Wirral Mums Guide Planning and Hosting the Coolest Kid Parties
Wirral Mums Guide to Planning Cool Kids' Parties
INTRODUCTION Kids are a bright spot in our lives. We strive to give them the best of everything: opportunities, our knowledge, a good home and yes, birthday parties. But many of us can get a bit overzealous with our presentations. Does this sound like you? And how did your kid react to your hard work? We thought so. It’s okay. Live and learn. Now, discover how to throw the coolest birthday party for your child without all of the headache, financial distress and the lack of appreciation at the end of the day. In this Wirral Mums Guide you will learn how to successfully plan a birthday party for your son or daughter regardless of their age. Also discover various age-appropriate activities that will keep the party moving along at a satisfying pace. Intermingled with these two points are tips and tricks to keep you frugal in your party execution without sacrificing your child's wish for a special day. HOW TO PLAN A KIDS' PARTY Plan Ahead You can never go wrong when you begin thinking about your child’s party several months in advance. Undoubtedly you have run into the nightmare of scrambling to find party supplies at the last minute. You spend way too much money and often end up with something other than what you originally wanted. Create a checklist. You can find free birthday party checklists online. For the time being, we will just give you a rough idea of the kinds of things to add to your list that you can be sure to get checked off. Invitations - Create invitations using card program software like Hallmark or Canon. In no time at all it will pay for itself. You can make one-of-a-kind birthday cards and invites for each of your children for their special day. Set a date and time that is most likely going to be convenient for family and your child’s friends. Weekends are good but those around the holidays can be a bit tricky.
Cake - A birthday party is not the same without one. If you are having it made, give your baker enough notice so that they can have it ready on time. If you are making it yourself, list the supplies you have to purchase to create this cake. That includes cake moulds, icing, decorations and candles. Party supplies - Here’s the first tip: avoid buying novelty party plates and cups. You will end up with leftover supplies that you can't use at other birthday parties because they don't match anything. Stick to single colours that mesh well with a variety of themes. Include plates, cups, streamers, party hats, plasticware and tablecloths on your list. Venue – For smaller kids, home is the perfect place to host their first few birthday parties. As kids get older, their tastes change. However, just because you move the party off-site doesn’t mean it has to cost a lot. You can find deals at indoor play centres, theme parks and other places your kids might decide they want to go for their birthday shindig. Menu – This is where many of us lose our head. Kids are simple, really. They want something to eat that is going to be good. That’s it. You don’t have to create a five-course meal for their birthday. In fact, a birthday party that consists of simply a few friends for ice cream and cake can suffice when the child is very young. When in doubt, order out; but, be economical about it. Try pizza or sub sandwiches. Decorations – How will you transform a part of your home into the place where they want to host their birthday party? You don’t have to think elaborate. Balloons, streamers and banners are all ways of announcing that your child’s birthday is here. Avoid confetti with little kids because they could try to eat it. Also avoid novelty decorations if you can help it. Just like with the other party supplies, stick to simple colours because they blend. Music – There’s nothing wrong with a little background music. You can have a few of your child’s favourite CDs playing as the kids arrive. It can even be a part of the party theme. Party Favours – Don’t let your child’s guests leave empty handed. Shop for cute items to fill a gift bag that each child can take home to remind them of the good time they had at the party. Use your party theme (see below) as a guide for what to include as a party favour. Tips for Hassle Free Planning Choose a theme – Primary age children will more than likely spearhead this one. Whatever toy or television show they are into at the time usually dictates the theme. Here are a few to consider for girls and for boys: sports, beach party, princess party, music, garden barbeque, pirates, favourite cartoon character and pyjama party. Once you settle on a theme, it is easier to go about everything else on your list. A theme can also focus you in the right direction as far as party planning goes.
Enlist the aid of others – You can’t handle a party alone, unless the child is a baby. Ask a family member to help you at the party. They can do anything from helping to set up, to chaperoning to helping clean up afterwards. But, they are not limited to the clean-up crew. Family members with special talents can become the life of the party. Check to see if you know anyone who loves to tell stories, dress up like a juggling clown for the party, take candid photos or play party games with the kids to keep them entertained. Send invitations out at least three weeks before the party – You want families to have time to consult their calendars and get back to you. Don’t forget to ask for an R.S.V.P and provide a contact name and number. Use your responses to gauge how much food, what size cake, number of party favours and how many games to plan. Always allow for a few stragglers who didn’t respond, or last minute invitees. Choose activities – This is right up there with ordering the cake. You want to find an activity or activities that will keep the kids interested throughout the party until you are ready to sing “Happy Birthday.” Young children need to be supervised during their parties so you’ll need to keep that in mind when choosing the games. But we’ll discuss more of that later. Set a schedule – You have your list of what to buy or rent for the party; now decide on the agenda. For younger kids, a party that keeps moving along is less of a hassle and keeps them busy. Once all of the kids arrive, commence with activities, singing, presents and cake. When toddlers or kindergartners get tired, they become irritable and restless. No one wants to see their party guests leaving in tears. Choose a time limit for your party – This is more of a consideration for parties with younger kids. Setting a two-hour window allows you to plan accordingly to get everything done. The partygoers won’t have time to get tired and you don’t have to keep going half the night with activities. If you plan on participating in outdoor activities, find a time when it won’t be so hot, like from 2-4 or 3-5 on a Saturday afternoon. Limit the number of guests – A birthday party can quickly get out of hand when you have a home full of running and screaming ten-year-olds. A good rule of thumb is to invite a number of guests that is equal to the child’s new age. For instance, if your child is turning five, they can invite up to five friends. Too many participants can make it hard to conduct the games and keep everyone properly supervised. Skip the meal – Cut your expenses and a lot of work with a party that doesn’t coincide with any meal times. Party guests can either eat beforehand or grab a meal after the party. Plan seasonal activities accordingly – In wintertime, no one wants to be outside playing “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” Choose activities that are appropriate for the season and that take into account what the weather will most likely forecast on party day.
KIDS' PARTY ACTIVITIES Age-Appropriate Activities Part of the reason to attend a birthday party is the fun activities. Otherwise, it is just a normal gettogether where you have cake and go home. Remember that kids love to be entertained. The types of activities you choose will greatly depend on the age of the children in question. There are a few rules of thumb for younger children and we will discuss those in a minute in the sections devoted to them. Activities will begin simple and get more complex with advanced age. That leads to another point – helpers or chaperones. One mum can’t demonstrate an activity and keep an eye on everyone at the same time. Here’s another tip: Ask that parents accompany their young children to the party and not simply drop them off to be picked up later. Each parent can be responsible for their own child’s behaviour, especially during activity time. So, which activities are good for which ages? Here are a few guidelines and suggestions to get you thinking along the right lines. Toddlers These little guys are rambunctious, but not very skilled at game playing. Any type of activity that you choose for them won’t require much skill other than having a good time. Birthday parties are much less formal at this age because kids are not really aware of the importance of this day over any other. To that end, invite kids over but treat the birthday party like an extra fun playdate. Engage them in a few activities that get the kids interacting together and laughing. Don’t worry about whether or not they are doing it right as long as they are willing to participate.
Plan some arrival activities. Kids can occupy their time while they wait for all of the partygoers to arrive. For children age 3 to 4, this may include a table set up with colouring books and crayons or action figures and toy cars. These items can be bought quite inexpensively at your nearest pound shop. Because most toddlers are so possessive, allow them to take a car or colouring book if they desire.
Kids have begun to learn to play games at this stage. Use some of the games they know for your party activities. They won’t care that they have played them a hundred times before. Consider activities like Ring around the Rosy, hitting the Piñata and water gun fun. Supervised free time is also alright if kids don’t show any particular interest in a game. If you are planning any water activities, alert parents so they can bring a change of clothing for their child. Primaryschoolers These will be your new school-age children, ages 5-7. They are able to take direction which means you can try more sophisticated games at the birthday party. But, just like younger children, the attention span is short. Home parties are still a good choice as kids’ tastes have not expanded to include activities that would warrant another venue. Another note: this is often when “theme” birthday parties come into play. Involve them in party planning, from choosing the theme to deciding who to invite to the party. The general rule of thumb for number of guests still applies. Some theme choices for boys include Western cowboys, space heroes, cartoon characters, pirates and sports. Some themes for girls: princesses like The Little Mermaid or Princess Tiana, TV show characters like Dora the Explorer or Minnie Mouse, or a spa day. Arrival activities can be a step up from toddler as well. With the idea of a theme in mind, create a table that involves making crafts that centre around the theme. For instance, if your daughter wants to go with the princess theme, cover the table with costume items they can try on and model to become like royalty. Blank cardboard princess crowns can be decorated by the girls to wear with their costumes. Many girls could probably spend all their time playing dress-up. Kids at this age are not usually ready for competition as a motivator for participation. Stick with group activities. Try games like Hot Potato, Duck-Duck-Goose, Musical Chairs, Pin the Tail on the Donkey and the Parachute Game (lift it up and run underneath from side to side). As long as everyone can play together, the fun will continue. Another idea for activities is hiring someone for a show. It could be a magician, a clown or even a puppet show. Feature the show first before outdoor activities so kids don’t get tired and fall asleep. A plan that parents will thank you for is toffee cake and ice cream before the games so that the kids can run off all of that sugary energy and fall asleep on the way home.
Older Children If your child is about the age of 8-11, they have usually learned to socialize beyond the stage where they want to be the centre of attention. Friends are an important part of their lives and so is their own self-image. Definite ideas about what to do for their birthday party will emerge.
You won’t have to prompt them to come up with a theme. Your child may even know what types of games they would like to play. Kids can branch out into other venues for their parties but many might see the wisdom of staying at home – more friends and more fun for less money. Instead of you playing hostess, allow your child to take the lead here. They can facilitate icebreaker games for their friends while you attend to food and other party preparations. Your help will still be required to set up arrival games, organize outside entertainment and keep the party moving along. Here are some ideas for the arrival table. Kids of this age can move towards games like word search, word scramble and easy puzzles. Crafts level up to making jewellery, beading belts and shirts, making key chains and face painting. Position a helper at the arrival table to paint the face of any child who wants it done. Even though some games might be considered “babyish” by your son or daughter, competitive games will seem more mature. Think about doing a scavenger hunt, potato sack race, threelegged race, obstacle course or egg-and-spoon race. Offer prizes to the person or team that comes in first place. Keep a few “consolation prizes” to the side to give to any child who participates but doesn’t win anything. Now they won’t feel left out. A change of venue is quite possible at this age. Receiving RSVPs in a timely manner will be crucial to your planning. Often you can get a discount for birthday parties for a certain number of kids when visiting another party location. There might be a significant different in price if five kids RSVP but eight show up at the party. In the invitation, stress the need to respond to be allowed to participate in the birthday activities. Teenagers We will include tweens in this category as well. They are at that age that is not quite little kid and not quite teenager either. In any case, they will have definite ideas about how they want to plan and implement their special day. As for you, listen and take into account their wishes. Don’t be afraid to discuss a budget. Give them choices for venue, activities, entertainment, invitations and food. Then, leave the final decision up to them. Basically you are here for support and to keep them from getting too outrageous. Music will play a much bigger role in the party. As activity and entertainment, you may want to buy or rent a karaoke machine. It can play your child’s favourite tunes as guests arrive and then be used for singing games later on. With more than one kid, purchasing one may be more economical in the long run.
Younger teens may ask about an overnight party. Girls call it a slumber party but boys may just refer to it as a sleepover. Now you have a decision to make. Will their birthday party consist of just the overnight party or include other festivities during the day as well? This will depend on your son or daughter. Remind them to invite only a few of their closest friends to spend the night. A sleepover can constitute a party in itself with entertainment, games and food. Here, though, the food and cake and ice cream usually precede the fun. Once the kids don their pyjamas, they can play games. Some classics include pillow fights (boys usually), manicures and pedicures (girls), watching romantic, action or scary movies with popcorn (both sexes), and virtual video gaming (both sexes). Board games are not out of the question if your child is into that. Parents are usually directed to pick their kids up mid-morning for an overnight birthday party. This gives you time to celebrate your child’s birthday with a family activity the next day. It’s a win-win for your kid. Let’s move on from the overnight party. Some teens opt to have an evening soirée with their friends at the house. This may include music, food and dancing in the garden. Games are usually not considered at this age. Once you agree on an agenda, they can usually take it from there. Again, unless want a house full of teenagers, set a limit on the number of guests. Inform you neighbours that there will be a birthday party that night so there are no surprises. Have your teen ask the neighbours if it will be okay to park in front of their homes for one night. Also, remind your teen to be respectful of noise levels. As a parent, you are the chaperone for the event. You don’t have to be in sight (your child will prefer you be relegated to the bedroom) but always be aware of what is going on. This will put other parents at ease, especially if it is a coed party. Another venue is not totally out of the question. In fact, for older teens, it may allow them to have the fun they want to have at any noise level in a more appropriate place. Depending on the cost, you could make a deal with your teen that footing the bill for him or her and their friends to rent an outside venue is a part of their birthday present from you. CONCLUSION You can give your child the birthday party they want and deserve at any age. Read the guide, use the suggestions and listen to your kid. You don’t have to break the bank to show them a good time at any age. Avoid stress, both physical and financial, when you plan in advance.