Who to Invite
When deciding who to invite to your child's party, remember that even just a few children will be a handful! They are far bigger than their numbers with respect to the noise and energy they have, so feel no pressure to invite the entire neighbourhood and class at school unless you’re sure you have the capacity and helpers on hand to make it a success. A general rule that many parents swear by once the child is over the age of three is to invite as many children as their age plus one. The biggest priority is that your child’s favourite playmate or ‘best friend’ will definitely be free for the party date, as your child will miss having their best friend around and sharing their party experience with them.
Involve Them in the Decor
Have a chat with your child and decide on a theme together. If you have limitations, narrow the choice so they can choose between the things they can have, and let them help you pick out the bunting and banners and all the other little accessories. If you’re struggling to pull off an idea then remember that certain classic themes are long lasting and ever popular, like cowboys, princesses or jungle themes. Just remember to pull the theme together with games, food, cake and entertainment.
Arrange a Bite to Eat
First things first, if you’re doing food at your child’s party, make sure to check with all the parent’s about any allergies! You don’t want to spoil the fun with a trip to the emergency room! Clean, bite-sized versions of popular food like pizza, hot dogs and sandwiches will always go down well. You can also adjust the food to match the theme, for example using appropriately shaped cookie cutters to cut shapes.
Make Lots of Time for Play
Games and activities will be the main thing that your child and their friends will enjoy during the day. Younger children will enjoy straight-forward classics such as musical chairs, pass the parcel and pin the tail on the donkey. For slightly older children, make the games a little more engaging to keep them entertained. For example, you could create a treasure hunt with clues all around the house and, if the weather is good, in the garden too!
Special Touches
A good way to keep the theme running is to wrap cake and have goody bags in a matching theme. Or match it even closer to the theme so, for a pirate party, wrap presents in jewel and gold tones to make them appear as ‘pirate booty’ and keep them in a ‘chest’.
It’s personal preference whether you have your child open their presents in front of guests or wait until the party is over. Some children are blunter than others, so bear that in mind as you don’t want to upset other children at the party (or their parents!), and it might not be entertaining for the other kids.
Call in the Professionals
Give yourself a break at the party! Hiring an entertainer to keep control of the kids for half an hour or so will be the best decision you make. You can hire impersonators, such as princesses, to visit your kids and get them involved in activities, which be captivating and memorable for them. They’ll be excited to tell school friends that they got a visit from a princess or a pirate on their Birthday. Other entertainers are equally as memorable, such as magicians and clowns. Just remember to try and keep on theme to make the day perfect.
