Things to consider when setting the date and time

 What day of the week is the best to throw a party?

It depends on many things:

• your schedule and the schedules of the lucky guests you are inviting; 
• the age of the child and the children attending; 
• the number of kids you are inviting (for example, if you feel pressured to invite your child's entire class, having a party after school on a school day will decrease the potential number of children who will come - and other stay-at-home moms may be available to help you with the large turn out you may end up with); 
• the availability of the location or the specific features your child wants (e.g. our local bowling alley only offers "Glow Bowling" on Monday afternoons);
• the type of party you are throwing (slumber parties are limited to Fridays and Saturdays during the school year)

Generally speaking, Sundays work best, because most families are home and there will be fewer conflicting activities (soccer, t-ball) to interfere.  Saturdays also work well during the "off-season" (between sports). 

What time of day is "best"?


Again, it depends on many things:

• your budget (avoid meal times to save money on feeding the hordes)
• the age of the child and the children attending (younger kids? avoid nap-times);
• the faith of the families you are inviting (Sunday mornings might be hard for folks who attend church regularly) 
• the activity levels of the families you are inviting (after school might not work and Saturday mornings they might have a tournament.)

 Most kid's birthday parties are about 2-3hours long.  It's always best to put an end time on the invitation, so parents know when to come back and you have a framework to work within.