Diana posted on January 25, 2010 01:07
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Here are some tips to help you have a stress free birthday party.
Organising children’s birthday parties that the kids enjoy and does not increase your stress levels and leave you bankrupt can be a challenge. So if you are thinking about biting the bullet and having an old fashioned birthday party here are a few ideas which will help.
Childrens Party Tip 1
Keep it simple.
That means keep the party short – an hour and a half is long enough for children under six.
Ideally keep it small. Bigger is not always better. Big parties are expensive and difficult to manage.
Numbers to invite. One guest per age of the child is a sensible way to determine party numbers.
Children’s Party Tip 2
Don’t be frightened to ask for help.
Bamboozled into inviting more? Suddenly you find the whole of the class is coming. Don’t refuse any offers of help. If your child is under eight, invite the mums along too and ask them if they can lend a hand.
Children’s party Tip 3
You don’t spend lots of money on a birthday party for it to be good. You really don’t need to.
Personalised invitations can be made and printed out from your PC or even made by the party girl or boy. Make sure you include date, start and finish time, your address telephone number, email address and a date to RSVP by.
Fancy dress parties are always popular – and creating a theme to the party always adds to the excitement – but remember themes can be as simple as a teddy bears picnic. Again aim to keep it simple.
Children’s Party Tip 4
Avoiding present problems.
Ideally it is best if the presents are opened after the party, or as the party goers are leaving. . But to be honest I always found this very difficult to monitor. So if you do find presents being opened as people arrive, have a notebook and pencil handy to record who has given what to whom. When most of the guests have arrived and the party goers are getting bored park the presents in a safe place and open them later or as the guests are leaving.
Gifts from the host to take home.
Personally one of my pet hates. When I was young I always thought that being invited to a birthday party was a treat in itself. This fashion of buying all the guests presents to take home can often end up an expensive rubbish buying exercise.
But if you feel compelled to buy all your child’s friends gifts – go for something like skipping ropes or colouring books and pens, or a cheap tennis or footballs. One large cheap toy will probably end up a lot less expensive than buying a selection of little gifts and sweets. Add a piece of birthday cake and a balloon and the guests will feel positively laden down with booty.
Want to Avoid the “present” problem altogether – either in the presents the kids bring or what you feel obliged to buy for them to take home can be tricky. One way to get round this is to ask for donations to a charity of your child’s choice.
Party Tip Five.
Have a party timetable with the timings - and try to stick to it. Make sure there is a clock you can refer to easily throughout the party, as it is easy to become distracted and lose track of time..
Have the timetable prominently displayed along with timings so that party helpers can see what is coming up next and you can see whether you need to skip a game or it is time to start getting the kids settled down for the birthday tea.
Party Tip Six
Prepare, prepare, prepare.
Ensure you have everything in place a good half an hour before the start of the party, that way you will not be caught out by early arrivals.
Make sure you have a list of games you are planning on playing with all the relevant props readily available. Games like musical bumps, musical statues, are great party time fillers – and if you are feeling a little disorganised – as long as you have music and someone to turn it on and off – the game can run it self.
Party Tip Seven
For young children who may feel a little hurt when they “out”, have a loser’s bag of sweeties they can choose from.
Instead of presents have a winner’s bag with small presents which they can rummage around and choose from.
Pass the Parcel is always a good game to start the party with. If you have not had time to wrap up layers of paper in a present then Pass the Cushion is always a great hit. Only with this whoever is holding the cushion when the music stops is out.
Games may last longer – but assume each game will last just five minutes before boredom sets in. A good rule of thumb is jumping about games should be before the birthday tea and sitting down and quieter games should be after tea.
Party Tip Eight
The Birthday Tea
Allow about forty minutes for the birthday tea. This way you will avoid the problem of parents collecting the kids before you have cut the cake.
Food
Don’t go mad on making loads of sandwiches or anything that is fiddly. It maybe fast food but some chicken nougats and chips in little boxes or on paper plates are just ideal. Alternatively small squares of cheese and tomato pizza. If you are concerned you are not offering any healthy alternatives – have fruit and vegetables available. Grapes, strawberries, blue berries, along with slices of cucumber and carrot.
Where are they going to eat it?
Well if you can not sit them at your own dining table, ask whether you can borrow one of the schools tables and chairs (for a small donation).
Alternatively have a picnic. All the kids sit down on a large rug in a big circle, while adult helpers offer round food and drinks. (If you are worried about your carpet use a plastic decorating sheet underneath the rug).
For drinks – avoid ribena and dark coloured drinks if you can. Fill cups half full – and use paper cups with lids and straws if possible.
I never found jelly and ice cream that popular, but maybe that is just a personal thing. If you want to offer ice cream, buy small lollies and ice creams.
As soon as the kids start getting fidgety cut the cake and blow out the candles.
Task a helper to cut up the cake and wrap it up in a napkin and place with any booty the party goers will be taking home.
Once the birthday tea is finished then opt for quiet sitting down games. As the party starts to wind down and parents are arriving to pick up children put on a DVD for the kids to watch.
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