The Ultimate Kids Party Planning Cheat Sheet

There's nothing like organising a children's party to raise a parent's stress levels.  As your kids grow, their capacity for mischief and mayhem grows exponentially and what was considered a fun time in the past is now very 'last term'.

Image Credit:  Clive Reid

We've found that the number of parties has tended to reduce, or rather parents can no longer afford to entertain the whole class.  In any case, friendship groups are forming and changing and as classes are split, best friends tend to change quite often.

London-based party organisers Twizzle have created this very useful cheat sheet which I am able to share with you here.

Caitlin and Ieuan are now 8 and 7 and have left the soft play party behind them but I much prefer it when parties are organised at the weekend rather than in the middle of the school week. Plus, if they have too late a night we all pay for it the next day!

The current trend here in Cardiff seems to be either Quasar, trampolining or football, with make-over parties for the girls still going strong.

Kids parties are certainly not cheap and there is no reason why you have to fork out lots of cash when, weather permitting, a summer picnic or winter barbeque on the beach might do.  If you're brave enough to host a party at home you have my heartfelt admiration and if the idea fills you with terror and your child isn't overly fussed on a formal birthday party, why not have a family tea and then spend the cash on a couple of day trips of your child's choice?

Anyway,  here's Twizzle's guide to hosting the ultimate, age-appropriate kids party.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Read more

Kid's Birthday? That'll Be £545 Please.

There's no doubt that the costs involved in raising your kids are rising.

I don't know about you but there seems to be a new expense every two minutes - whether it's for school trips, kits for sports and after school activities and school shoes (which seem to last about 6-8 weeks before having to be replaced).

Christmas and birthdays are times when the expenses seem to ramp up even further.

As Princess Charlotte turns one today,  American Express® has carried out some research into exactly how the costs of a child's birthday can mount up - and the company has discovered that parents plan to spend, on average, £545 to celebrate their little one's birthday.

Now I'm not entirely sure who they asked because a straw poll of mums here in Dinas would find some who will pull out all the stops and others who will happily say "enough is enough" and impose a modest budget which covers all the bases without being overly extravagant.

Here's how the costs in American Express' research mounted up:-

Gifts - £122
Entertainment - £94
Party food - £91
Party venues - £90
New outfits - £85
Party bags - £62

And you don't escape the expense if you're a guest at a child's birthday.  Parents were found to spend on average £32 on presents and £28 on new party outfits.

I suspect that some of these parents are strangers to the words "Mothercare Sale" and are desperate to keep up with the Jones'.

I have always thought you could do away with a child's birthday party altogether and just go straight to handing out the party bag and slice of cake after school because that seems to be the main lure of attending these things.

In fact, if the Sugar Police in our schools weren't so hot on scanning each child for the merest hint of dried fruit in case something that could rot teeth has sneaked in, this is a scheme that would save parents hundreds of pounds each year.

Caitlin just before her first birthday in 2008

On the basis that I'd like to save Jamie Oliver the stress of starting another campaign, here are American Express' top tips to help you cut the costs when planning a child's birthday celebrations.

Venue

If the thought of having 20 children running round your house is too much to bear but you don’t want to hire a venue, then local parks or an outdoor play area can be the perfect location for a summer party. Just make sure to check the weather.

There's always your local soft play centre of course (and you know how fond I am of those).

Entertainment

Professional party entertainers are expensive, so keep the stress levels and costs down by doing it yourself. Ask friends or family members who could do simple activities such as face painting. I don't think you can go far wrong with the old favourite party games like Pass The Parcel of Musical Chairs. I did once ask the Husband to appear as Spiderman in a morph suit but he still hasn't "got back to me" on that one.

Party bags

Those little bags can often be the things that cause costs to rack up quickly. So get creative and make them yourself. One of the simplest ways to do this is to fill clear cellophane bags with sweets or pocket-money toys or even put a book into each bag.

Back to haunt the party-ware aisle in your local ASDA it is then. I still have a cupboard full of small bouncy balls and unsharpened pencils.  (Why can you not buy sharpened pencils any more?!).

Go halves

If a friend’s child has a birthday around the same date, then you could coordinate with their parents and throw a joint party. Your child would probably love to share the day with their friend, but you’ll also save money by splitting the cost of the party.

Keep it fun

If the planning becomes hard work, the party could end up feeling forced and often costs rise. Remind yourself to opt for the simpler, easier options. By keeping the guest list manageable and offering a few kinds of drinks and snacks, not only will this be more manageable for you and enjoyable for your child, but you can save some money.

This does, however, lead neatly into the social minefield of how many children to ask to your child's party.  Do you ask the whole class, their special buddies, just relatives? Whatever decision you make has the potential to upset somebody.

I think it's worth reminding ourselves that, in many instances, one or two nice presents, oodles of love and affection on the day, time spent on a favourite activity and perhaps one or two special friends to tea is probably all that is needed to give your child a memorable birthday.

Read more

Throwing A Children's Birthday Party? Read This.

Whether you’re planning for your own child or just helping out a new mum, birthday party planning can be an extremely stressful affair. You want every aspect of the day to be perfect from the icing on the cake to the colourful decorations. But planning such a momentous occasion in a child’s life does not have to be difficult. 

Follow these tips and make it a birthday party to remember for all of the right reasons. 

Choose a simple theme 

Having a theme is a very good idea as it can inspire the whole feel of the day. It can inspire colour palettes, games, decorations and even food, but only if it is simple. Over-complicated themes that are difficult to execute can take a lot of time and effort that you could spend elsewhere. 

Consider what the child likes and dislikes to help you find a suitable theme they will love. Remember classic themes such as pirates or princesses always work and suit a wide age group. 

If you’re stuck for ideas, you could hire party planners such as Pickle Pie Parties or Twizzle to organise a theme for you. They could also help you with invites and entertainment for the party, giving you more time to enjoy the process. 

Image Link

Get creative with food 

Kid's party food options such as sausage rolls and sandwiches are perfect. But you could create something more magical and inventive too. You could use food colouring to dye the snacks and drinks your child’s favourite colour or a colour relating to the theme. 

A Frozen princess party, for instance, would look great with icy blue and white coloured food. You could also bake cupcakes that feature each of your guest’s names on in icing or chocolate. The children will get excited about finding which cupcake is theirs.

If you aren’t really into baking, you could hire an ice cream and candy floss cart or a burger van for the party instead. You can rename every food and drink provided with your child’s name or their favourite cartoon character’s names. This will make it more intriguing for the children and adults attending. 

Image Link

Decorations add the fun 

It doesn’t matter if you’re holding the party in a local hall or at home; it’s important that it feels fun and extraordinary to the child. Decorations are important for a birthday party and will highlight the theme you have chosen. Balloons, bunting and banners are classic birthday decorations that are still just as popular. 

You can also get crafty and make some of your own decorations if you wish. For instance, you could use large pieces of coloured paper to create oversized leaves and flowers. These will create a beautiful jungle atmosphere in your venue. 

Use Pinterest and party pieces magazine for inspiring and unique ideas to decorate and style your event and don’t refrain from making your own. 

Children’s parties need to be fun so make this a priority in your planning. It doesn’t matter how many people attend, as long as everyone spends the day smiling and laughing. 

Like what you've read?  Why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

Read more