Your child’s third birthday is probably the first one where they’re ready to party with their friends, rather than their family. The “terrible twos” are over, and you’re at less risk of a meltdown (either yours or theirs!) in front of a bunch of strangers, so why not make the most of this first opportunity to party from the very beginning?

If your child is at preschool or play group, you’ve probably got an idea of the number of guests they’ll want to invite. That number is probably three times the number you’ve got in your head. If you’re not sure how to whittle the list down, have a word with the nursery teacher, who should know which children are regular playmates for your son or daughter.

Venue choice is a big deal. Your child will feel comfortable at home, but hiring a hall will give the youngsters somewhere to run around and play party games without you worrying about your furniture and ornaments.

Many parents opt for an entertainer at their child’s birthday party, and it’s a great idea, as it takes the pressure off you to keep the party running, and may even allow you to sit back and enjoy the proceedings while the birthday boy or girl celebrates with everyone, rather than running around after children. A magician, a princess, a clown or a service which brings small animals to meet your party are all popular choices.

If you’re choosing to run the party games yourself, you can’t go wrong with the old favourites: musical bumps, pass the parcel, sleeping lions and a good old dance-off always go down well with youngsters of this age.

Food choices should be limited. For many children of this age, the party atmosphere will be so exciting that a sit down meal is just not worth providing. A savoury snack buffet including baby tomatoes, vegetable sticks, and mini versions of sandwiches and sausage rolls will do fine. Keep the sugary snacks away, or serve well after the savouries are gone. Children will always choose the sweet snacks over the savoury!

With the numbers and venue decided on, you’re ready to get the invitations sorted, so why not go for something personal, like the personalised options available from Putty Print? You can even get some great numbered invitations with your child’s age printed on them.

Make a great first impression for that all important third birthday with a personalised invitation from Putty Print!