Are you preparing a playdate invitation or planning a playdate soon and feeling overwhelmed? Don't worry; you are not alone! Playdates can be a lot of fun for the kids and parents involved, but they require some planning. This blog post will cover the essential rules when inviting your child's friends over for some playtime. These tips are lifesavers if you don't know other children's parents. We will also provide free printable blueprints for some adorable playdate invitation cards!
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How to organize a playdate and send invites?
1. Invite parents if possible
If you do not know the family, it is better to invite parents for the first time to know each other better and help to break their safety concerns. You can apply this rule also when your kids are invited on a playdate to a family you do not know. Don't be shy to ask to come with your child for this first time.
If you feel uncomfortable inviting strangers to your house, a playdate in a park, activity center, museum, zoo, or maybe even at a risky playground, if available, would be an excellent option.
RELATED: What to Do on a Playdate: 70+ Play Ideas for 1- to 4-Year-Olds
2. Invite more kids on a playdate
According to a national poll, only half of the parents let their child participate in a playdate as often parents feel uncomfortable leaving their child in other parent's care. If your child wants to invite their friend on a playdate, ask them to think of more friends they could invite.
Usually, four is enough, considering that at least two may decline the invitation. So your child may end up with one to two friends coming over. Also, even if all the kids accept the invitation, you can still manage four kids without too much stress.
RELATED: 21 Playdate Ideas for 5-7-Year-Olds: Outdoor, Indoor & Adventure Games
3. Choose a date and time convenient to you
Scheduling a playdate is what we recommend if you invite four or more kids. It is impossible to agree on a date with that many people, so just set a date and time and put it in playdate invitations. As we mentioned above, there will be, at best, a 50% attendance anyway. If only one child finally shows up, you are in a win-win situation with your child. First, you do not have to sacrifice your plans or overstretch your schedule to fit your child's activities.
Furthermore, one-on-one playdate helps to improve friendships and create connections between children. Small playdates work exceptionally well for shy children or children new to school/kindergarten. So there is not a big deal if you sent eight playdate invitations and only one family agreed to attend. If the playdate turns out to be fun and helps your child to form a friendship, this is the best possible outcome.
However, if you would like to set up a one-on-one playdate with a child whose parents you don't know, we provide you with an invitation template for your contacts so that parents can reach you to agree on a date and time.
4. Discuss other parent's safety concerns and rules before the playdate
To minimize parents' safety concerns about sending their child on a playdate to your house, discuss their specific parenting rules, meal preferences, screen time, child's allergies, fear of pets, and other concerns. You could also share your plans for a playdate. For example, mention what TV show or video game kids will watch or play, what food you'll serve to children, etc. Always say if you plan children to play in a pool if you have one and ask for other parents' permission.
Set a precise pickup time and ask for one more emergency contact in case the parent doesn't pick up the phone.
5. Set an RSVP date and send a playdate invitation again if you do not get a reply
Kids are kids, so the chances they lose your playdate invitations are pretty high. Or their parents may forget to RSVP to the playdate invitation. The fact is that about 30% of people will reply to an invitation past the RSVP date, just before the playdate. So the good practice would be to send the invitation one more time if you do not receive any answer from parents for a week, for example.
In conclusion, follow these simple rules and print out some adorable invitations, and you'll set a fantastic and stress-free playdate for your child!