Home
>
Blog
>
Etiquette

How to Tactfully Say “No Siblings, Please” on a Birthday Invitation

Baby grabbing a handful of someone else's birthday cake.

Lots of families simply can’t afford to take a “the more the merrier” approach to parties due to a limited budget or space restrictions. Parents count on RSVPs to provide them with an exact number of how many favors to purchase, how much food and cake to order and even how many kids to account for in activities (most venues these days require hosts to pay per kid). However, saying “no siblings” can sometimes come off a bit too direct and leave a negative feeling, and the last thing a busy birthday party host needs is another thing to stress them out!

Luckily, most guests will understand and respect your request, so it’s just a matter of being thoughtful in how you word your request.

4 Ways to Nicely Say “No Siblings” on a Kids’ Birthday Invitation

1. Add a Brief Explanation + End on a High Note

A simple “Due to space limitations at the party venue, we cannot accommodate siblings” note makes it clear that this is a practical decision and is in no way personal. But you can also opt for a more detailed message if you wish!

A few wording ideas to consider:

Although we love your little one’s siblings, we regretfully cannot accommodate them due to restricted numbers.

Limited guest list due to space and logistics. Parents are welcome, but unfortunately no additional siblings.

 

Due to event space size, we are unable to accommodate siblings at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience. We hope to see you there!

To ensure that we can provide the best experience for all the little ones attending, we kindly request that this event be for invited children only.

 

To help make the celebration extra special for everyone, we kindly request that this event be for invited children only.

2. If You Think You May Have Space for Siblings, Let Guests Know (Without Promising Anything)

If there’s a chance that you may be able to accommodate more guests (and want to), you can consider offering up the possibility of allowing siblings to attend. But make it clear that this isn’t a given.

A few wording ideas to consider:

We’ll let you know if there are any slots left over for siblings.

Once we receive a final headcount of our invited guests, we’ll let you know if we have room for siblings to attend, too.

We have a large guest list, but if some kids aren’t able to attend, we’ll let you know if there’s room for your child’s sibling(s) at the party.

3. Consider Offering an “If Needed” Sibling Invitation to Parents Who Don’t Have Childcare

Some parents may not be able to secure childcare for their child’s sibling(s). If you can, consider extending an invitation to the sibling in this situation so your child’s friend can attend.

A few wording ideas to consider:

Our headcount is limited. If you need a sibling to attend with your child, please let me know in advance. Thanks!

Due to limited space, we kindly ask that only the child who’s invited attend. If you need a sibling to attend, please reach out to me in advance. Thanks!

4. Try to Add Wording That Captures the Essence of the Party

While clear and simple wording leaves no questions left unanswered, you can also take a softer approach and imply “no siblings” without explicitly stating that. This could result in additional guests showing up, so we recommend this direction only if you’re comfortable with that possibility occurring!

A few wording ideas to consider:

You're invited to an intimate party.

{Child’s name} is inviting all of their closest friends to their birthday party!

Join close family and friends for a small birthday party!

Party planning should be fun, not stressful (especially when it involves your amazing kiddo)! Letting guests know about your wishes ahead of time saves you from dealing with a lot of last-minute adjustments and unforeseen issues. It also makes things easier for them, too! Looking for more kids’ birthday party invitation wording tips and suggestions? Check out these birthday party message ideas before you send your birthday invites! After you've sent your perfectly worded birthday invitations, it's time to have some fun finding and choosing your kiddo's birthday party supplies and decor. Our editors have curated Amazon shops for our top kids' birthday party themes so you can shop for everything you need in one place.

No items found.

No items found.

No items found.

No items found.

No items found.

No items found.

No items found.

All of the products we feature are hand-selected by our editors! You see only what we love and what we think you'll love too. If you buy something through links on our site, Evite may earn a commission. Prices are subject to change.

No items found.

No items found.

What makes Evite SignUp Sheets different from SignUpGenius?

Developed hand-in-hand with community organizers, PTA presidents, parents and teachers, Evite's signup sheets are designed to make organizing volunteers a breeze. Here are a few ways SignUp Sheets are different than SignUpGenius:

  • 100% free: SignUp Sheets are free to use.
  • Ad-free: No popup ads ever! Our signup sheets remain clutter-free, keeping your volunteers focused on signing up.
  • No extra login required: Seamlessly use your Evite account to create and manage your signup sheets, keeping all your events in one convenient location.
  • Automatic reminders and notifications: Stay on top of your event with automated reminders and notifications for you and your participants. Perfect for busy parents, teachers and anyone juggling multiple commitments.
  • Customization options: Tailor your signup sheets to your specific event, whether it's a school fundraiser, potluck, volunteer opportunity or team activity. Add custom tasks, time slots and requirements for smooth coordination.
  • User-friendly experience: Our intuitive interface makes creating and sharing signup sheets simple for everyone, regardless of tech experience.
  • Real-time updates: Get instant notifications whenever someone signs up or makes a change, so you always know where things stand.

Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!

What is a signup sheet?

Signup sheets are the perfect way to streamline scheduling, volunteer recruitment, class parties, snack duty, potluck organization, parent-teacher conferences and more! You can think of them as your digital assistant for coordinating events and tasks and ensuring that your event is a success.

Evite SignUp Sheets offers parents, teachers and event planners customizable online forms that organizers and volunteers can access and update effortlessly. Volunteers can choose their preferred time slots, sign up for tasks or indicate what they'll bring to the event. It only takes organizers a few minutes to create a signup sheet and send it out with a shareable link, so they can get the word out via text, email or social media—whichever way they prefer! 

Long story short, signup sheets save everyone involved tons of time, avoid scheduling headaches and ensure everything runs smoothly before and during the event.

How do I create a signup sheet?

Creating a signup sheet has never been easier than with Evite! Here’s how to create a sheet that’s sure to make your event an absolute success:

  1. Go to Evite SignUp Sheets and choose the template that best fits your needs. Evite offers multiple signup sheet templates perfect for every occasion, including:some text
    • Signup sheets for standalone events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a class party, potluck or end-of-season party.
    • Signup sheets for recurring or multi-day events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a meal train, post-game snack duty or during appreciation week.
    • Signup sheets for single or multiple day events (with time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing concession stand volunteers, fundraisers and parent-teacher conferences.
  1. After selecting your sheet template, create a title for your signup sheet and add the date, the location, the time (if applicable), who the organizer is, the organizer’s phone number or email and an optional note describing the event to your volunteers. You can also change your signup sheet background and title image if you wish!
  1. Next, create slots for your signup sheet. If you aren’t logged into your account, you will need to do so at this point, but luckily, you can use your existing Evite account (no need to create yet another login!). What you’ll include here will depend on what your event needs, but you can include a list of what’s needed (along with optional descriptions), how many volunteers are needed, and dates and times.
  1. After creating your slots, you can then add a wish list from any retailer or include supply suggestions from Evite’s retailer partners. These are to help your volunteers find and purchase supplies quickly and easily.
  1. Finally, review your sheet, copy your shareable link and send it out to everyone on your list! Every time a volunteer signs up for a slot on your signup sheet, Evite will email you. We will also send reminders to you and your volunteers before your event so no one will forget about it, and we’ll even let volunteers know if you remove their slot or cancel your event sheet so you don’t have to!

What information should be included on a signup sheet?

When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:

  1. A title for your signup sheet. Tip: Aim to keep your signup sheet title concise but clear. You want volunteers to read it and have a general understanding of what your event is about, and also make it easy for them to look for later if they need to reference your sheet again. You have the option to include a more descriptive note in a different field about your event, so save the more in-depth details for that!
  1. When and where the event is taking place. 
  1. The organizer’s name and phone number.
  1. Slots for volunteers to choose from. Once you choose the SignUp Sheets template that fits the occasion, the slots you’ll need for your sheet will be right there and ready for you to add the relevant info, such as dates, times, items to bring and tasks to complete. 

When adding your slot information, clearly define what people are signing up for, especially for a what-to-bring list or role assignments. If you want someone to bring healthy snacks for kids to enjoy after a game, specify that. You want your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re bringing and to make it easy for them to know what’s expected of them. It will save them time and stress (and you, too!). That being said, if you make your ask too specific (for example, asking for a hard-to-source item or something expensive), you may not end up with a volunteer for it. So be clear about what you expect, but also be reasonable!

Aside from providing the basic signup information, you can also add optional descriptions to both your entire signup sheet and individual slots. While not required, they can help guide your volunteers further and provide more information. You can add information about allergies, preferences and general info about the event. You can also add a wish list to make it easier for your volunteers to bring exactly what you need!

What are the benefits of using a signup sheet template?

Signup sheet templates offer a ton of advantages for both organizers and volunteers and with Evite SignUp Sheets, you'll enjoy even more benefits than other digital and paper signup sheets! Some benefits our signup sheet templates offer include:

  • A 100% free experience (no subscriptions required!).
  • Shareable links for quick and easy sharing.
  • No need to create another login—you can use your existing Evite account.
  • The option to add a wish list to help your volunteers out.
  • Automatic reminders—we’ll remind everyone on your behalf.
  • An easy-to-use experience with eye-catching guided templates.
  • Clean, modern designs with no pop-up ads.

With Evite SignUp Sheets, you can enjoy organizing and coordinating all your events with ease. Signup sheets streamline the signup process for everyone involved, ensuring that everything will go to plan on the day of your event while saving you precious time in the process.

View More Articles

View All