Chosing a Theme

Choosing a themed party you can hold at home or in a church hall is a fun way to make your child feel special. Most children love the chance to dress up so if you're holding a pirate party, for example, this calls for plenty of pirate hats, eye patches and the like! Remember that complex themed parties will be lost on very young kids, so keep it simple with children under 4 years old; the optimum age for themed parties is probably 5-8 years.

For Older Children

• Sleep Over party
• Disco party
• Karaoke party
• Traditional summer garden tea party
• Dinner Party
• Spa Party
• Home movie party

Other Home/Village Hall Party Ideas

• Garden Party – A party all about the garden, could involve painting a flower pot, potting some seeds, making box garden, nature themed games and quiz, a treasure hunt, a walk in the woods, collecting leaves, pressing flower petals and so on.
• Craft Party – This can cover anything from card making to pottery painting. Here's a list of ideas
  • flip flop decorating
  • jewellery making
  • soap/cosmetic making
  card making
  • scrap booking
  • t-shirt decoration
  • model making
  • pottery party

• Invitations - do one version and photocopy it or buy appropriate themed invitations and don’t forget thank-you cards.
• Dress code - you don't have to do the work for this! Not all themed parties have to be fancy dress it is entirely up to you.
• Decoration - pick one or two simple ideas
• Games - just re-name traditional games in line with the chosen theme
• Activities - like crafts, cooking cookies that link to the chosen theme for the chjildren to decoarate later, a treasure hunt or make your own pirate hat
• Food - give the food themed names, e.g. 'pirate pizzas', dinosaur burgers etc
• Cake - again, sometimes all it needs is one themed element placed on top of a normal round or square sponge cake
• Party bags - you don't need to spend too long on this one - go for the obvious. We also stock a carefully selected range Click here for details

General Party Planner

2 - 3 weeks before the party

• Who to invite
  The Invitation Equation is Child's age + 1 = happy kids.
  For children under 8 years old invite as many children as the child's age plus one. Some parents choose to add 1 or 2 to this equation. Only you can know your limits. Of course, as your child gets much older the formula will need revision. Parties for very young children, more often than not will include family members; cousins, siblings etc. As your child gets older invite only your child's closest playmates. They already know each other well which makes the party so much more fun! Think about friends from nursery, school, special relatives and neighbours. It's not mandatory that you invite the siblings of your child's friends, or even parents (unless children are very young). Most parents enjoy the break and you won't feel so much pressure to entertain adults.
• I don't want to leave anyone out!
  This is a common dilemma, especially when your children begin to attend school or nursery. Some parents do invite everyone but experience has taught me that you really should do what suits you and your child and remember the invitation equation. Here are a few tips to ease this situation.
  • Try to be discreet by mailing the invitations.
  • Speak with the teacher about your child bringing in a small treat for each class member (pencils, stickers, balloon). Once children are older they usually form friendship groups so smaller gatherings are more expected although I think sending in a small treat to school is a nice idea to follow. Your child will let you know when it’s not cool to do this anymore.
• Send out the invitations
  About three weeks before the party, you'll need to send out written invitations.This gives parents time to buy a gift. They should include the following information:
  • Your child's name and which birthday they are celebrating.
  • Your address and phone number.
  • The date, start and finish times of the party.
  • If you're having a themed party, your invitation should make it clear if the guest needs to dress up.
  • You may need a small map if you're inviting children whose parents haven't been to your home before - the same applies if you’re holding the party at a venue that may not be familiar to all guests.
  • It's also a good idea to ask on invitations for mums to make it clear if their child has any allergies or special dietary requirements – remember to follow this up when you're organising the party food on with the seating arrangements on the day.
  • When the RSVPs come back keep a list of names and telephone numbers. You can use this as a check-list on the day.
• Plan your party menu
  
  • Decide what you are going to eat at the party. Don’t plan on too much food. The children never eat it.
  • Simple finger-food is usually the best and simplest to serve, especially if you're preparing it yourself.
  • It would be a good idea to check if any of the guests have food allergies, although most parents will tell you if this is the case.
  • Make sure you have plenty of juice, best to avoid fizzy unless the children are that much older.
  • Don't forget some party food for any parents that are staying. Good party food includes:
    • Sandwiches (ham, cheese etc.)
    • Cocktail sausages
    • Grapes
    • Mini pizzas
    • Vegetables and dips (carrots, cucumber, red pepper etc.)
    • Fairy cakes
    • Chocolate rice crispies
    • An assortment of crisps

Don’t forget the cake! – Order or make

3 days to go

Chase-up any outstanding RSVPs.

The day before

• Prepare any food - that can be prepared in advance.
• Make sure you prepare the party bags.

Party day

• Setting the scene - decor & music
  Set the scene with music and decorations, either readymade or, if you’re feeling creative, homemade, for a more unique feel.
• Music
  A party without music just isn't a party! If you’re holding the party at a venue away from home don't forget to take your portable CD player. There are lots of children's compilation CDs about or you could make your own compilation of your child's favourite music. Children's TV theme tunes are usually a popular choice.
• Buying decorations
  Balloons, streamers, banners, themed paper, tablecloths, paper plates and cups, spray streamers, party hats and so on all help create an instant party atmosphere. Look out for piñatas, a traditional Mexican party game in which a colourful papier-mâché object (such as a star or a donkey) is filled with sweets and treats and then hung from the ceiling to be bashed with a piñata stick until its exterior is weakened and all the goodies fall out. They provide a great end to your party.

Finally, enjoy the day and don’t forget your camera!!!

Quick Party checklist

Make life easy on yourself with our essential planner:

• Seating – How many children are you having? Are they going to eat at a table? If so, you can usually borrow small tables and chairs from toddler groups for a donation. If not, make it into a teddy bear's picnic on a rug.
• Rain check – Are you having it outside or in? Get a room prepared for moving indoors if it rains.
• Shopping – Make a list and prepare food the night before.
• Think drinks – Younger children will be better with beakers (ask their parents to bring them). Cartons of fruit juice will avoid spillages.
• Grown-ups – Don't forget toddlers come with them! You don't have to put on a meal for them, but most would welcome a drink and a biscuit or a slice of cake.