Party Invitations

Send out your invitations in good time to avoid disappointing your child if someone is already having a party on the same day.

Make sure that you include your telephone number on the invitation and indicate that R.S.V.P.s can be made by phone. You know how busy being a parent can get and written R.S.V.P.s can get forgotten about or kids can lose them … phone calls are a great alternative.

Ask for a contact number with the R.S.V.P. in case you need to phone round and cancel the party at the last minute. Telephone numbers are also handy if parents aren’t staying at the party in case of an emergency.

Ask for allergy details to be included on the R.S.V.P. and if you are phased by the thought of what to feed a child with a particular allergy ask their parents for party food ideas.

Locating The Venue

If you are having the party at home tie balloons up outside or put up a banner so that parents delivering children can see where you are straight away.

If you are having a party at a school, leisure centre or similar venue consider whether parents will know how to find it. A few simple written directions included with the invitation will be appreciated.

Drinks and Fizzy Pop

Buy some large labels and write the kids names on before the party. As you hand out juice boxes, sports bottle style squash or party cups stick the child’s name on to them … then when the kids are all hot and thirsty after they’ve been running around they can find their own drink easily.

The choice of soft drinks aimed at children is immense but choose wisely…
Fizzy pop + energetic kids = potential volcano effect
Drinks full off E numbers + kids = kids bouncing off the walls

A lot of kids parties take place at venues like schools or leisure centres where soft play is provided. Remember that parents may get thirsty too, especially during summer parties when it can get very hot, so bring enough drinks to offer the grown ups too.

Party Food

If you have a child coming to the party with specific allergies make sure their food is plated up, covered with cling film and clearly labeled with their name.

Don’t over load the table with food … when children are excited and hot they are unlikely to eat lots of food and you’ll end up with left overs in your lunch box for days or throwing food away.

Keep it simple and limit the choice so that kids can find something they like quickly and get stuck in.

It’s best for the kids to eat at the end of a party, especially if it’s a physical party like soft play or swimming, but if you do have the party food earlier make sure you have a sit down activity after it … like a children’s entertainer.

Kids are unlikely to want to eat at an odd time of the day so take this in to account when you plan the party.

Birthday Cake

When the kids sit down for their party food have the birthday cake ceremony first before they eat. This gives you plenty of time to cut the cake, wrap it and put it in the party bags instead of being under pressure while parents are arriving to pick up their children.

If you are having an outdoor party which will make dispensing the cake a challenge why not get two. Pre cut and wrap one cake and put the pieces in to the party bags before you go then have the birthday cake ceremony with the second cake. It’s not the ideal solution if you’re watching the pennies but the advantage is that the family get to enjoy cake number two!

Birthday Presents

Don’t wait until your child is invited to a party to think about buying gifts … keep an eye open through the year for sales and three for two offers and build up a small present box that you can dip in to. This will help avoid panic buying and means you won’t end up having to spend a fortune because you’re in a rush. Any left overs at the end of the year will make great stocking fillers for Christmas.

As children arrive at the party put the presents in to a large cardboard box to make sure they don’t get broken and you don’t lose any. Open them at home so that your child knows which friend brought which present and make a list of the gifts ready to write thank you letters.

Balloons

Balloons are great fun but think carefully about the age of the children at the party. If you are having a party for teenies then hang the balloons out of reach of little fingers and do not put deflated balloons in party bags.

Party Bags

Goody bags are standard at most parties now but you don’t have to pack them full of plastic novelties that will most likely be broken or lost before the end of the car ride home. Kids love to craft so why not buy sets of items like mini rubber stamps, glitter glue, stickers or pots of play dough and split the them up between the bags. Buy a couple of packs of fun size chocolate treats and put a few in each bag and then add a piece of birthday cake and a party blower.

Add a label to the outside of each party bag with the name of the recipient. In the rush of parents and kids at the end of a party it’s easy to give one child two bags and end up running short.

Bring a couple of spare party bags in case you get children arriving that haven’t replied to the invitation … if you don’t it means you can enjoy the chocolate!

Party Success

Many parents worry about whether their child will have a fun party and enjoy themselves. Why not chat to your child before hand and ask what they’ve enjoyed about other parties they’ve been to. If you have the time to plan ahead it’s a good idea to ask in the car on the way home from a party, while it’s still fresh in your child’s mind, and jot the answers down when you get back to the house.

Don’t get sucked in to the pressure of topping extravagant parties that your kids have attended it will only cause you stress. It’s not important to impress the parents. Children will enjoy the party more if you keep it simple.

If you have hired a venue there’s often another family waiting to come in and set up their party. Plan for a quick get away by using as much disposable stuff as possible then you can just pop it all in to big black bags.