Holding a birthday party at a facility away from your home has its advantages. First and foremost: your house stays clean.
But it also means you won’t be surrounded by the everyday supplies and tools you might need at the last minute. Be prepared by bringing the following items:
- Scissors, tape, and safety pins—for opening presents, putting up decorations or holding together a party dress that gets torn.
- A couple of boxes for bringing home the gifts.
- Extra socks if you’re at a facility that requires children to wear them, in case anyone arrives without a pair.
- A mobile phone and the phone numbers of any parents who will be dropping off their children, in case of emergency. And make sure that guests have your mobile number or that your home phone is forwarded to it, in case they can’t find the facility.
- A knife and spatula for serving the cake.
- Paper towels, wet wipes and facial tissue.
- A camera, camcorder and fully-charged batteries.
- And, to fill any unanticipated downtime, bring a game you could play on the fly, like the limbo. Some games, like Simon says or charades, don’t require supplies.
If you get to the party and realize you forgot something, don't fret. The workers at the facility probably have a stash of supplies you can use in a pinch.