How to Host a Party: How to Pick a Time, Date, and Venue

Picking the time and date of your party may seem like a simple part of the party process, but it can actually be a little more complicated and needs to have a little thought put into it.

Do you want to serve a meal at your party, like having pizza or sandwiches? If so,consider having your party at noon during most kids’ lunch times or during the early evening overlapping dinner time. If you throw your party during these times and don’t offer real (i.e., not only desserts) you could wind up with some grumpy kids or heroes on a sugar high that might make it hard to bring them down to the games of the party.

If you are looking to just have treats and a dessert bar, you might consider having your party during the early afternoon or just after the normal dinner hour. This gives kids the time to eat and not be hungry during your party.

But also consider the age of your party guests. Are they still taking naps? Do they need to be home early for baths and bedtime?

There is a lot that can go into considering your party times, but for your own sake, consider the date you want to have your party. Do you have enough time to set up or take down your party on the date you want? Do you have other activities in the morning or evening that might interfere with your party?

For instance, I once planned a party for 6:00 in the evening on the day I had a church meeting in the morning. Once I was done with the meeting, which of course ran long, I had to finish up a few last minute ideas and grab a few things from the store. I ended up getting to the party venue with only a few minutes to spare and guests were arriving as I was still setting up.

That’s not very much of a wow factor for your guests, nor does it let you mingle with parents as you rush around with your head cut off getting the last minute party projects done. Now I’m not saying you’re like me, but it seems that no matter how far in advance I plan my party, I’m always finishing things up at the last minute. I think it’s just human nature and life as a parent, so take your full schedule into consideration when you pick your party date.

You also need to decide where you are going to have your party.

Are you comfortable having a bunch of kids or adults roaming your house? I have seen some very creative ways to block of parts of the house, but nothing is fool proof and you might end up with guests in areas that you never dreamed they would wander into. Having the party at your home has some great advantages in that it’s easy to set up, to control the climate, and keep an eye on guests.

On the other hand, it’s nice to have the party somewhere other than your home so you don’t have to worry about cleaning up the game closet in the basement that never gets organized (because you just know some guest is going to find their way in there!) When you have parties out doors, its nice to be able to not worry about spills on the carpet, there is usually lots of space for guests to spread out and move around, and
usually, there are trash cans there so you don’t need to worry about all the party trash afterwards.

The type of party you are having also can dictate where you have your get together. Having a water party in the house is just not realistic while having a card night at the picnic grounds probably won’t work either.

All of this needs to be taken into account when deciding when and where to have your party so it comes off as the great party you're hoping for

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