When it comes to birthdays I like to go all out. We usually host home birthday parties, but as the kids are getting older and have more energy we realized it was time to take it out of the home, and I’m sharing some tips for hosting an offsite party.
For Eleanor’s Superhero Gym party we went to a gymnastics venue; where I learned that I would only have 15 minutes to set-up so I needed to be prepared. I know a lot of people host parties offsite so I’ve pulled together a list of things that I think were helpful.
There are 2 kinds of offsite parties. 1. You show up and everything is taken care of. 2. They provide fun and you provide everything else. My list is geared for #2
Tips for Hosting an offsite party
Talk to the venue- Find out what you’re responsible to bring. How many tables they have and how long you have to set-up and clean up.
How to prep for an offsite party
Make a list – that’s right a checklist is your best friend this way you don’t forget anything. Nothing’s worse than going to sing happy birthday to learn you forgot the candles, matches or a knife to cut the cake.
Open supplies before you arrive – By having the tablecloths, plates; napkins and juice open it makes setting up quicker. There was no fussing with trying to open packages and the kids could even help.
Bring Disposable serving items- I love showing off my platters and serving bowls, but this is not the time to bring glass or silver trays. I popped to the Dollar Tree and bought plastic bowls and trays that if something happened to it I wouldn’t care about.
How to inflate Balloons quickly
Bunch of Balloons and a Party Pump. Balloons make a party festive and are always a hit. Bunch of Balloons gives you the ease of blowing up to 40 balloons in 40 seconds with the Bunch of Balloons Party Pump.
This is also a plus so you don’t have to transport them in your car. It also doesn’t hurt that there are so many great balloon packs to pick from.
Bring your own supplies – Do not count on the venue to give you anything. I bring a bag of things so I don’t have to waste time asking. Scissors, Tape (2 rolls), pens or markers, trash bags (I always bring 2 to be safe) and a kitchen towel.
Laundry baskets – Use laundry baskets to carry things in. This way you can see what you have and it’s easy to carry. Also, it’s great for the end when you’re bringing home the presents.
Use a cooler for the food and drinks. We filled our cooler and pulled it in. This way I knew the drinks and food that needed to be cold would be.
Cupcakes (optional) I realized the easiest thing to do would be to serve cupcakes. That way I didn’t have to worry about bringing a knife or cutting a cake.
Allow others to help – When people ask can I help let them. It could be as simple as filling a bowl with snacks or handing out the cupcakes, don’t feel like you have to do it all. Enjoy watching your child celebrate instead of worrying about handing out waters. Other parents are usually happy to help and love feeling useful.
Offsite party tips
When hosting offsite the biggest thing to remember is the kids are going to have a great time. You’ve picked this venue because it offers something fun and takes care of a lot of the work. If you’re like me and really love to incorporate the theme use the plates, napkins and cupcakes to really pull it together.
Have you hosted an offsite party? What tips would you add?
This is me Destiny! I'm a content creator that covers DIY, Cricut, Travel, National Parks, Disney, Games and Family. I’m navigating life with my husband Mike, 2 kids and live in the suburbs of Maplewood, New Jersey.
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