How Long Should a Birthday Party Last?
When planning your child’s birthday party, there’s a lot to consider. The venue, the food, and the guestlist are all fundamentals that can’t be overlooked.
But even before you get to this stage of planning, there’s one question that first-time parents, or those unfamiliar with party planning, wind up asking themselves: how long are parties?
Knowing how long a kids party should be isn’t an easy task – especially if you’re just used to adult parties that go on long into the night. But unlike the parties you may be familiar with, kids parties often have a little more structure to avoid guests getting overtired and irritable.
But we’re here to help! As the experts in kids parties, we’ve got years of experience to rely on to help you plan the best birthday party imaginable.
Considerations for a birthday party’s length
When planning the length of your birthday party, a number of factors come into play.
As a general rule of thumb, our party packages run for around 2 hours, with 30 minutes of set-up and packing down either side of that. However, this can be adapted depending on things like:
- The age of your guests
- The venue restrictions
- The time of day you’re throwing a party
For younger guests, keep it short
The length of your party almost entirely depends on the age of your guests. If your child is only one-years-old, then you’re probably looking at no more than an hour of fun and play with close friends and family.
As they get older, adding an extra half hour onto the party’s length for every two years of age is a good guideline. So at two years old, you’d be having a one-hour party. At four, that would stretch to 1.5 hours.
Parents of young children can appreciate that too much excitement can lead to tantrums down the line, so finding the sweet spot is important for maximising fun.
Understand your venue’s rules
Knowing how long a birthday party should last is partially out of your hands. This is because certain venues may have restrictions on when you can arrive and when you have to pack down – giving you a hard stop to any birthday fun.
Even if you’re only hiring a local village hall to throw your child’s birthday party, make sure you’ve spoken to the venue managers beforehand and know about any limitations. You don’t want to be in the middle of fun and games, only for the local baking committee to interrupt your event because they’ve pre-booked the space!
Choose the best time of day
The length of your birthday party can also depend on the time it’s being held. While it’s unlikely you’ll be cracking out any midnight karaoke at your child’s party, kids birthday celebrations held later on in the day have the potential to overspill into the late evening – especially if they’re held at a venue without restrictions, such as your home or garden.
For most parents, weekend parties are considered ideal due to school and work commitments during the week. Beyond this, 11am is often seen as a preferred start time, because kids still have the energy and excitement of the morning.
This schedule will also often coincide with a natural lunch break around midday – keeping energy levels up and avoiding hunger-induced mood swings.
Need help throwing your party? Get in touch with the experts!
Now you’ve got a solid idea of how long a kids party should last, it’s time to start planning a party that’ll go down in the history books.
If you’d like help and guidance to make it one to remember, get in touch with our friendly team and take a look at our party packages that are suited for children of all ages.
