Plan a blowout birthday bash for your little one — and stay sane while doing it! These simple children’s parties tips and tricks are guaranteed to turn any event into THE party all the kids will be talking about on the playground. Watch the video and read the tips below to get the party started.

Send out Invitations;

Hand make them or if your child is arty let the make their own.

Schedule it around the kids and keep it short;

Pick a time that works around a child’s schedule: avoid parties late in the day or during naptimes. And keep it to two hours max — short and sweet so children don’t get restless.

Base the cost on the head count;

Figure out the number of children you want to invite, then pick the location, and food based on the head count.

Pick a party helper;

Designate a close friend, family member or babysitter to help you during the bash so you can have fun with your child on his or her special day.

Make the activities do double (or triple!) duty;

Plan activities that can work as decorations too — for example, set up a photo booth or create a craft station.

Choose child- and parent-pleasing food;

Offer a mix of healthy snacks, not just pizza and cake.

Remind your child to say thank you — and keep a gift list;

Talk to your child beforehand about being polite … and keep a list of gifts for thank-you cards.

Capture and share the memories;

Take plenty of pics and video, then organize and share them with a photo- and video-sharing app

Send digital thank-you cards after the party;

For thank-you messages, refer to your list of presents and personalize the thank-you card with a photo of your child and the friend from the party!