Kids Birthday Party Video Invitation: Dinosaurs, Details and RSVPs

Paper invitations get lost in backpacks. Text invitations get lost in the class parents' chat between a lost mitten and a question about the field trip. A short animated video invitation gets watched, usually by the kid, three times in a row, loudly.

It's also the first taste of the party. A dinosaur stomping across the screen announcing "LEO IS TURNING FIVE" does more for excitement than any card.

What should a kids birthday party video invitation include?

Five things: the child's name, the age they're turning, the date and time, the place, and how to RSVP by a certain date. Add the theme and any "bring a swimsuit" type notes. Put every detail on screen as text, not just spoken, so parents can pause and read it.

Animated birthday party invitation ideas by theme

• Dinosaur stomp A dinosaur stomps in, roars the child's name, and each footprint reveals a detail: date, time, place.
• Space mission briefing "Mission Control to all astronauts: Commander Ava turns 6. Launch time: Saturday, 2 pm."
• Pirate treasure map A dotted line across a map leads to an X: the party address, with "Bring your best arrr."
• Princess or knight royal decree A scroll unrolls: "By order of Queen Lily, you are summoned to her 7th birthday feast."
• Superhero alert A city in danger! Only one hero can save it, and that hero is turning 8. Details follow.
• Under the sea Bubbles float up, each popping into a detail. Great for pool parties.
• Construction zone A digger scoops up the number 4 and drops it on the party date. Hard hats optional.
• Animal parade Animals march past carrying signs, one detail each, with the birthday kid's favorite animal last.

The best invitation makes a five-year-old ask, "Is it the party now?"

How do you make a video invitation for a kids birthday party?

1. Step 1

   Write the details first. Name, age, date, time, place, RSVP. Get these right before anything else. Check the date against a calendar. Check it again.

2. Step 2

   Pick the theme. Ask the birthday kid. Accept that it will change twice.

3. Step 3

   Write a short script. Four lines: the hook, the name and age, the details, the RSVP. See the scripts below.

4. Step 4

   Make it. Film your kid saying it, draw it, or have a short animated film made from your lines.

5. Step 5

   Check it on a phone. Pause on every detail. Can you read it in two seconds? If not, make the text bigger.

6. Step 6

   Send it with a text. Put the details in the message too, so parents can copy them into their calendar.

Can I copy a kids party invitation script?

Yes, here are three short scripts for 15 to 20 second invitations. Change the name, age, date and place, and keep the rest. Each one follows the same shape: a hook, the birthday kid, the details, then the RSVP line.

Dinosaur party

• "ROAR! Stomp stomp stomp..."
• "Leo is turning FIVE!"
• "Saturday, May 10, 2 to 4 pm, at Maple Park."
• "RSVP to Leo's dad by May 3. Dinosaurs welcome."

Space party

• "Three, two, one... blast off!"
• "Astronaut Ava is turning 6!"
• "Join the mission: Sunday, June 1, 11 am, at the community center."
• "Tell Mission Control you're coming by May 25."

Superhero party

• "This is an emergency! The city needs a hero!"
• "Luckily, Max turns 8 this week."
• "Hero training: Saturday, 3 pm, at the trampoline park."
• "Capes encouraged. RSVP to Max's mom by Wednesday."

How do you send a video birthday invitation to other parents?

Send the video file directly in a text or chat, with the key details typed in the same message. For a whole class, share it in the class parents' group if that's normal at your school, or send it individually. Ask for RSVPs by reply, and set the deadline a week before the party so you can plan the cake.

Make it tall (9:16), since every parent will open it on a phone, usually standing in a hallway holding a lunchbox. A square version is handy if you also want to print a still frame on a fridge-sized card for grandparents. And send it three to four weeks before the party: early enough to beat other weekend plans, late enough that nobody forgets.

Tips on file sizes and sending are in how to send a video card by text. For the party itself, how long a birthday video should be covers the lengths, and if your kid wants to be the hero of the film, see make a cartoon starring your kid.

Making the invitation in Nine

Nine's "Start from a template" is made for invitations: the card that holds still works well for the details, and the three-points template fits date, place and RSVP. Or give one sentence, like "a dinosaur stomps across the screen inviting kids to Leo's 5th birthday," and a drawn film with a voice, music and sound effects is made while you watch. No photo of your child is needed.

Want it louder, bigger or more green? Say so in plain words, or change colors yourself in the chamber on your phone. You get tall, wide and square video files to send yourself; Nine never sends anything. The Film plan is $29 a month for films up to 20 seconds. See pricing.