As a parent, one of the most time-consuming and anxiety-inducing tasks you have is the annual planning of your child's birthday party. While birthday parties are a great deal of fun for your child, they take a massive amount of planning on your part. And, when your child has a friend or friends with special needs that they plan to invite to their birthday party, you may be fearful of making a party planning mistake that will exclude your child's guest, or worse, upset them or make them uncomfortable. So, learn the important factors to consider when planning your child's birthday party to accommodate special needs guests so that you can be sure to throw a party that everyone enjoys.
Plan A Variety Of Activities
When you are planning your child's birthday party, one way to ensure that all guests have an enjoyable experience is to plan a variety of activities of all different kinds. Loud, active games like tag, red rover, or playing at a children's fun center may seem like the best ways to get children to burn off energy and entertain themselves, but a special needs child may not be able to keep up (or may not enjoy such activities).
While not all children may show it, their special needs could limit their ability to participate in prolonged physical activities. A child with sensory processing disorder, for example, does not physically show that they have special needs. However, if you ask them to run around through a play center filled with flashing lights, unfamiliar, loud sounds, and ball pits that trigger their nerve sensitivity to touch, you could have a traumatized or even physically debilitated child on your hands.
But if you plan other options in addition to such physically demanding activities, all children will feel welcome to participate in the party. Board games, video games, puzzles, and other more sedentary activities will help ensure that all of the party-goers enjoy the festivities. So, if you take the children to the fun center, bring some games to play at the table, and try to choose a center with an arcade as well. This will allow children to pick and choose which activities they participate in.
Be Sure To Find Out About Dietary Restrictions Ahead Of Time
Learning about the food allergies and dietary restrictions of your child's party guests is important whether or not special needs guests are invited to the party, but become even more important when they are. Many children with autism or other disorders are either placed on special diets to help ensure optimal health and mental functioning, or the child is extremely selective and will only eat foods according to a certain self-prescribed diet and schedule.
So, talk to the parents of your child's guests to be sure that you can reasonable accommodate dietary restrictions for all of the children at the party. This may involve parents sending lunch or dinner for their child if the restrictions are too much for you to reasonably handle, but at least you will know that every child is respected and well-fed.
By taking a few simple steps in the party planning process, you can be sure that all of your child's party guests are accommodated and will have an enjoyable time at the party you planned. Remember that variety and respect are key, and when in doubt, ask your guests' parents for recommendations and thoughts about the activities and food provided. They will likely feel grateful that you care enough about their child's participation in the party to ask.
Share25 February 2015
Hello, my name is Trinity Billings. I am crazy about throwing wild birthday parties for kids and adults alike. Everyone should have a birthday party thrown in their honor after another year passes by. When I was a young kid, my parents always made a big deal about my birthday despite a lack of funds or time. As I grew older, I slowly realized all of the effort they put into making me feel special. As a result, I vowed to return the favor whenever I could. Today, I always throw my parents a big bash by renting tents, tables, chairs and decorations from event coordination companies. I work closely with party planners to make every event as special as can be. I hope to update this site with ideas that will inspire others to do the same for their loved ones. Thank you for visiting.