A toddler party can be a ton of fun, or a stressful train wreck. We partnered with Luvs to throw a fun and easy toddler party, and come up with some easy tips to help YOU throw a toddler party that is totally stress free.
TODDLER PARTY IDEAS #1: FOCUS YOUR DECORATIONS
Whether you’re holding your toddler party at home, or in a party space, choose one small area to put your decorations. By setting them up in just one area (we chose the food table), you can create an impact with very little effort.
Toddlers love bright colors so whether you’re using character decorations, or balloons and streamers, choose a couple bright colors to use and put it all in one area.
TODDLER PARTY IDEAS #2: KEEP FOOD SIMPLE
Toddlers love finger food and they love to graze.
We tried making plates for them, but really the kiddos prefered to just stand around the food table and grab each piece of food as it struck their fancy.
We went with crackers and hummus, grapes, apple sauce, quesadillas, and a simple gingerbread bundt cake.
The kids loved standing around and just grabbing quesadilla after quesadilla.
Of course sometimes you really should use a fork!
TODDLER PARTY IDEAS #3: DON’T BE AFRAID OF STORE BOUGHT FOOD
Save your energy for the actual party, don’t feel like you have to make a ton of food from scratch. You can do squeeze pouches, granola bars, fruit leather, fruit cups, fishy crackers. It might seem like strange party food for adults, but for toddlers it’s a dream come true!
TODDLER PARTY IDEAS #4: HAVE CUPS WITH LIDS AND STRAWS
I feel like this should be obvious, but definitely use disposable dishes. The last thing you want to do is have to watch a bunch of dishes after running around chasing toddlers all afternoon. And get disposable cups with lids and straws. I love these! They greatly reduce the amount of spills, and toddlers seriously LOVE straws.
TODDLER PARTY IDEAS #5: BE PREPARED FOR MESS
Of course, you’re still going to have mess. If you’re partying inside, have some towels out and handy so you can quickly deal with any spills. You may also want a box of baby wipes nearby to wipe up messy hands.
If you’re planning to take the toddler party outside, give parents a heads up so they can bring a spare change of clothes.
You may even want to have your bathtub ready for unexpected guests depending on how muddy it is. If there’s a mud puddle, toddlers will find it right when you’re not paying attention.
TODDLER PARTY IDEAS #6: HAVE DESIGNATED PARTY AREAS
To help reduce the mess inside, make sure to designate which areas are for the party. The easiest way to do this is through decorations and toys. We decorated the food area, and had all the toys in the play area. The doors to all our other rooms (except the bathroom) were closed. This made it obvious were the party was happening, and made sure we only had two rooms that needed to be cleaned up after the party.
TODDLER PARTY IDEAS #7: GO OUTSIDE (IF YOU CAN)
If you’re looking up tips for toddler parties, you already know that toddlers have TONS of energy! If the weather permits it, add playing outside to your party plans.
You can play in the back yard, or take a walk to a nearby park.
Just don’t forget tip #5!
TODDLER PARTY IDEAS #8: HAVE A DESIGNATED PHOTOGRAPHER
Ask one of the parents, or an auntie or grandparent, to be the photographer. Give them your camera so they can focus on capturing adorable moments while you are making sure no one eats the dog food.
TODDLER PARTY IDEAS #9: KEEP YOUR GUEST LIST SMALL
Don’t feel like you have to invite every child at day care, or every mom from your mommy group. That’s what playdates are for!
It’s okay to just invite a few of your child’s closest playmates. This will help protect them from being overwhelmed too.
TODDLER PARTY IDEAS #10: MAKE PARTY FAVORS USEFUL
If you want to have party favors, make them something that can be used. Toddlers won’t really notice if they get favors or not, but parents will appreciate having something that is useful, or that can be used up. You can do edible treats like granola bars, or play items that can be used up like crayons or play-do.
We were fortunate to have Luvs send us a bunch of their new diapers for moms to try out. Luvs Ultra Leakguards with Nightlock Plus™ is their newest diaper, and holy moly did my kids put them to the test!
Without going into too much graphic detail, let me just say that my kids solids in their diapers are rarely very solid. We get a lot of fiber in this family.
With both a one year old and three year old in diapers, this has led to a LOT of leaks, and poop leaks are the WORST!
I am really impressed with the amount of liquid these diapers can absorb, and the size of the leg gussets so that everything is held in as it’s absorbing. We haven’t had a leak yet!
As a penny pincher, I really love that they have a money back guarantee. Here’s what they promise…
The Luvs Money Back Guarantee: We feel so strongly about our diapers that we’ve guaranteed them! If you aren’t satisfied with the leakage protection of Luvs, we’ll refund your money. See our website, www.luvsdiapers.com, for details.
I’m a big fan of money back guarantees!
Okay, back to toddler party cuteness! Do you have any tips for a stress free toddler party? We’d love to have you share them in the comments!
