CHILDREN'S BIRTHDAY PARTIES

HOW TO ORGANISE A SUCCESSFUL KIDS' BIRTHDAY PARTY - A FEW USEFUL TIPS

1. Unless you're planning to hold a birthday party at home, find and book a suitable venue well in advance.
   
• Make sure the venue is large enough for your birthday party. Check that there will be enough tables and chairs for any activities and for serving and eating the party food.
  
• Pay particular attention to the suitability of the venue for any guests with special needs.
  
• Check that there are adequate toilet and kitchen facilities.
  
• Consider transport issues - it is usually better to choose a local venue that most guests can walk to. Aim to have your birthday party activities and the food at the same venue rather than having to arrange additional transport.
  
• Make sure you get written confirmation of the booking and a receipt for your payment.
  
• Double-check the booking nearer the time, especially if you've booked into a new calendar year.

 

2. Send out invitations and ask for replies by a specified date.
   
• Give plenty of notice, taking into account school holidays when you might not see other parents.
  
• Include details of any birthday party theme / fancy dress / special clothing (eg swimming costumes for a swim party).
  
• Include directions to the venue if other parents are not likely to be familiar with the location.

 

3. Considering the wishes of the birthday child, decide on your birthday party activities / entertainment / games etc and order/book as necessary, well in advance.
   
• Consider the needs of the whole group, particularly if you have invited a mixed group of boys and girls and if any guests have special needs. For example, if you're going to play pass the parcel and you have a large number of boys and girls, it might be best to run two games at the same time, one for the boys and one for the girls, and prepare two separate parcels accordingly.
  
• Kids' craft parties are a fun, creative and quiet(!) way to entertain your young guests. Kids love to make things, so give them fun art and craft activities to enjoy and they'll produce their own lasting keepsakes to take home as a memento of your birthday party.
  
• Kids' craft parties are suitable for any number of children, both boys and girls, at home or at another venue of your choice. Younger and older siblings and parents can join in too.
  
• Consider/buy prizes for any party games / fancy dress competition / or for the best craft creations. Alternatively, award a certificate instead of a prize.

 

4. Decide what you will provide for the birthday tea, not forgetting the birthday cake itself, and order/shop as necessary.
   
• Consider storage, refrigeration and transportation issues. Make use of cool bags and boxes.
  
• Consider whether you will serve the food buffet style or whether the children will sit round tables laid out with the food. Ensure that all children will be able to sit down to eat at the same time.
  
• Have soft drinks available throughout the event.
  
• Consider whether any children may have food allergies. On the birthday party invitations, ask parents to let you know about any foods their children should not be given.
  
• Prepare small items of food to reduce the amount of waste, ie cut small sandwiches and fill small rolls rather than large ones.
  
• Offer healthy choices such as carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, raisins and cheese cubes.
  
• Keep cakes and sweet items out of sight until the savouries have been eaten.
  
• Provide paper plates, tablecovers, cups and napkins.
  
• Don't forget the candles for the birthday cake, a knife to cut it and something to light the candles! Have an extra supply of napkins available to wrap the slices of birthday cake if the children are taking their cake home with them.
  
• Always have plenty of cling film to protect the food and to rewrap any leftovers.

 

5. If you're entertaining a large group of quite young children, encourage other parents to stay - always make sure you have plenty of helpers.
   
• Provide snacks and drinks for the helpers.
  
• Ask parents to leave their contact details if they are not staying, in case of emergency.
  
• Make sure you know who's who. Prepare sticky labels with each child's name and stick them on as they arrive. Add emergency contact details if their parent/carer is not staying for the party.

 

6. Organise filled party bags for your guests to take home.

 

7. Consider if/how you will decorate the venue before the birthday party and buy balloons, banners etc.
   
• Make sure you have plenty of the essentials such as sticky tape, string, sticky tack and a pair of scissors.

 

8. Give yourself plenty of time to set everything up and enlist plenty of helpers.
   
• Familiarise yourself with the venue - particularly the emergency exits, toilets etc. Make sure your helpers know where these are too and what you will need to do in an emergency.
  
• Where possible, have a mobile phone available.
  
• Set up a table for the birthday presents.

 

9. Take essential clearing up items with you, eg bin bags, cloths, kitchen towels, carrier bags and a dustpan and brush.

Whatever you do, enjoy the birthday party!