Planning an event?

 

Is your child's birthday coming up? Some kids are happy just to celebrate with family at home. But what if they have high hopes for a special day with friends? Why not encourage them to help plan their own party? It's a good opportunity for them to pick up some simple money smarts. They're old enough already to make choices and stick to a set budget. Plus, they'll be extra motivated to learn if they're planning their own big event! 

 

You can help your child make choices—and gauge how well those choices work out. 

 

Here's what your child can learn if you encourage them to help plan their own party. 
 

 

How to make choices 

 

Chances are, your child can already weigh in on some kinds of decisions. With your help, they can understand how the choices they make affect the cost of organizing their party. They'll be able to choose some things, and not others. 

Here are some of the things your child can be involved in deciding about their party: 

• The venue: Will the party be at home or somewhere else, like a park, restaurant or museum? 
• The guest list: The number of people you invite will depend on your budget, where the party is happening and how big the venue is. 
• The menu and timeline: Do they just want to have people over for an afternoon of fun and party snacks, or have friends stay for a sleepover too? 
• The cake and party decorations: Will you bake a cake or buy one? What about party decorations? 
• The goodie bag: Do you want to give guests any party favours to take home?
   

How to make what they want work with a budget 

 

For kids, parties are all about fun and treats. If you start talking about money too soon, it can ruin the magic for them. It's best if you figure out a budget first, and tell them later how much they have to spend. 

You're the adult, so it's up to you to decide when it's the right time to broach the topic of money with them. Children as young as 6 or 7 years old can start to grasp what will fit into a budget, and what won't. 

 

 

How to prepare for the big day 

 

If your child helps you get things ready for the big day, they'll learn how much work goes into organizing a party. Encouraging them to get involved is a great way to teach them some simple money smarts—and give them a little responsibility and independence. 

 

 

Help them feel valued 

 

Giving older kids a job to do makes them feel valued, especially if other kids in the family, or older or younger friends are coming to the party. 

A group activity day is a great way to instill some cooperative values in them, too. Because who doesn't want their kids to be helpful and have a sense of responsibility and fairness? 

 

 

Ways to get your child involved in organizing their party 

 

You can involve your child in making decisions and give them responsibilities at any stage of the planning process. You know your child, so you know what they do well. Why not take the opportunity to help them learn something new? Here are some things they should be able to do with a little helping hand from you. 

 

 

Before the party: 

• Choosing a theme: You can suggest a few ideas 
• Picking a day and time for the party, and deciding how long it will last 
• Deciding who to invite 
• Preparing and writing an invitation 
• Choosing some invitation cards at the store (or making your own) and sending them 
• Planning what to do at the party, and when 
• Choosing what games to play and activities to do: Encourage your child to choose fun cooperative games that children can play together and that help them practice sharing and caring 

 

During the party: 

• Greeting all the guests 
• Starting the party with a game that gets all the kids to work together 
• Keeping track of time and the games and activities they want to play and do 

 

After the party: 

• Helping clean up and putting things away at home (or at the party venue) 
• Discussing whether you managed to stick to the budget 
• Discussing whether the party was a success: 
  • Did they have fun? 
  • Were they proud of how they organized things? 
  • What was their favourite part of the party? 
  • What would they do differently next time? 
  • Did they enjoy organizing the party? 
  • Did everything go the way they hoped? 
  • Can they see how it was good for them to be involved in the different stages of party planning?