Preparing for a child’s birthday party can take a lot of hard work. In addition to putting up decorations, planning games, and picking up the birthday cake, you also need to prepare your house. After all, it’s about to get invaded by a bunch of sugar-crazed kids. Before you host another birthday party, make sure you do these four chores:

Lock Away Potentially Dangerous Items

It’s easy to lose track of one or two kids when you have a dozen or more of them running around your home. Even a few minutes of unsupervised play can turn into a disaster.  Especially, when children encounter potentially dangerous items like household cleaners, weapons, and medications.

You can keep your young guests safe by locking away items that may hurt them. Putting items in the master bedroom won’t get the job done. You may think of your bedroom as a safe place where no one else goes, but kids don’t always follow your expectations. Find a place that you can secure with a lock and key.

Block Off Certain Parts of Your House

Even if your home is safe, you don’t necessarily want people wandering throughout it. Blocking off certain areas tells people that you don’t want them to enter.

It doesn’t take much effort to block off areas of your house. You can use a baby gate to prevent people from walking down hallways or lock doors to rooms that you want left alone.

Eliminate Bad Odors

Your house probably smells fine to you. Newcomers, however, may have a different experience. Over time, you get used to the way your house smells. Even if there’s a funk in the air, you may not notice it.  So, you can eliminate bad odors from your home by:

• Locating and removing any mold or mildew
• Running your HVAC system to filter out annoying particles in the air
• Putting baking soda on your carpet before vacuuming
• Cleaning your refrigerator to get rid of old food odors

Make Healthy Snacks

You probably plan to serve cake or some other confection to celebrate your child’s birthday. Considering how much sugar and fat cakes contain, you should make some healthy snacks that guests can enjoy during the party as well.

You can take the simple route by simply cutting up carrot and celery sticks. If you have time to get more involved in food preparation, consider making some yogurt popsicles, fruit kebabs, and low-sugar baked goods.

Remember that some kids have food allergies that can cause serious health problems. The most common allergies among children involve:

• Soy
• Tree nuts
• Peanuts
• Shellfish
• Milk
• Soy
• Wheat

You can avoid problematic ingredients by asking parents to tell you about any food sensitivities when they RSVP for your child’s birthday party. If anyone has an allergy to an ingredient, don’t use it in any of your party’s foods.

Finally, hosting a child’s birthday party in your home is a great way to have fun, save money, and make your child feel special.  As long as you do the right chores beforehand, you can host a successful event where everyone feels welcome and safe.