Category: Kids

Children’s Parties on a budget

Posted on by

Kids parties can be hugely expensive. With growing pressures to keep up with the Jones, kid’s parties can be a big stress if you’re on a budget.

The good news is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to give the kids a good time. In fact, we’d even say the kids will quite possibly have more fun if you don’t!

When it comes to parties, kids love simplicity! They don’t need loads of different things to have a good time. It’s amusing to see, that often the more lavish a party is, the less the children enjoy it. Quite simply because there are too many activities competing for the kids’ attention: a bouncy castle in one corner, entertainer in the other, then a face painter, a mascot thrown in for good measure and why not a popcorn machine? Sounds amazing but it’s too much!

Kids will become frantic and not be able to concentrate on very much for very long and it’s usually a big stress and panic to squeeze it all into the 2 hrs.

The first thing is to decide what you want to do for your kid’s party. Give your child a few options and ask what they think they might like.

  • Themed parties have loads of mileage and give you a lot of room for creativity at very low cost.

  • Costumes- You can have a lot of fun making your kids costume and it will cost you nothing. e.g. a pirate costume -get out the scissors and snip away at an old white shirt and tatty old pair of school shirts/ trousers, and a nice red scarf around the head.

  • Or what about fairy wings cut out from cardboard and covered in pink wrapping paper and sprinkled with a bit of glue and glitter. These give just a few ideas of how to make costumes from very little.

  • Party Invites – if you are computer savvy and have a bit of creative flair you could do your own cool invites on the computer, of just do an Internet search for party invites and download free templates available.

  • Make your own Cake – the sky’s the limit when it comes to cake ideas.

  • Decorations – balloons are very cheap and usually all you need to create a super party atmosphere. Just have lots of them!!! You could also make your own colourful paper chains, or get some reasonably priced party decorations from any online party store.

  • Entertainment – every party needs some sort of entertainment. You could of course do the kids party entertainment yourself but you’d need to be confident you could lead a group of kids through sufficiently fun activities for 2 hours. If you can’t then this is something you might want to budget for. if you are hiring a Children’s entertainer then this is likely to be where most of the cost of your party will go, but you needn’t spend a fortune – if you went for a weekday after school, then entertainers are far more likely to give better deals as weekdays are not as busy as weekends. or a morning slot like 11 am – 1 pm.

  • Food – parents can work tirelessly in the kitchen to create the most amazing party food but you’ll be surprised how little kids can eat at parties so do remember this before buying loads or going to loads of trouble. If you want to keep it cheap and simple, sandwiches and crisps and a few finger foods like sweets and small fruit like strawberries, grapes etc. is perfect. Finger food is always best. But if the creative guru in you can’t resist to try and dazzle and amaze, then you can be super creative and theme your food in so many different ways whilst still sticking to your budget.

  • Party bags often go in the bin or get left lying around the minute kids get home if they’re just cheap toys, so you might want to settle for a piece of cake and a small but decent quality toy.

 

Joint Birthday Parties

Posted on by

Admittedly, children’s entertainers and children’s magicians can be quite pricy, and that’s only half the cost. With the credit crunch still looming, a great way to save money can be to have a joint children’s birthday party with another parent. That way you don’t lose out on the fun of having a children’s entertainer at half the cost. Aside from the cost benefits, you can also share the organisation and work load that goes with planning a children’s birthday party. That said, does sharing a children’s birthday party with another parent create a headache in itself?

Common problems can be found amongst parents trying to jointly organise kid’s birthday parties, like not being able to decide on what type of party to have. Children’s party entertainers alone can be a tricky thing to decide on. Do you have a themed children’s party or children’s magician, clown, etc.? Kids party entertainers can be one of the trickiest things to decide on when having to liaise with another parent. As your child might want something entirely different to what the other parent’s child wants.

Additionally, many parents can find that they have to compromise more than they bargained for, or workload is not shared out equally, and then after having spent a great deal of time and effort organising most of the children’s birthday party, the parent they’re sharing it with isn’t entirely happy with what has been arranged and in the end you’re left wondering if it would have been better to spend a bit extra and be left to organise your own children’s birthday party.

If you’re planning on sharing a children’s birthday party with another parent, it’s best to do it with someone who has the same ideas as you and who is in the same class as your child so the numbers of children don’t instantly double, otherwise your costs go up and you’re saving is far less.

When organising kid’s birthday parties together, the key thing is to have a clear idea of what you both want right from the start. Have a budget set and decide who is going to do what. Look at different types of children’s party entertainment packages that are on offer.

You’ll also need to figure out who you’re inviting to the party, will it be at home or in a hall, who will organise the food, or if you’re sharing it who will do what. Once you’ve set a clear outline for what you’re going to have and who will do what, that should help prevent there being disagreements along the way.

It can be a great thing for kid’s birthday parties to be organised together. The initial liaising with another parent can definitely be worth the saving, as kid’s birthday parties are not always cheap. Kids party entertainers alone are usually a large part of the cost, so halving that cost can be very helpful. If the workload is shared equally that helps a great deal too. You might also find you can benefit from the expertise of another parent who has organised kid’s parties before. Just make sure you both know if you want similar things before you get too far down the planning stage.

 

Party games for kids 5+

Posted on by

Musical Chairs or Cushions

Set up chairs or cushions in 2 rows back to back. Put out one less chair/cushion than there are children. Start playing the music and ask the children to walk all around the chairs/cushions until the music stops. When the music stops, the children must each sit on a chair/cushion. The child without a chair/cushion is ‘out’. You might like to have a bowl of sweets to offer to each child that is ‘out’ so they don’t feel too humiliated – but don’t make it so tempting that everybody wants to be ‘out’! Then remove another chair/cushion. If there is ever a tie, don’t spend ages making a decision, just replay that round.

Animal Musical Chairs.

The player left standing must pull the name of an animal, written on a piece of paper, out of a hat. Then, they must act it out while the other guests try to guess what the animal is. Start the music again and repeat the game until there’s only one chair left.

Musical Statues

Play some music, and watch the children dance and jump about. Without notice, turn off the music and the children need to freeze. If anybody moves, they are ‘out’. As with musical chairs, you might like to have a bowl of sweets to give to this child so they don’t feel too humiliated – but don’t make it so tempting that everybody wants to be ‘out’! Repeat until there is just one person left.

Hot Potato

Sit the kids in a circle and choose one to sit out wearing a blindfold. Begin by passing a potato around the circle, while the ‘blind’ child stands to one side. Everyone must accept the potato, and may not hold it longer than a second. At any point the ‘blind’ child can yell, ‘Hot Potato’, and whoever has the potato is out (Think about using that invaluable bowl of sweets again!) Continue to play until there is only one person left, and they are the winner. A really good variation is to follow the theme of your party. Use an appropriate item to pass around the circle instead of a potato.

Duck, Duck, Goose

This classic kids game is perfect fun for any kids party entertainment. Gather your guests to sit in a circle and let the birthday child begin as the ‘Goose’. They walk around the circle tapping each child on the head, saying ‘duck’ with each tap. When they are ready to choose the next person to be Goose, they say ‘goose’ when tapping that person on the head. That child gets up and chases the birthday child around the circle. If the new Goose does not tag the birthday child before they make it all the way around the circle and sit in the open spot, then the new Goose becomes ‘it’. If the new Goose tags the birthday child, then the birthday child remains ‘it’ for the next round and the game continues.

Decorate a Birthday Banner

Unroll a roll of unwanted wallpaper and mount it plain side up on a wall within easy reach of your guests. At the top of the ‘banner’, write ‘Happy Birthday (your child’s name)’. You could lay the paper on the floor if you’re worried some of the artists may mistake your wall for their canvas!

Provide a variety of crayons and felt pens and let the children create their own masterpieces. Don’t forget to ask each artist to write their name and age beside their drawing. You can even encourage them to write a special message to the birthday child. After the party, fold it up and save it, or if you’d prefer, take a close-up picture so you can tuck it inside your photo album later.

 

Castle culture

Posted on by

Looking for the best place to grab a slice of culture and learn a thing or two? You can’t go wrong with a visit to a castle to entertain your mini knights and princesses! Here’s a list of some  family days out throughout the UK.

Corfe Castle, Wareham

Bring your budding little historian to these iconic ruins steeped in 100 years of fascinating history. Try and spot murder holes, count arrow loops and complete a quiz on your travels! Keep your eyes peeled for family events held throughout the year including spectacular battle re-enactments, an open-air theatre and cinema days.

Dunster Castle, Minehead

Located in the picturesque setting of Dunster, this beautiful castle was home to the Luttrell family who lived here for 600 years. It overlooks the village and features an amazing 17th century staircase, as well as a sub-tropical garden covering 28 acre and contains plants such as the giant lemon tree, yuccas, mimosa and palms.

Penrhyn Castle, Bangor

Come and bring your little knights and princesses to explore this amazing 19th century castle! You’ll find fascinating objects such as a one tonne slate bed made for Queen Victoria, as well as the castle kitchens and stables. Outdoors there are over 60 acres of grounds to be discovered with parkland, exotic trees and a Victorian walled garden.

Scotney Castle, Tunbridge Wells

Discover all that this wonderful castle, which was built by Edward Hussey III from the sandstone quarried from the grounds, has to offer! Covering 770 acres, this castle is the perfect spot for walks and picnics. There is plenty for the kids to enjoy including the Natural Play Trail, Discovery Room, building dens in the Wilderness Camp and looking out for wildlife including barn owls!

Lindisfarne Castle, Berwick upon Tweed

This dramatic castle, which was renovated by Arts and Crafts architect Edwin Lutyens, is an an amazing place to bring the kids! Explore its many rooms, staircases and see some fantastic views from the top. The Gertrude Jekyll Garden is a beautiful little garden by the castle and there are lime kilns that you can explore too!

Castle Ward, Downpatrick

Take a tour of this 18th century castle surrounded by dramatic rolling hills. There’s trails around the grounds to keep little explorers entertained, where they can spot wildlife such as butterflies, rabbits, ducks and swans. There’s also a super fun outdoor woodland playground and adventure playground too!

Explore Bristol with kids

Posted on by

There’s plenty to keep young kids occupied in Bristol, from At-Bristol to SS Great Britain. Here are some of the best ways to keep your children and teens entertained when visiting the city…

Banksy art, Bristol

But there’s a lot more to Bristol than Banksy. Starting from City Hall and going through the city centre to Stokes Croft you can learn about the techniques used, artist backgrounds and the meaning behind some of the pieces.

Bristol street art

Depending on your point of view, our final destination, Stokes Croft, is either full of drug dens and brothels, bohemian and edgy or gentrified and expensive to live in. Whatever your thoughts there’s definitely lots of street art to see.

St Nicholas Market

Leaving street art tour head back to the city centre via the indoor St Nicholas Market. The market has the usual clothing and knick-knack stalls but what sets it apart are the food outlets. With options from all over the world it wouldn’t look out of place in Borough Market.

Cabot tower

Built in the 1890s to commemorate the journey of John Cabot from Bristol to Canada the tower is free to visit. There’s a 360 degree panoramic view from the top although getting there may involve a squeeze. The spiral stairs are pretty narrow and things get interesting when you meet someone coming the opposite direction!

Giant’s cave, Clifton Observatory

Clifton Observatory is home to two attractions, a Camera Obscura and Giant’s Cave.  There is a touch of make believe about the tale, the steps lead out onto a platform with an impressive view of the gorge and bridge.

Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol

On the far side there’s a small visitor centre. Kids can play with a weighing machine that tells you how many of yourself can stand on the bridge without it collapsing. Quite a few fortunately!

Eating out

One of the great treats on a city break is eating out.

Under the stars

A floating tapas boat moored at the Harbourside. Lots of tasty veggie options, reasonable size portions and a quirky venue.

Urban Tandoor

An Indian restaurant with great service in a small (and dark) venue so book in advance.

Swoon gelato

An ice cream treat for the kids with lots of different flavours to choose from. Very tasty.

Save on your children’s party

Posted on by

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

Some parents admit to spending £800 on their kids birthday bash, with £300 being the average cost, according to a poll by Mums Show Live!

Extravagant parties include an entertainer for three hours at £435 (£145 an hour); catered food and drink for 30 at £3.95 a child (£118.50); hire of a hall at around £100; birthday cake £64.90 and party bags for everyone at £3.25 each add up to £97.50. Grand total: £815.90.

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

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. We are sure if you stretch your imagination it will be a real success!!

Top Zoos to go in the Holidays

Posted on by

The zoo has long been a favourite place to visit for family and with over 60 to choose from spread around the country, there is always one within travelling distance.  But when you are wanting serious, full on animal exposure, then the big zoos offer the most critter for your cash and here are the top 7 zoo’s in the UK.

Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo comes consistently top of the rankings for UK zoos, for the most visited wildlife attraction and even the top attraction outside London in various polls and surveys.  The zoo is located in Upton, Chester and is one of the largest in the country cover 125 acres and being home to around 400 species.  Travelling around the zoo is easy with a public bridleway, called Flag Lane, bisecting the park as well as a monorail system with three stops around the park and even a circular boat rides on the Lazy River.

But it is the animals that are the real attraction and there plenty of them.  Over half the species at the zoo are currently on the IUCN red list for endangered and threatened species and around 130 of these are part of captive breeding programs to boost numbers.  There are 79 species of mammal and 150 bird species as well as reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and fish.  The latest addition to the zoo is the Islands at Chester Zoo exhibit, adding 15 acres to the site and showcasing conservation programs from Madagascar to the Philippines.

Paignton Zoo

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park is in Paignton, Devon and is a combination of a zoo and a botanic garden that sees over half a million visitors every year.  There are over 2,000 animals in the zoo covering some 300 species and even 1600 species of plant.  The animals are divided up by the habitats they are native to such as the Desert House with real plants, free-flying birds and pancake tortoises.  The Tropical Forest House displays everything from Burmese pythons to poison dart frogs from the tropical rainforests while the Forest Animals area is home to lions, tigers, orang-utans, owls and doves.  The Wetlands Birds occupies the moats around the monkey islands and sees pelican’s storks as well as plenty of ducks and geese while for zebras, cheetahs, giraffes and elephants, head to the Savannah Animals area.

Dudley Zoo

Dudley Zoo is a 40-acre site within the grounds of Dudley Castle in the West Midlands.  It combines a zoo with a host of listed and important buildings associated with the castle.  There are over 900 animals at the zoo from 160 species and include some notable animals.  These include giraffes, tigers, lions and three snow leopards.  Many of the animals are from endangered species and are involved in captive breeding programs to help boost numbers.  As well as the large animals, there are plenty of cute, smaller ones for the kids to see including meerkats, lemur, wallabies, monkeys and even kangaroos.  A favourite attraction is the Monkey Tails where you can have a close up encounter with a number of monkey species.

Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh Zoo is an 82-acre site in the Scottish capital that was founded in 1913 by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.  The zoo sees over 600,000 visitors each year, has over 1000 animals within its walls covering over 170 species.  It was the first zoo in the world to both house and breed penguins and is currently the only one to house koalas and giant pandas.

The pandas, Yang Guang and Tian, are currently one of the biggest hits at the zoo, with a special enclosure having been built for their arrival from China.  Other important exhibits include the Brilliant Birds, a walk through aviary with a number of exotic species free flying within, including the only Andean cock of the rock in the UK.  The Budongo Trail is a new facility that is home to a troop of monkeys and features a viewing gallery and interactive displays to educate kids about these fascinating creatures.

London Zoo

London Zoo is the oldest scientific zoo in the world, opening in 1828 and welcoming the public from 1847.  There are over 19,000 animals in residence today, making it one of the largest in the country and over 800 species can be seen.  These include over 70 species of mammal and over 110 species of birds.

Notable sights include the into Africa themed area with African animals including giraffe, hippopotamus, zebras and wild dogs.  The Rainforest Life and Nightlife is a glimpse of the rainforest with sloths, marmosets and armadillos on show while the Gorilla Kingdom is home to five western lowland gorillas as well as smaller monkeys and birds.  There is also an aquarium within the zoo, opened in 1853 so the world’s first public aquarium.

Twycross Zoo

Twycross Zoo is near Norton Juxta Twycross in Leicestershire and is known for the largest collection of monkeys and apes in the Western World.  It sees over 500,000 visitors each year and has 900 animals covering over 150 species.  Most of these are endangered and the zoo operates a number of conservation programs.

The zoo is separated into eight different zones, each with a theme.  These include Elephant Creek, home to five elephants as well as the World of Small Monkeys, tortoises, foxes, and three types of owl.  The Kingdom of the Apes is the only zoo in the UK to have all four of the great ape species in one place while the Himalaya section houses the snow leopards.

Banham Zoo

Banham Zoo is found in the town of the same name in Norfolk and is home to over 2,000 animals.  It receives some 200,000 visitors each year and is voted as the Top Attraction in Norfolk.  It has humble origins, started out with a collection of pheasants and parrots when it opened in 1968.  Now there are over 100 species represented in the various enclosures.

Don’t lose sleep

Posted on by

Children’s party organisation is something that many parents lose sleep over. Where do you find something that will keep your kids busy and engaged for the whole duration of the party, and something that they haven’t already seen before? It’s a challenge most parents would gladly forgo, so Kiddy Zone is here to help. We have access to an eclectic mix of party games, party entertainers and a fund of children’s birthday party ideas that are new and different.

It’s quite challenging thinking up every year of something ‘special’ and different for the right reasons for your child’s/teenagers birthday this is why Kiddy Zone hold the key to taking the stress out of trying to think of something unique.

Why not book some entertainment, where you can hire the best kids party entertainment, for any age group, which can thrill, enthral and astound the audience; from balloon modellers to magicians, street dancers to caricaturists and even green screen photography entertainments, plus a whole series of indoor and outdoor games which include:

Indoor –

  • Dance Machines,

  • Table Football,

  • Air Hockey and Skittles.

  • Bubble and Smoke machines

  • Karaoke

  • Balloon Modellers

  • Face Painters

Outdoor –

  • Funfair Stalls,

  • Giant outdoor games Connect 4, Kerplunk etc.

  • Giant Scalextrics.

  • Bouncy Castles

  • Fairground rides

Make sure you check out the entertainer’s policies so everything runs as smoothly as possible to get the best out of your kids party.

Cars Children’s party Theme

Posted on by

Race toward Lightning McQueen and the rest of the gang from Disney Cars for your kids next party! If your child wants racing excitement, then a Cars birthday is right up their race track. Go the extra mile by getting creative with your Cars invitations, decorations, food, favours and games. Here are some fun suggestions to get your child’s party on the right track.

Disney Cars Party Planning & Invitations

You may want to consider purchasing, borrowing or renting the following items for your party:

 

  • Die cast Disney’ Cars toys and race tracks

  • Inflatable Tyres

  • Go-karts

  • Racing helmets and driving gloves

  • Disney Cars: DVD, video games or soundtrack

  • Racing flags

 

Let the race to your child’s birthday party begin with creative Disney Cars invitation. Consider one of the following suggestions.

  • Fold a piece of red paper in half and cut out a car shape. Write “Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines! [Child’s name] is turning [child’s age]!” Cut out circles from black  paper for the wheels. Attach the wheels to the card with brass fasteners so they spin.

  • Include a Disney Cars character or a small racing flag with your invitation to hand-deliver to your guests.

  • Make your invitation look like a pit pass for the Piston Cup! Write the party details on a piece of 2-1/2 x 4-inch paper and laminate it. Then punch a hole in the top and loop a 12-inch string through it to make a necklace.

    Disney Cars Party Decorating & Food

  • Attach two checkered racing flags to your mailbox or crisscross them on your front door.

  • Make a centerpiece out of characters and a toy racetrack.

  • Use chalk to draw a “Track” on the driveway and/or sidewalk leading up to your door.

  • Make a few Cars inspired signs like “No Tractor Tipping,” “Radiator Springs” and “Casa Della Tires” and hang them throughout the party area.

  • As guests arrive, hand each their “Driver’s License” using our laminated bag tags. Guests can take them home as their party favour!

  • Use white and yellow lawn paint to draw a racetrack on the grass in your garden for outdoor games. Include a Start and Finish line, complete with checkered flags.

 

We’ve changed the names of some common snacks to accommodate a Cars-inspired menu! Label the food table as “Flo’s V-8 Cafe” and serve some of the following tasty treats.

 

  • Lightning McQueen’s Ice Cream: Set up an ice cream bar where children can choose their own flavour and toppings.

  • Chick Hick’s Chicken Bites: Chicken fingers

  • Tow-mater Taters:  jacket potatoes with melted cheese on top and ketchup.

  • Luigi’s Special: Any Italian meal will work, such as spaghetti or fettuccini.

  • Sally’s Shakes: Milkshakes

  • Red’s Salsa Surprise: Spicy salsa with tortilla chips

  • Mack and Cheese: Macaroni and cheese

  • Tex Mex: Any Mexican meal will work, such as tacos or quesadillas

    Disney Cars Party favours

Thank your guests with awesome party favours! Some of the favours we have include:

  • Racing Helmets

  • Lightning McQueen race launchers

  • Disney Cars Rolling Stampers

  • Disney Cars punch balloons

  • Disney Cars temporary tattoos and stickers

  • Tow Mater hats

  • Race flag pencils

 

Throw a pooh party

Posted on by

Choosing a location for your Pooh themed children’s party will be your priority. Throwing a party at your own home can be a lot of fun, since you can get creative with decorations and activities that fit your theme.

However, if you would rather hold the party elsewhere, consider choosing a local park, or a zoo.

What do you need for the Party?

To start, you’ll need to include basic party supplies, such as plates, napkins, cups, and cutlery, a tablecloth, streamers, and balloons.

 

  • Pooh party ears

  • Teapot and tea cups

  • Jars of honey

  • A Pooh-themed movie (i.e. Winnie the Pooh, My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Friendly Tails, or Pooh’s Heffalump Movie)

If you choose to incorporate the silly, old bear into the fun at your little ones first birthday celebration there are a few simple steps you can take to ensure that the party is age-appropriate for babies and toddlers.

  • Invite your party guests with Winnie the Pooh 1st Birthday Invitations to celebrate your child’s first major milestone while maintaining your theme.

  • You’ll probably want to take lots of pictures during cake time, so be sure to decorate your little ones highchair using Winnie the Pooh First Birthday supplies.

  • Decorate your cake with Winnie the Pooh on it, it won’t matter if it’s not professional the children will love it. You can always buy Winnie the Pooh cupcake rice paper if you’re really not that creative.

 

Whatever you decide to do we guaranteed it will be a fun family party.