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| Topics >> by genpil >> How to organize your kids party |
| How to organize your kids party Photos Topic maintained by genpil (see all topics) |
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| How easy would the theme be for the guests you invite to achieve? You don’t want people to be having to spend a fortune if they can’t afford to do so. Is the theme suitable for the age group that will be attending the party? How easy will it be to extend the theme to decorating the party? Here are a few great fancy dress party themes I have seen executed well: Write a Guest List If your child is of school age, it’s easy to be tempted into inviting the whole class to your fancy dress party. I’ve been to those parties and hectic doesn’t even come close. Also, remember, the more children you invite, the less likely they are to win a game (cue tantrums) and the further your budget will have to stretch for food/party bags etc. My advice – keep it as small as you can. Don’t worry about inviting every child that has ever invited your child to a party, just invite those friends that your child is closest to. If at all possible, also try and keep the age bracket as narrow as possible. The closer in age the children are, the more likely they are to enjoy the same type of games and food. If the age group is varied, the older children are likely to win lots of games and cause you headaches with the younger ones! Set a Budget This is the part I’ve always struggled with, I always spend more than I mean to on parties, but you should definitely have a budget in mind and make sure you stick to it. A simple spreadsheet will help you keep track of your costs, make sure you record everything and you shouldn’t go far wrong. If money’s tight, always consider whether DIY is an option and hunt around pound shops for bargains. Sites like couponsabc can help you save massive (https://couponsabc.com/) Select a Venue Here are a few key points to consider when deciding on venue for your kids dress up party. Decide on Entertainment Are you going to run the party yourself or get someone else to entertain the kids for a bit? Kids entertainers can be worth their weight in gold but can also be an expensive, cringeworthy disaster so pick very carefully. My advice is to ask around at school, toddler groups, play areas etc and get recommendations, don’t just choose someone randomly online. To tie in with a fancy dress theme, adults dressed up can add a real sense of excitement for the children, but beware that anything even remotely scary can be petrifying for a child. I saw children screaming in fear at one 4 year old’s party where a dad dressed as a baddie!! Plan the Games Every fancy dress party needs a few party games. The old favorites always go down well. To fix or not to fix… I have always been an advocate of fixing party games like pass the parcel since very young children are unlikely to win a prize otherwise... anything for an easy life! Be careful not to get caught though, nothing upsets a child like a fixed party game (I speak from experience here!). Here are a few of our old favorites. Musical Bumps Also use good old Pinterest to look for ideas for games to suit your theme, a pirate party might feature a ‘Walk the Plank’ themed game, a spy party would have to have a game that involved following clues… I’m sure you get the idea! Google’s also handy for ideas here. Decide on Food Even your food can be created to support the theme of your fancy dress party. At the Pirate Party I arranged for my son I served Dead Man’s Fingers (sausages), Cannonballs (blueberries), Gold Doubloons (Cheese Cut in Circles), Eyeballs (white grapes) and loads of other nonsense. The kids were literally shrieking with excitement as we dared them to try the food and couldn’t work out whether they had really just tried an eyeball or not! Decorate the Venue To really make your children’s fancy dress party a WOW experience, carry the theme through to the party décor. For me, DIY decorations beat shop bought hands down and really do make the party look the part. Don’t Forget the Party Bags Kids love a party bag, it’s a fact. I love to make the party bags a little more personal than the plastic ones you can pick up. Again, run with your theme, make sure it is followed right through to the bag itself and the contents inside. Whatever you put in the bag doesn’t need to be expensive, let’s face it, it will probably be thrown away, but following your theme right through to the end is worthwhile after all your effort. You can get them cheaper from Amazon or Walmart by using the coupons from cashback sites like : A final few pointers: Create a vague timeline for the day so you know what time to feed the children and you can make sure the food will be ready on time. Don’t forget the thank you notes. Very much appreciated by everyone who attends. I know they’re a pain, but definitely worthwhile. Make sure you have wine in the fridge, you’ll deserve it after all this hard-work! |
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