for the best price possible and save on decoration.

Time is Money Too

Here’s the often missed information about the party any host forgets: the time spent on decorations and cleanup. The time you spent on decoration and cleanup will have a great impact on your experience of the party. Don’t spend too much time decorating as this will only be frustrating when something bad happens to your decoration. If it’s a children’s party, there’s a good chance that it will be destroyed in someway. Keep the decorations simple and easy to set so that you can concentrate on having fun before and after the party.

Convey the Message through Pictures

Here’s an interesting concept if you want to have a specific theme for the party: pictures. For a birthday party, the celebrant’s picture clearly provides the information on who is cause of the celebration. Holiday parties such as Halloween, Christmas, 4^th of July, etc. also have their respective photos that would convey the message.

Create a List

The ultimate tool to save time and money in decorations is a list. Have a survey of the venue and write your ideas on how to decorate the area. This would be a lot easier if the venue is your house since you already know the ins and out of the venue. With the list, you can control your spending and you’ll develop an organized method of decoration. It’s a smart way of decorating for a party so that you, as a host, will also enjoy the party.