Perfect Parties

Here are some basic ideas and tips on how to organize your kid’s party without much of a hassle.

When I planned my daughter’s first party, I read a book that gave, among other dubious ideas, a recipe for stuffed tomatoes. What kind of super-mother has time for that on the day of a party? 

The Basics

Parties may loom large for you now, but their season is short. Before the age of three or four, small family gatherings are best! By seven or eight, many children prefer an outing with a handful of special friends. So… You probably have a maximum of five children’s parties per child to survive.

The standard length for a party is two hours (maybe less for little ones). The usual format consist of one hour of fun and games, half an hour for a meal of some kind and blowing out the candles, and a final half hour of activities before party bags and goodbyes.

Some venues (including your home) can only take a certain number of children. Most kids happily accept that they are not invited to all parties, but they don’t want to be the only one not invited!

Time and place

It’s fun to hold the party on the actual birthday if you can, but during the week, younger children can be so tired after school that it’s not a great success. So weekends are much better, but bear in mind that few guests may not make it because their families are away.

Home could be a great place to host your party, especially if you’ve got a nice garden. On the other hand, church and village halls are often very cheap to hire, have excellent facilities with kitchens, toilets, cloakrooms, etc, and are plenty of chair and tables for you to use and decorate.

Invitations

You can find themed invitations to print out or you can check online and buy themed party invitations.

Send these out about three or four weeks before the party, but allow extra time if school holidays. Ask for replies to give you a general idea of number, but remember that on the day things may work out slightly different. We recommend you to give the time when you expect the party to end and directions on the back if it’s somewhere parents won’t easily know.

Themes

You don’t have to have a theme to your party, but it’s fun and helps to focus your ideas. There are lots of popular themes that kids will love. Have a look to our “Top Party Themes for boys” and “Top Party Themes for girls”

Entertainment

If your budget runs to it, an entertainer can save you untold stress. There’s a lot of choice around there, from general children’s entertainers to specialists who come prepared to lead anything from football to cookery, pottery painting to drama. Most aim to give everyone a good time, while making the birthday boy or girl feel extra special. Try to get a recommendation from a parent who has seen the entertainer in action.

Parents and Siblings

Parents may wish to stay and may also have younger or older siblings with them. Include them if you can. Other parents may blithely leave you with almost impossible offspring. In the interest of sanity, make sure that all exists are secure and insist on adult supervision in cloakrooms and toilets.

Partyware

A sit-down meal is almost always a better idea than a buffet. It gives children the chance to calm down and stops you spending the rest of the day scraping fairy cakes from the floor. By far the easiest option is to buy themed matching tableware including table covering, plates, cups and napkins with disposable straws and cutlery. That will make your live so much easier! Clearing up is then simply a matter of sweeping everything into a bin bag.

Food

Whether you are doing hot or cold food, keep it simple and don’t put it on the table until the very last minute. It works best if you put just savoury items first, reserving sweet things for 10 minutes later. Put a selection of items on each serving plate, so that, on a large table all children can reach everything. There are lots of food ideas, most of which could be adapted for any party.

Presents and Thank-you

Provide a table near the door for presents and cards. Don’t try to open them at the party but take them home, where opening can be more leisurely and you stand some chance of being able to make a list of who gave what.

Thank-you letters need not be time consuming. Until children are old enough to write them themselves, a colourful note produced on a computer is fine. Persuade your child to write his or her name at the bottom if you can.

Party Bags

Give yourself a strict limit for contents as it’s easy to get carried away and spend a fortune. It’s best if you don’t put guest’s names on the bags, as you may gain siblings you hadn’t catered for or lose guests on the day because of illness. Colour code the bags instead if there is a difference in content for boys and girls. See our section of Party Bags and Party Bag fillers