Throwing a birthday party for a young child means that the majority of guests will be young children too.  With a group of small children things can get out of hand very easily.  It can really help to have a plan in place that will minimize the chaos.

One of the biggest ways to minimize chaos at a child’s birthday party is to plan carefully.  You need to make sure you have every detail mapped out.

Chaos often happens when the party is not flowing smoothly.  Any time children are not occupied is a chance for them to go about doing whatever they want, which many times includes running around or just acting unruly.

It is very important that the party does not lag.  You do not want to allow the children to bored.  This can be a major cause for children acting up or getting out of hand. 

Be sure to plan activities that will keep the children entertained.  You should have everything ready for each activity before the party starts so you can easily transition between activities.

You should also make sure the party area is set up to allow children to go from one activity to the next easily.  You should keep the activity area separate from the entrance and the food serving area.

When it comes to party food you should plan for simple foods.  A good idea is to serve cupcakes and individual containers of ice cream.  This will eliminate the need for forks or plates and also make for easy serving and clean up.

If you are serving a meal then choose foods that can be eaten without the use of utensils, like hot dogs and chips.  You should also try to choose foods that are not messy and that are easy to clean up should they be spilled.

To keep the fun level up you should always have something going on.  You should also be prepared to entertain a child that may not want to follow allow with what everyone else is doing.  Keeping a couple coloring books or a movie handy can be a good way to occupy a child who is not wanting to be part of the group activities.

Children should also be made aware of the boundaries of the party.  If you are keeping the party contained to one room or to an outside area then make it clear to the children that they are to remain in the party area, this also includes the birthday child.

Lastly, make sure children know where the bathroom is and how to get to it.  It can help to designate an adult to be responsible for monitoring the bathroom.  If the bathroom is away form the party area it can be easy for a child to get lost or distracted and having an adult to chaperone bathroom visits can prevent this from happening.

When it comes to keeping chaos to a minimum at a child’s birthday party you have to stay on top of things.  The more children present, the harder this will be, but with careful planning you should be able to make the party fun and enjoyable for everyone - including yourself.