When I started planning my daughter’s second birthday, I thought it would be one of the fun parts of parenting. She was completely obsessed with Bluey, so choosing the theme was easy. Bringing it to life? That was a different story. Finding a toddler-friendly venue, balloons, a backdrop, a cake, entertainment and everything else was only half the challenge. The children’s party suppliers were definitely out there, I just struggled to find them.

Every business seemed to have an Instagram page, but getting the information I actually needed wasn’t easy. I’d spend ages scrolling through photos, trying to work out what they offered, whether they serviced our area, whether they had availability, and how much it all might cost. Before long, I had countless tabs open, screenshots saved everywhere and a notes app full of questions.

I remember turning to my husband and saying, “There has to be an easier way.”

The more we talked about it, the more we realised we couldn’t have been the only parents feeling this way.

Looking back, there are a few things I wish someone had told me before I started planning.

What I’d do differently next time

The biggest lesson I learnt was to lock in the major suppliers first.

Venues, entertainers and soft play hire can book out surprisingly quickly, especially during busy times of the year. Once those larger pieces were organised, I found everything else much easier to plan around.

The questions I wish I’d asked sooner

A beautiful Instagram feed can tell you a lot about a children’s party supplier’s style, but not always the practical things you need to know.

Now I’d always ask:

• Do you service my suburb?
• Are there travel or delivery fees?
• What’s included in the quoted price?
• Who handles setup and pack-down?
• Do you have public liability insurance?
• What’s your wet weather backup plan?

Those few questions can save a lot of surprises later.

The budget surprises I didn’t see coming

One thing I hadn’t really considered was how quickly the little extras can add up.

Travel fees, delivery charges, styling upgrades and minimum spends aren’t always obvious at first, so I’d definitely leave a little breathing room in the budget.

The mistake that cost me the most time

If I could go back and tell myself one thing, it would be this: check whether a supplier services your area before you fall in love with their work.

I can’t count how many times I found exactly what I was looking for, only to discover they were booked out or didn’t travel to our suburb.

It would have saved me hours.

How one birthday sparked an idea

After planning our daughter’s birthday, my husband and I kept coming back to the same conversation: there had to be an easier way.

That experience eventually inspired us to create Little Ones Event Directory, an online directory where parents can discover and contact children’s event suppliers by location and category, all in one place.

It wasn’t something we’d planned to build. It simply grew from a challenge we’d experienced ourselves.

My biggest takeaway

Planning a children’s party should feel exciting, not like a second full-time job.

There are so many incredible suppliers out there who help create unforgettable celebrations. The challenge is simply finding the right ones for your event.

If sharing what I learnt helps another parent spend less time searching and more time enjoying the planning process, then my daughter’s Bluey party was worth every one of those open tabs.

Christina is the Co-founder of Little Ones Event Directory, a free Australian online directory connecting parents with children’s party and event suppliers.

Browse suppliers by location and category at www.babypartyhire.com, or follow @littleoneseventdirectoryon Instagram for party inspiration, planning tips and supplier spotlights.

Explore other popular topics: