When to Send Kids' Party Invitations (and What to Do About Half-Term)

Three to four weeks before the party is the usual answer. That's early enough that most families still have the weekend free, and late enough that nobody forgets about it.

The harder question is what to do when half-term or a school holiday sits in the middle. Short version: send the invites in the week before the break, and put the reply-by date in the first week back.

How far ahead, by type of party

Party	Send invites	Reply by
Whole-class party at a venue	3 to 4 weeks before	1 week before (venues want numbers then)
Small party at home, a few friends	2 to 3 weeks before	4 to 5 days before
A weekend in December	4 to 6 weeks before	10 days before
First weekend after a school holiday	Before the holiday, at least 3 weeks out	The last school day before the break
During the summer holidays	Before school breaks up	1 to 2 weeks before

Much earlier than six weeks and the invite tends to get forgotten. Much later than two and some families already have plans.

When half-term is in the way

Families go away, school bags stay shut for a week and the class group chat goes quiet. An invite that arrives on the last day before the break, or during it, is easy to miss.

What tends to work:

Send in the last full week before the break. Parents still check the book bag and the class chat, and the date goes in the calendar before the holiday starts.
Set the reply-by date in the first week back. Everyone gets a few school days after the holiday to answer.
Nudge on the first day back. One short message to the parents you haven't heard from. That's when people go through what they missed.

An example

Party on Saturday 14 November, half-term from 26 to 30 October:

Monday 12 October: invites go out, just under five weeks ahead
26 to 30 October: half-term, nothing to do
Monday 2 November: one reminder to whoever hasn't replied
Thursday 5 November: reply-by date
Friday 6 November: final numbers to the venue

Half-term dates vary by council, and independent schools often have their own, so check your school's term dates before you pick the days.

A party right after a holiday

If the party is the first weekend back, there's no week after the break to collect replies. Send the invites at least three weeks out, before the holiday, and set the reply-by date for the last school day before it.

Anyone who hasn't answered by then gets one direct message during the break. Parents still see a text on holiday, even when the book bag stays shut.

December and summer

December weekends fill up with school fairs, nativity plays and work parties, so give people more notice. Four to six weeks means sending in early November for a mid-December party.

For a party in the summer holidays, send the invites before school breaks up, while you can still reach everyone through the class. Lots of families will be away, so ask for a no as well: "Even if you're away, a quick no helps me plan."

Paper slips over a holiday

A paper invite with a tear-off slip has to go home in a book bag, get read, get filled in and come back to school. Over half-term that loop stops for a week or more, and that's when slips get lost.

If you send paper, add a second way to reply that doesn't depend on the slip: your mobile number, or a link or QR code parents can scan. A link in the class chat gets answered wherever the parent is, and you can see who's still missing without counting slips.

Wording for each step

Invite, sent before the break:

Sam is turning 6! Party at Jump Zone on Saturday 14 November, 2 to 4pm. Please reply by Thursday 5 November (after half-term is fine) so I can give the venue numbers: [link]

Reminder on the first day back:

Hope you had a good half-term! Quick reminder about Sam's party on the 14th. If you haven't replied yet, here's the link, either answer is fine: [link]

For a party straight after the break, on the last week of term:

Sam's party is the first Saturday back. Could you reply by Friday so I can confirm numbers over the holiday? [link]

More reply-by lines are in RSVP-by date wording, and the full reminder script is in how to follow up on an RSVP.

The link

With the kids' birthday RSVP page, parents open the link, type their child's name and tap yes or no. No account, no app. You see who replied and who didn't, so the first-day-back reminder only goes to the parents who still owe you an answer. If you want a card as well, the free kids' birthday invite maker puts your wording on one and shares the same link.

For what to write on the invite itself, see the kids' birthday invitation wording examples.

Hope the party goes well :)