Following on from my last blog on things to think about a couple of months before the BIG day, here are some things to think about around 3 weeks before the party.
Selecting a theme for the Party
Most children love typical fairy, princess, pirate, superhero, animal themes at their party. Encourage originality!!
Book an Entertainer
Most entertainers get booked up quite far in advance if they are good so you will want to make sure that you book a good one! Friends, family and social media are good places to get referrals!
Plan Party Games and activities!
If you are deciding not to have an entertainer, it is a very good idea to make a list of the activities and games you are going to do - and in what order. The order is surprisingly important and often overlooked! For instance, you do not want to encourage the children to do a running / dancing game straight after their party food or you might have some horrible 'extras' to clear away...
Crafts are an excellent party activity and can often be incorporated into a take home gift... Please check my previous blog posts for some cool ideas or check in the future as I will be sharing a lot more craft ideas with my readers :)
Purchase your party supplies
My advice is to do this sooner rather than later in case you find you need to get more supplies closer to the time. The main areas to think about are tableware, decorations and party bags and supplies. I have lots of tips on these main areas in previous posts!
REMEMBER - This should be fun and your child(ren) will love helping you and feeling a part of the process... So enjoy!
For information on what our entertainment packages include please contact Emma at Once Upon A Time Parties on info@onceuponatimeparties-london.co.uk or 07969 841770
We provide fully insured and CRB checked entertainers including games, music, theme, interactive storytelling, dancing, singing, themes, a glitter make over, crafts, prizes, sweets and a gift for the Birthday Child!
Showing posts with label Activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Activities. Show all posts
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
Thursday, 1 August 2013
Rules to Planning a Fabulous Children's Party
So you have decided to be brave and run the party yourself - congratulations! But before you get carried away and finding yourself running to the nearest party store to stock up on face paint, glitter, fairy wings and sparkly trinkets, ask your child what THEY want. More often than not, you'll be surprised at the theme or activities they suggest.
Take my friend Sam for example, who decided he knew what was best in terms of pleasing his 5 year old daughter Daisy and her friends instead of listening to Daisy's pleas of playing teachers and having a school themed party (strange, I know!) and instead opted to book a puppet show for the group of youngsters. On arrival Daisy desperately tried to take a 'registrar' while the puppet show was overshadowed by the cries of frightened children confronted with those creepy dolls and the Birthday Girl trying to 'teach' them a lesson by locking them in the bathroom until they had done their homework. But fear not as this kind of disaster is an exception if you follow these rules:
Rule Number 1: Plan ahead with the birthday child
Firstly, sit down with the Birthday Child and find out what he or she wants. As a general rule, children up to the age of 8 are happy with traditional parties and games where as the older they get, the more niche they become.
Not only will the Birthday Child be super excited about their upcoming party, they will very important to have picked the theme and activities.
That is another thing: theme. Pick one and stick to it relentlessly. Common themes are fairy and princess parties, pirate, football, and super hero themes.
Rule Number 2: Get organised with the help of a check-list
I LOVE lists. Actually, more accurately I LOVE ticking things off my list, even though it does seems like I tick off one action and two more crop up... regardless I hope this check-list helps:
Take my friend Sam for example, who decided he knew what was best in terms of pleasing his 5 year old daughter Daisy and her friends instead of listening to Daisy's pleas of playing teachers and having a school themed party (strange, I know!) and instead opted to book a puppet show for the group of youngsters. On arrival Daisy desperately tried to take a 'registrar' while the puppet show was overshadowed by the cries of frightened children confronted with those creepy dolls and the Birthday Girl trying to 'teach' them a lesson by locking them in the bathroom until they had done their homework. But fear not as this kind of disaster is an exception if you follow these rules:
Rule Number 1: Plan ahead with the birthday child
Firstly, sit down with the Birthday Child and find out what he or she wants. As a general rule, children up to the age of 8 are happy with traditional parties and games where as the older they get, the more niche they become.
Not only will the Birthday Child be super excited about their upcoming party, they will very important to have picked the theme and activities.
Rule Number 2: Get organised with the help of a check-list
I LOVE lists. Actually, more accurately I LOVE ticking things off my list, even though it does seems like I tick off one action and two more crop up... regardless I hope this check-list helps:
- Date.
- Ideally it is best to arrange the party on the day of the child's Birthday or the weekend before or after. If the child's birthday falls in school holidays there is a good chance that some of the children will be away, so make sure you plan it on a day where the best friends can make it.
- Length
- Decide on the length for the party as well as thinking about the general structure. Two hours is a great length, and works well when the first hour is taken up by party games, followed by a birthday tea and for the remaining half an hour arranging crafts and colouring in competitions.
- Start and finish time
- Location
- Guest List
- Invitations (stick to the theme)
- Essential supplies
- Tablewear - plates, cutlery, cups, serviettes, table decorations, table covers
- Party banners, balloons, birthday candles, music, music player, party bags, prizes, sweets
- Party games such as pass the parcel, treasure hunts, piñata, pin the tail, craft game
- Food and drink
- As a rule I tend to find less is more. Children don't tend to eat a huge amount at parties so stick with a few varieties of sandwiches, crisps, chopped vegetables, sausage rolls, cheese sticks and some sweets such as party rings, cupcakes and fruit.
- AVOID fizzy drinks! Opt for water and squash.
- Games
- This is probably the most daunting part of the party for the majority of mums and dads. After working out the structure of the party, plan 4 - 5 games. An ice breaker game at the beginning to warm everyone up is a great idea, followed by musical games (bump, statues), a treasure hunt, pass the parcel, and my personal favourite - sleeping lions! Try and match the games to the theme and use role play to really get the children involved and enjoying the party.
- Birthday Cake
- Volunteers - get all the adult help you can get! You cannot be in ten places at once so don't be shy asking for a hand throughout the party.
- Thank you notes
Rule Number 3: Relax and Enjoy the Day
Make sure you have your camera ready, your nerves steady and a well earned bottle glass of wine!
TIP: At the beginning of the party, thank the parents for the present and swiftly take it out of sight. You do not want a pile of presents becoming a huge distraction throughout the party!
Thank you for reading and stay posted as I am going to be sharing a lot more tips about games, themes, cheap party ideas and venues.
Emma x
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