If you have a child’s birthday coming up and the idea of organising a group of 20+ excited youngsters fills you with panic - then you’re not the only one! Those of us who have organised a kid’s party know they can be quite stressful and very often the mere thought can instil terror in the most able parent. Where to hold it, who to invite, how to entertain them, what to feed them….? The list seems endless.
So if you need inspiration on themes, food, games…or just plain old encouragement, then read on.
1. Where?
Deciding on the venue is often the first step in organising a party. This will often determine other factors, such as whether you need to provide the food, the entertainment, party bags..or whether the venue will cater for everything.
Soft play centres can be fantastic fun, and they certainly are a hit with parents as they do a lot of the work for you. However, they often prove expensive and mean you have to limit your guests. And they do tend to be rather repetitive if you are invited to a few each year. Possible alternative venues are:
village hall - community centre - sports hall - function room in a hotel or leisure centre - restaurant with a soft play area - home (the best, in my humble opinion)
Older children could have a fabulous smaller party at any of the following venues:
Swimming pool - bowling alley - cinema - restaurant
2. What?
Themed parties are great fun and also provide inspiration for entertainment. Some popular themes are:
Pirates - Princesses - Pirates AND Princesses - Superheroes - Fancy Dress - Dinosaurs - Teddy Bears Picnic
3. What?
Very often the most worrying aspect to the novice party organiser is what to do with them?
It’s amazing how many games you can come up with if you just put your mind to it. So if the thought of hosting party games to a bunch of hyped-up kids makes you feel faint, then read on!
Here are some age-old favourites:
Pass-the-parcel - Pin the tail on the donkey (or a variation thereof) - Musical statues/bumps/chairs - Blind man’s buff - Simon Says - Races - Sardines
If you don’t feel the urge to organise traditional party games, then it might be a good idea to invest in some other form of entertainment, such as:
Bouncy castle - Bubble machine - Disco - Children’s entertainer - Karaoke machine - Face painter - craft activities (with the aid of adult helpers).
4. Food?
Very often a cold buffet is the best option, or if the venue has cooking facilities it might be easier to engage the help of a willing adult and do a hot meal.
Here are some ideas:
Sandwiches (cooked meat/cheese/cheese spread/egg/jam/marmite/pate)
you can always cut sandwiches into shapes either with a knife or pastry cutter
French stick with butter and cheese/meat
Pitta bread - Breadsticks - Dips - Humous - Cucumber - Tomatoes - Celery sticks - Sausage rolls - Cocktail sausages - Samosas/onion bhajis/pakoras - Party eggs - Cold cooked chicken nuggets/mini pizzas - Savoury nibbles - eg. mini cheddars, wotsits, twiglets - Grapes – Apple and orange slices - Strawberries - Biscuits - Cookies – Fairy cakes - Marshmallows – Mini doughnuts
Or hot buffet ideas are:
Hotdogs and rolls
Chips with:
Chicken nuggets/dippers - Sausages - Fish fingers - Mini pizzas - Burgers
If you don’t have enough room for a big spread, or feel faint at the thought of clearing the mess and the wastage of food, we recommend individual party boxes. These can be filled with enough food for each child – and can be personalised.
They are especially useful for children with special dietary requirements, and they mean less mess!
5. Party Bags
No party is complete without some take-home goodies. Very often people are so busy organising the festivities that the party bags are left until the last minute.
You can buy pre-filled party bags, or if you prefer to find your own, party fillers are numerous in the shops and range from relatively cheap plastic items (parents seem to dislike these but for some reason, kids love a bit of bright plastic) to quality wooden items.
Here are a few ideas:
pencils/crayons/felt tips - notepads - puzzle books - bouncy balls - hair accessories - bracelets - necklaces - stretchy animals and insects - bouncing putty - stickers - balloons - pirate eye patches - temporary tattoos - board books - craft sets - noisemakers - whistles.
Hopefully the above ideas will have inspired any nervous novice party-giver. The main thing to remember is that the party is for the children and not the parents - so as long as they have a good time, your job is done!
With a little careful planning and a good dose of courage, you may even end up enjoying the party yourself!
copyright Dawn Raymond www.funkydorypartybags.co.uk
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