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Organizing a Kids’s Birthday Party

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Organizing a Kids’s Birthday Party

If you’re organising a child’s birthday party good planning is the key to success. We have listed below some important points which you should keep in mind if you would like to have a stress free day.

Kid’s Party Budget

How much do you want to spend on the occasion? Decide on your maximum budget and stick to it. When deciding on a budget you might wish to take some of the following topics into account….

Kid’s Party Venues

Home or party venue? Home parties are generally less expensive but can be more stressful if you are the house proud type! If sticky fingers on your clean walls and curtains and mud and grass covered feet on your kitchen floors are going to freak you out, then either go for a party venue outside the home or restrict your party to one or two rooms or garden (not always that easy in our climate!)

For home parties, the standard party duration is about 2 hours. 10 to 15 minutes to get everyone in the door. 1 hour of entertainment and 45 to 50 minutes for the food and cake. Some party entertainers however offer up to 2 hours of entertainment.

Party venues often offer reduced party packages on weekday afternoons, so check out potential offers and weigh up the saving against the non-availability of some of your invitees (kids in after-school care or attending after-school activities may not be able to get to weekday parties).

Number of Invitees

Your budget and the amount of space you have will determine how many kids can be invited. Also, if you are renting a hall or going to a party venue (e.g. Playcentre, Bowling Alley, Leisure Centre etc) there might be restrictions on both the minimum (often c. 10 guests) and maximum number of guests you can bring.

Kids Party Entertainment/Entertainers

A themed fancy dress party with great party games will suit all budgets. Check out our ideas for Kids Party Games. Don’t forget to include small budget for prizes which can be picked up quite cheaply in the stationery/toy section of supermarkets and discount stores.

Alternatively if would like more of a “hands off” approach there are an infinite number of options to keep the little darlings entertained; bouncy castles, make over artists, clowns, magicians, puppeteers, party vehicles and much more.

Kid’s Party Food

Home Parties

If budget is tight then home prepared food is probably the cheapest option. Healthier versions of children’s favourites; chicken goujons and baked chips can be prepared and cooked quite easily at home (see recipe page). If that all seems like too much hard work then dig out the telephone book and have some pizzas or take-away delivered about 40 to 50 mins before the party is due to end.

As with all elements of a party if you are not working to a tight budget and would prefer to have someone else look after the food then there are lots of caterers that will be only to happy to assist.

Consider using paper plates and cups, using your best crockery is probably not the best idea! Young children eat a relatively small amount of food at parties, so don’t overload the table. Only put sweets and cakes on the table after the party meal/sandwiches are served. This way children are less likely to fill themselves on sugar and therefore less likely to be sick.

Don’t forget to check in advance if any of your guests have food allergies. Try where possible to make sure all food is suitable for the child in question. If this is not possible, make sure there are adequate alternatives on the table.

Party Venues

Many venues supply food as part of the party package. Some venues don’t have cooking facilities but will allow you to bring your own food. In these circumstances it is generally best to have take-away food delivered to the venue or bring cold food e.g. sandwiches, cakes, etc.

As with home parties, don’t forget to check in advance if any of your guests have food allergies and ensure all food at the party is suitable for the child in question or offer suitable alternatives where this is not possible.

Party Packs

No party is complete with out the de rigueur Party Pack. A mix of sweets and novelty items always go down well with children. Novelty items can include a selection of the following: hair accessories, football cards, pencils/erasers, jewellery, parachute men, bubbles, die cast cars, stickers, tatoos etc.

Party Decorations

Decorating a room for a kid’s party isn’t difficult. Balloons, streamers, a brightly coloured tablecloth, fancy napkins, blowers and party hats will create a great party setting. If children are sitting down for party food don’t forget to check if you have enough chairs

If you are going with a themed children’s party. The chosen theme will depend on the age of the child but, again depending on the child’s age, it’s a good idea to talk to him or her about what the theme should be. The theme chosen could then include not only the party decorations, but all the other party supplies too.

If hiring a hall/venue for your party, check in advance if you are allowed to decorate the room.

A Helping Hand

“Many hands make light work” particularly when it comes to parties for smaller children. Between minor incidents & accidents, toilet runs and sick tums you won’t have a minute to your self.

Home Parties:

When kids get together they can sometimes get a tad excited. You may need some assistance on the day to keep everything under control – someone who can keep an eye that the sausage rolls don’t burn while you are running the party games! Also ensure either yourself or your helper is assigned the task of collecting mobile numbers of parents while the other meets and greets. Try recruiting the help of a relative, a good friend, or one or two of the mums of the invited children. You may have to increase the number of helpers depending on how many kids are invited.

Venue Parties:

A helping hand isn’t as essential at venue parties as the staff tend to do most of the work. However we find it helps to take at least one person along to help with the following:

  • take mobile numbers of parents (in case of accidents) while you meet and greet
  • wait at reception area of venue for latecomers while you accompany rest of invitees to party area
  • put presents away safely, boot of car is generally best
  • go for coffees while you keep an eye on proceedings!

Guest List & Invitations

Once the budget is decided, venue and entertainment confirmed, a guest list is the next step, followed by the invitations.

Guest List:

As you have already decided the number of invitees at the Budget stage, it is now time to devise a list of guests, this is usually best done by both you and the birthday girl or boy.

Invitations:

Invitations can be bought, handmade or downloaded to your computer and printed. If you decide to hand make the invitations, a great place to start is a craft store. Here you will find everything you need to make the perfect invite; card stock, embellishments, stamps and charms and a great fun activity for you and your child in advance of party.

Check out the following websites for free downloadable party invitations:

www.office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates
www.hewlettpackard.com/birthdayinvitations
www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/birthday/invitations.html
www.hooverwebdesign.com/free-printable-invitations.html

Check with your chosen party venue if they supply invitations. Many do, which can be useful, particularly if they supply a map or directions to the venue.

If you don’t know all your invitees well, don’t forget to ask parents to advise you if their child suffers from any food allergies. This avoids any disasters on the day and will ensure that every child has a great time.

Some party planners are more laid back about how many people turn up to their party but we at KidsBirthdays.ie like to know exactly how many people will be there on the day. Asking parents to RSVP at least four days before the event can help you to avoid some or all of the following pitfalls:

  • buying too much or too little food
  • having less than the minimum number of attendees turn up and having to pay anyway, not to mention your child’s disappointment if there is a poor turnout (pay particular heed to this point during the summer months when lots of children are on holiday). If you know well in advance how many are coming, you can always recruit a few more kids if you are short!
  • having more than the maximum number of attendees allowed and having to send some children away (a big party faux pas!)

Kids Party Games etc.

Next, children’s party games. The old favourites still go down well with children, pin the tail on the donkey, pass the parcel, musical chairs, duck duck goose, mummies, treasure hunt, tug of war, and blindman’s buff . You will also need small prizes for the winners. Prizes could include inexpensive, sweets, small toys, hair accessories etc.

Finally, remain calm – we hope the party is a great success!

Article by www.KidsBirthdays.ie

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