Planning for the big day...
Who, where and when!
To make life easier, the general rule for the number of children to invite is your child's age plus one. However, if you're feeling brave enough to invite your child's entire class or nursery group, you may want to consider hiring a community hall or other venue away from home. For ideas, check out our Useful Links.
Young children can be difficult to entertain, so for the sake of your sanity, keep the length of the party to 1 ½ to 2 hours depending on your child's age. Afternoons are the most popular time to hold a child's party - we like 3 - 5pm, so that the little angels can all have tea and you still have time to relax with a glass of wine after they've gone!
Remember to hand out party invitations approximately two weeks before the party - this should give parents enough time to respond, but not to forget!
Let us entertain you...
Balloons will keep kids amused for hours - however in an ideal world, we would recommend choosing balloons that are the same size, shape, colour etc as world war three can start based on balloon envy! Remember that children can choke on deflated balloons, so watch out for any that have burst.
Party games are great for keeping little monkeys amused, although try to choose ones which don't require children to be patient for too long. Pass-the-parcel is a firm favourite, but if you are entertaining larger groups of children, aim for one parcel between eight kids to avoid them having to wait too long for their turn. Put a small gift in each layer, so that everyone 'wins' something. Or you could put an activity in each layer, if you want to liven things up!
Try to steer clear of sweets as prizes if you want to avoid hyperactive children. Choose small inexpensive toys instead - our gifts start from just 8p, so you won't be breaking the bank either.
Instead of giving filled party bags, hand out empty paper bags, organise a treasure hunt and let the little monsters fill them themselves. Or, if you don't mind a bit of mess, let your guests make something which they can take home and treasure.
In the summer, why not organise a garden party. Ask your little guests to bring a spare change of clothes, hand out the water pistols and hide! Piñata's are also great for outdoor parties - give your little devils a piñata buster and let them bash away.
If you don't want to do the entertaining all by yourself, there are loads of different party services to help you out. Consider hiring a children's magician or entertainer to take the pressure off. Disco parties are also popular, and some DJs will provide packages especially aimed at children's parties. Or why not try one of the many activities available - go-karting, face-painting, circus activities, puppet shows, jewellery parties - the list really is endless.
If you want to go for the really easy option, many venues will organise your child's party for you - all you have to do is turn up!
Feeding time!
When it comes to feeding your little guests, remember to check for any special dietary requirements before the party.
Don't waste time on making elaborate party food which may not be eaten. Instead fill a party box for each child with small amounts of simple finger foods which can be prepared easily - for example, slices of buttered French stick, chunks of cheese, cocktail sausages, grapes, carrot and cucumber sticks, Twiglets or crisps - and depending on how lazy you want to be, hand out mini rolls for pudding!
Keep some extra food aside for any adults that choose to stay at the party or for any children with bigger appetites! A chocolate fountain is also an unusual (but messy) idea for party food and is bound to go down well with any adults too!
Consider a plate of cupcakes, instead of a birthday cake, for your child's party. You can either make them yourself if you're feeling particularly domesticated, or buy them ready-made from a supermarket. Ice them and adorn them with cake sparklers for dramatic effect.
So long, farewell...
It is traditional to hand out goody bags at the end of each party, and while we don't want to break from that tradition (we sell enough of them after all!), there are alternatives. Try wrapping small gifts in tissue paper, so that each child receives a 'birthday present' instead.
If you are looking for a healthy alternative to sweets for party bags, try putting in small boxes of raisins instead.
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