Remember the parking
Parking advice for children's birthday parties: retail parks, farms, city museums, zoos and what to write on the invitation.
This is the detail that makes kind people hate you
If the venue is a retail park, say which car park and which door. If it is a city bowling alley or a museum, say 'do not drive, here is the station' or name a car park with a price. If it is a farm or a zoo, the postcode is the invitation. 'Near the big tree' is not a plan when three cars arrive at once.
Arrive before the party slot, not at it. Deposits, waivers, shoe hire and the child who needs the toilet all happen before the clock you put on the invite. Tell guests that. Paid parking should be on the invitation too, so it is a fact and not a surprise at a barrier.
Different buildings fail in different ways
Farms and zoos usually have a field of cars and a long walk from the far row on a sunny Saturday. Name the postcode and tell people to add ten minutes. Trampoline parks and soft play hide inside leisure parks with three entrances. Name the unit, not just the town. London zoos and museums may not have a car park that you would wish on a friend. Say so, and name the tube.
If you are the organiser, arrive first and stand somewhere visible for the first ten minutes. A WhatsApp pin dropped when you are already inside does not help the car that is circling.
Collection is a second parking problem
The invitation needs a collection time as clearly as a start time. Parents who work will aim at the end, not the beginning, and they will arrive into the same car park as the next party's arrivals. If the venue wants you out of the room at a sharp hour, say that too.
Do not let children leave with a different adult unless you agreed it. A busy car park is where that goes wrong. A list on your phone is enough.