Category: Children

Children’s parties on a budget

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Gone are the days when a sandwich, bowl of jelly and a game of pass-the-parcel were enough for a jolly children’s party. Social media bragging and peer pressure have upped the ante.

Some parents admit to spending £800 on their little one’s birthday bash, with £300 being the average cost, according to a poll.

Here are simple ways to stop your party parting you from you money.

Invites

Email invitations or download them for free from websites.

A fun idea from is to write the details on an inflated balloon, let the air out and ask the nursery or school to hand them out after class.

Share the party with one of your children’s friends with a birthday around the same time and keep it short, say two hours rather than three. Keep numbers down by making it clear that guests’ brothers

and sisters aren’t invited.

If you can’t face having it at home, or don’t have enough space, summer parties can be held in a local park or free outdoor play area with a picnic and energetic party games.

If you don’t want to take a risk with the weather, get a quote from a soft play centre or local hall. Avoid peak times – weekends, school holidays and half terms – when admission charges are higher. Babies often get in for free. Ask if you can bring your own food.

If there is a play centre or child-friendly cafe near you, try to do a deal. Investigate offers for children’s parties on parenting sites such as Likebees and Littlebird. Or go to a Saturday morning movie where tickets can be just 99p.

Entertainment

Professional children’s party entertainers are expensive. There are horror stories of the family pet savaging the magician’s rabbit and little ones being left in tears by grumpy clowns. Keep the stress and cost down by doing it yourself.

You can always organise traditional games such as blind man’s bluff, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and musical chairs.

Catering

Young ones typically don’t eat much, so don’t go overboard. Sandwiches, crisps and ice cream with a flake should be enough. Or ask family and friends to bring a dish and bake your own cake.

If you’re not a baker, and don’t know an enthusiastic amateur, buy plain fairy cakes and get the kids to decorate them.

Borrow a tablecloth and decorations from a friend. Or get a plain white paper cloth, scatter crayons and stickers on it and get the children to draw on it. Balloons are always popular, especially if you customise with glitter.

Party bags

These are a real bone of contention and thinking up what to put in them can be stressful. Even if you buy loads of plastic toys from a pound shop this can quickly add up.

One idea is to buy a set of books such as the Mr Men series and let the children choose one to take away. A book will last far longer than a tatty toy that will be broken by bedtime. Or do a lucky dip.

If you must have a going-home gift, decorate brown paper bags and buy seeds, multipacks of sweets and stickers to fill them and a slice of cake. Or fill a jar with sweets and tie a ribbon round it.

There are lots of ideas on the internet on how to throw a great party on the cheap. The mums’ websites have chat rooms where you can ask others for tips.

Jewellery activity party

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Does your child love jewellery? Are you looking for an children’s party activity for the girls to do at the party? How about some cool jewellery making, girls of all ages love designing and making their own bracelets, necklaces and key rings.

Just pick the bead mixes that you fancy and mix and match together. You will be amazed at the results from the children.

You could put out a fun choice of beads in different bowls on your party table for the kids to see, e.g. large wooden multi-coloured beads, alphabet beads, stripy beads, heart beads and lovely heart, star and flower silver charms. The kids will mix and fix to their hearts content. Add some simple knots here and there for an extra funky look. Little tip, give the kids a wooden peg each to put on one end of the cord whilst they are threading on beads so that they don’t drop and lose any.

Elastic cords work well with kids, they are easy to tie knots in, not like some cords which can be stiff. Fitting bracelets on children’s wrists is also easier with elastic cord. Make sure they double knot at the end.

We recommend the following quantities needed for children’s jewellery making:

  • Bracelet – 0.5m per child

  • Necklace – 1m per child

  • Key Rings – 0.5m per child

Beads are an idea for lots of children’s craft activities, not just for jewellery making:

  • String up some alphabet beads on cord or ribbon and tie as a tassel on a book spine or as a bookmark

  • Decorate a photo frame with mixed colourful beads using PVA glue

  • Dangle some beads on a split ring for a Key Ring idea

  • Personalise your PE Kit Bag or Pencil Case by stitching on some alphabet beads

Most of all it will keep the children happy for hours and of course they will always have a keepsake to remind them of the party.

Have a great party!

Children’s party mistakes

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Sometimes the best way of doing something well is to learn a few things that you should avoid doing. By discovering certain practices and helpful pointers, you can make your whole children’s party planning process a lot less stressful and you can ensure thing go as smoothly as possible.

Whether you are organising a celebration for your child’s birthday, a party to wash away the winter blues, or an event for any other occasion; here are some things you may want to avoid.

Inviting Too Many Guests

The stresses involved on the day of your party are likely to be directly proportionate to the amount of children you invite. Whilst it’s often a good idea to invite everyone in your child’s class, to avoid anyone feeling like they have been left out, this will ultimately depend on the space you have available and the amount of other parents you have managed to rope into helping you out. If the party is going to be staged in a small room or you only have limited help available, it may be wise to restrict the number of little guests so that things are a bit more manageable on the day.

Eating too early

One of the most anticipated and important parts of any kid’s party is the food, but if you offer this up too early then you could struggle to regain order amongst the troops. Instead, it is a good idea to build up to the food and have it near the end of the event. This way if anyone spills anything down them they haven’t got to sit through the rest of the party in dirty clothes, and you won’t have to try and get them settled again before they go home to their parents.

Trying to Do Everything Yourself

Although you will be proud of the party you have planned, there is a danger that doing everything yourself will make it a much more stressful process. This is especially true on the day. After you have put in all the effort prior to the occasion, why not take some time to relax during the actual event?

Ignoring The Wishes of Your Child

Although you will be doing most of the planning, the main aim of the kids party is to give your child the best time they could wish for. This means that you should think about them in every decision you make. There is little point in wasting money on expensive decorations and gourmet food if all they would like is a few balloons and their favourite snacks. It’s always a good idea to ask them their preferences for the party – maybe give them 3 or 4 suggestions to choose from so it helps with the decision making process, and then you can guarantee they are going to love whatever you plan for them. More importantly, it also means you’ve involved them in the process and it makes them feel much more like it’s their party. Try to avoid going to the other extreme though and allowing your child to have all the say, and giving them too much choice, or you may struggle to make any decisions about the party.

Menu’s for fussy eaters

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Children are the most honest of guests. – If they don’t like something they won’t eat it. Some children won’t like ham, others won’t like tuna – so put on an even spread of sandwiches with a variety of fillings, so you aren’t left with some kids that don’t want to eat anything grand then go home hungry.

Trying to trick your own children into eating fruit and vegetables may be a constant battle at the best of times, but in a party scenario it could prove even harder. And it is a party after all so perhaps now isn’t the best time to worry too much about healthy eating.

That said, learning to hide the greens is still possible – have you thought about cooking a delicious vegetable cake, for example a carrot cake?

Our suggestion though would be to have a good mix of sandwiches, fruit and veg that can be eaten by hand.e.g. cherry tomatoes, cucumber and carrot sticks, cheese cubes, then a nice range of crisps and sweets. A simple range of food like this makes life easier and also reduces allergy issues.

Planning food for children’s parties can often be a challenge, as one has to always think about the dietary requirements of other kids. It’s quite possible that you will have some children with allergies or intolerances. Often the parents will have told you if this is the case but it is worth checking yourself to be sure. (maybe ask parents to mention this on your party invites)

If you do have certain allergies or dietary requirements to cater for then you may want to ensure the food for that child is on a separate plate so it makes life easier for them and also doesn’t run the risk of contamination of their food with things they can’t have e.g. for nut allergies.

There seems to be a law of balances involved at every stage of the menu planning process. On the one hand, too much sugar can turn your party into mayhem, whereas on the other, too little could make your food too boring.

Aiming at the middle is the way forward. Cake, crisps and jelly are the traditional vouch-safes; but you could also consider throwing in some chocolate-dipped fruit or fruit juice for good measure.

If presented with a choice, children will almost always opt for the sugariest option. Preparing drinks on a tray before-hand and distributing them as a matter of course can help deal with this issue. You could even try distributing glasses of milk, should the sugar intake be reaching dizzying levels. But to make life easier we’d suggest juice boxes as they’re nice and easy to put on the table, reduce spillages and are easy to throw away.

Themes for Your Child’s Party

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The chances are that your child and their invited guests will already be pretty excited about the prospect of a party, but if you really want to get them looking forward to the day itself then adding a theme could do the trick. A themed birthday party gives the kids a chance to dress up whilst also giving you a great topic for which to base your decorations, food and entertainment around.

Pirates and Princesses;

This has to be one of the most popular themes and always goes down well with the little ones. It’s so easy to pull off as well and you can make it as minimal or as full on as you like. Pirates can either turn up fully decked out in attire or with a simple eye patch. The girls will also be really excited about being able to don their favourite dresses, adorn themselves with a tiara and greet their royal subjects!

Space

Space is a great theme for both boys and girls as it really allows the children to let their imagination run away with them. Will they come dressed as a strange alien from the planet Zog, or will they arrive in a spacesuit ready for their latest adventure into the unknown voids of the galaxy. You could even ask half of your guests to dress as aliens and the other half as astronauts and then use these teams within your entertainment.

Food could include various twists on party classics, such as ‘asteroids’ instead of meatballs and ‘moon rocks’ in place of chicken nuggets. The venue could also be decorated to look like a strange planet with stars, moons and spaceships on the ceiling.

Circus

Having a circus themed kids party can be a great way to give the children a chance to learn a few new skills whilst they are having fun. They could have a go at learning to juggle, or fooling around like their favourite clown. The circus is not just about the guy with the red nose and big shoes though, and so the children have plenty of options when it comes to fancy dress. There’s the ring announcer, the gymnasts, the lion tamer and the strong man; to name just a few.

At the circus, tomatoes can easily be renamed as ‘clown’s noses’ (you might even persuade a child to eat one when they would otherwise turn their nose away to a vegetable!) and similarly, cheese puffs can be transformed into ‘juggling balls’. To really add that finishing touch, why not turn your venue into a Big Top with some multi-coloured fabric.

Wizards and Witches

This theme has always been a firm favourite, particularly at Halloween, but has grown in popularity since the rise of a certain boy wizard. Your little guests can dress as their favourite character from the film franchise or as a wizard or witch from their own imagination. The beauty with this theme is that it doesn’t take much to transform an ordinary child into a wizarding genius; just a hat and wand in most case.

Tips on catering

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An important part of any child’s birthday celebrations is the party food, and parents who are choosing to do the spread themselves will want to create a feast that is guaranteed to get eaten. Naturally, dishes you choose will be dependent on what kind of party your child is having but there are a few ways in which you can make sure that your party food goes down a treat.

It’s always fun to create your own fun dishes. You can get loads of ideas form the internet. No matter what you do it’s almost certain that some dishes will be more popular than others. You therefore should aim to create a spread that is a mix of good party food staples like cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, sandwiches, etc.…with ‘experimental’ plates like party themed cupcakes, food shaped as characters from a theme, etc.… Whilst planning the menu, make sure that you consider what leftovers you may have, and how you would use them too as there can be a lot of food left over.

With classic party food such as crisps and biscuits, buying multipacks and refilling will mean that any leftovers you have are fresh and easily used in lunch boxes and for snacks. With more ‘experimental’ dishes, make sure that you and your family will be willing to eat them if left untouched.

When sending out the invites, it might be suitable to request any dietary information from parents that will help you create a spread that can be enjoyed by all. Parents of children with severe allergies or special dietary requirements may already know they need to contact families prior to attending birthday parties to avoid issues on the day, but some will assume that they will be catered for or forget to mention it.

By asking families to provide details of special diets, you can include (or not include) certain dishes that means no one at the party goes hungry.

Do try not to add unnecessary stress or pressure on yourself. Most parents are on the quest to create the perfect children’s birthday celebration and therefore may think that presentation of their party food is essential. Of course it’s fun to make things look nice and show some thought. Although presentation and display of party food may be important to adults, do remember it’s not necessarily noticed by the children and it is a kid’s party after all.

If you have the natural creative flare and want to put on a great spread of fantastic looking party food, then why not!! But if it’s going to stress you out then do remember that with all the excitement that is created from entertainers, party games, and celebrating with friends, when it comes to picking from a selection of party food, children won’t be too fussed about any delicate arrangement, but more about taste and variety and you could have gone to all that trouble only to find it not being appreciated afterwards.

Of course if you’re making party food together with your children, before the party, then your kids will love this as it gets them involved in their party even more and it’s a great activity to do with your kids.

Mickey Mouse party ideas

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Does your little one love to sing and play along with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and the rest of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse? Well, make him or her feel like a real Mouseketeer by throwing a children’s party with our Mickey & Minnie Party Ideas!

Planning & Invitations

In addition to basic Mickey and Minnie Party supplies, like plates, cups, napkins, and decorations, you may want to consider purchasing, borrowing or hiring the following items for your Mickey or Minnie party:

  • Mickey Mouse Ears

  • Several pairs of white gloves

  • Air walker Mickey Balloon

  • A Mickey Mouse

  • A piñata

Mickey & Minnie Party Invitations

If you have the time, it can be fun to make your own invitations, especially if you make it a family activity! You can be extra creative with homemade invitations as well, giving your guests a sneaky peak of the fun that will be had at your party. Here are some suggestions:

  • Cut the shape of Mickey Mouse’s head out of black construction paper (big circle face with two circular ears on top). In silver pen, write the birthday child’s name on the left ear and “is turning [age]!” on the right ear. Write the party details on the main part of the cut-out.

  • Print out a picture of Mickey, Minnie, and friends and paste it to the bottom of a section of cardstock. Write the party details above the picture. Run a glue stick around the outside of the paper and sprinkle with red glitter.

Mickey & Minnie Party Decorations

Decorations that match your theme makes a party even more fun and exciting, so for this party, transform your party space into a Disney funhouse!

  • As each guest enters the party area, give them mouse ears to wear! You may even want to hand out white gloves to the boys and big pink hair bows to the girls.

  • Cut large Mickey Mouse heads out of black construction paper and tape them to the walls. To add to this, write one guest’s name on each cut-out in big block letters. This will make all your guests feel special!

  • Set out Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and other stuffed animals that your child already owns. Group them together for a great centrepiece or stack them on one corner of a blanket that you set out for free play.

  • Set out large cardboard boxes with door flaps and windows cut out. Let the children decorate the boxes to look like their own clubhouses!

Mickey & Minnie Party Food Ideas

Serving food that fits your theme can be a fun way to keep the party exciting! If you have the time to make some Mickey-themed treats, consider these ideas:

  • Serve Mickey Mouse pancakes! If you don’t have an iron that makes them for you, just make three circular pancakes, one big for the face, two little for the ears.

  • Make a cheese and crackers tray using circular crackers and cheese cut into circles. Lay them out in a Mickey Mouse shape on a platter, with one stack of crackers in the middle and two stacks of cheese circles making ears.

Have fun and use your imagination and create a mouse specular party!!!

Fit for a Princess

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Make your daughter’s dreams come true by throwing her an amazing princess party! You bring the enthusiasm, and we can provide the tips, and together we can plan the party your princess has always imagined!

Before you can dive into planning a fantastic kids party, you’ll want to pick a theme. Although a princess party may seem pretty self-explanatory, there are still decisions to be made! Will this be a fancy dress party? Or maybe centred around your daughter’s favourite princess? There are lots of options to choose from! Talk to your princess to find out which theme will work the best for her.

Your next step will be to set a date. Check your calendar and try to find a date that works for the birthday girl’s friends and family. If nothing conflicts with her actual birthday, you’ve got yourself a date! If not, try to pick a day as close to your daughter’s birthday as possible and make it an extended celebration.

Finding the Castle​

Now that you’ve got a theme and date, it’s time to find a perfect venue for your party. A budget friendly option for location is to transform your home into the princess castle. If you’re looking for a change of scenery, start the search for a local venue that is large enough to accommodate all of your guests and free of commitments on your party date. Keep in mind your potential decorations when choosing your location to make sure set up will be as easy as possible.

The Royal Announcement

With the major details in place, you’re ready to announce the royal event by sending out invitations. These will get your guests excited about your theme even before the party begins! If crafting isn’t your thing, order custom invitations. Whatever your method, be sure to include the basic event info, including the date, time, and location. If you’ve decided on a fancy dress and would like the guests to arrive in their princess gowns, add this information to the invitation. Give it the royal touch by using language such as, “Princess Sofia invites you to attend her 6th birthday party” or “Join us in celebrating a royal affair…the birthday of Princess Sarah.” Send the invitations well in advance (around 3-4 weeks) to give your fellow parents time to RSVP between helping with homework and driving to soccer practice.

Decorating the Castle​

Now for the real fun, decorating your princess castle! Make a list of supplies you’ll need and start shopping early to make sure you’re able to find everything you need. From balloons and streamers to piñatas and tiaras, the decorations ​make the party. Talk to the birthday girl or take her shopping with you to find the perfect decor for your ideal princess atmosphere!

Entertaining Royalty​

Treat your guests like royalty with princess-themed activities! To really wow your guests, have your daughter’s favourite Princess attend the party. Set up a craft table or the princesses to make their very own tiaras. If your guests didn’t arrive in their own princess attire, having a dress up area with gowns and accessories is a great addition to the party! For the full princess transformation, have a royal makeover station complete with faux jewellery, makeup and, of course, glitter! To take the makeover to the next level, book a Makeup Artist or Face Painter to run the station. A favourite babysitter is another great option and budget friendly!

If your location allows, bring in the big guns with a castle bouncy house, princess carriage rides, or pony rides. You could also look for a local farm that hosts pony parties with carriages, as this will generally be a cheaper alternative. Whatever the activities, priceless memories will no doubt be made. Be sure to capture them with lots of pictures! If you’d rather not be on photo duty, book a photographer so that you can kick back and enjoy the fantastic party you’ve put together!

Party Bags

Send your guests home with princess-themed treat bags to remind them of your amazing party! Fill them with everything a princess could need, from tiaras and wands to a makeup or jewellery sets. Bring the birthday girl in on the party bag fun and have her pick out all the treats she’d love to receive at a party.

Budget saving Birthday Parties

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Children’s birthday parties don’t have to break the bank. In fact, you can throw a successful and fun birthday party for your child, no matter what the age, in your very own home.

1. Invitations

These are fairly cheap on their own, and you can usually find some fun options at your local newsagents. But if you’re more into customization, online printing services like Vista print are a great option, and usually have a fast turnaround time. If you’d rather get crafty, go to your local hobby craft store and pick out some fun paper and stamps to put your own personal touch on them. This may take a little more time and isn’t the most budget-friendly, but are definitely has a personal touch!

2. Venue

Obviously the cheapest venue will be in your own home. If your kids party is in the warmer months, definitely take advantage of any outdoor space so everyone can run around. If you’re stuck inside, try moving many of your bigger pieces of furniture out of the main area to make room for activities. Line the edges of the walls with chairs and tables with refreshments. Or set up a buffet in the kitchen or dining room and shuffle the guests into the main living area to enjoy them. Be creative with your space. If you’re willing to use a little more of your budget on the venue, have a look at your local bowling alley, soft play, or go-cart companies, that help you avoid the mess at home!

3. Decorations

This is definitely the fun part, and where you can let your thrifty creativity shine through! You can save money by choosing solid colours for plates and cups, rather than spending a lot of money for 10 Frozen paper cups. Streamers and balloons are a great traditional choice for decorations, and won’t break the bank. You can even get creative with construction paper to make birthday banners, party hats, and more!

4. Entertainment

Children’s party entertainment is the best place to spend your budget, since you’ll be hiring professionals to make your party amazing. Balloon twisters or face painters are great additions to any party, while a visit from a princess, super hero, or favourite character can take it to the next level! There are other interactive options like children’s musicians, puppet shows or magicians, too. For kids with endless amounts of energy, try a bouncy castle hire.

Being creative with your budget can help your party go a long way! After all, what will the kids remember more…the Cinderella party plates or that Cinderella actually showed up at their party? It’s all about the memories and we’re here to help you make them.

Animal Party ideas

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Have you ever wanted to pet a kangaroo, or get up close and personal to a monkey? One of the most fun birthday party themes is animals! We all love them, and whether your child is into snake or bunnies, you can add some live animal fun to create a party they’ll never forget!

1. Exotic Animal Petting Zoo

If you’re looking to spice up your party with something a little more exciting, try looking for Exotic Animal children’s parties! You and your guests could be face-to-face with a Sloth, kangaroo, or a giant rabbit before you know it. Learn about the animals in a way that a zoo could never do! To round out the jungle vibe, decorate the tables with bright green vines and bamboo and serve colourful fruit skewers.

2. Reptile Entertainment

Some of us get a little squeamish at the thought of reptiles, but you may have a child who loves snakes and lizards. They’re the next best thing to dinosaurs, so why not bring a live Reptile Show to their birthday? Trained professionals will give an educational demonstration on all kinds of reptiles like snakes, iguanas, turtles, insects, and sometimes even alligators or crocodiles!

3. Farm Animal Petting Zoo

Maybe fluffy bunnies, goats, and baby calves are more your child’s thing? Try a traditional Petting Zoo! Bring the farm to your backyard and let the children spend the day cuddling baby farm animals. Keep the refreshments simple with lemonade and a barbecue. Decorate with table cloths and red or white plates and cups, and buntings and you’ve got yourself an adorable animal farm themed party.

4. Pony Party

If you have a little cowboy or cowgirl on your hands, a Pony Party could be the perfect fit! Some pony parties are mobile and can bring them right to your home (of course that is if you have a huge back garden.) Let the little ones go on slow-paced rides with gentle, friendly ponies and it’ll be a party they’ll never forget. Hand out cowboy hats or handkerchiefs as souvenirs, and have a hot dog and marshmallow campfire!!