Category: Party

Keep it simple

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The growing competitive element of hosting a children’s birthday party that has recently emerged now means that many parents end up overspending and creating a party that is filled to the brim with far too many activities. 

Do remember that children love simplicity. Not to say the entertainment shouldn’t be good or varied. It should definitely be good and varied. It needs to be engaging, fun and imaginative too. But parents should avoid the temptation to overload their kid’s party with too many activities at the same time as this will end up being over stimulating and confusing. 

In the same way, parents that don’t plan enough activities or have any form of entertainment at all, can often find that their children are completely underwhelmed, bored or worse become very restless and start running around and be difficult for parents to control. If there is no structure to the entertainment planned this can happen a lot, which is something all parents want to avoid.

A perfect party has a few fun activities planned for different times, but parents should be prepared for their party ‘timetable’ to change slightly during the celebration so it can be adapted to suit the kid’s energy levels on the day and to accommodate any unforeseen events. 

Keep it simple and enjoy!!

Party Invitations made easy

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The invitations to any party are very important. This is one of the first things you should do when planning a children’s birthday party. So here are some great top tips for how to go about your invites.

Ready Made Options –
This is perhaps the perfect time to point out that you can get some great templates on the website for anyone that is stuck for ideas. Many of them can be printed off for free. 

Don’t Hang Around –

It’s important that you give your guests plenty of time to respond to your invites and so you need to get them out in good time before the event. Depending on when your party is, (busy times such as bank holidays and Christmas may need longer) about a month before the occasion is probably best. This should give most people enough time to reply and will also mean the date is firmly in their diary should anything else come up.
Consider Going Straight to the Parents –  
Although it’s exciting for a child to receive an invitation to their friend’s party, children can often forget to pass these onto their parents. You may therefore want to hand the invitations directly to the relevant adults so that you get a swift RSVP. Alternatively, you could get your child to hand them out to their friends but do then check with the parents of the children, that they know about it, in case the invite never made it home. Another option is asking the teacher of your child’s class to put them in the children’s book bags.
Have A Crafty Day –   
If you would prefer to create your own invites rather than use the ones on our We party’s website, then why not have a craft day in order to do this. Set out everything you need to make your child’s own invitations and then work on them together. Kids find this very exciting. This way they can have a bigger say in their party and they can show off their arts and craft skills to all their friends.
Try to Include Everyone – 
When inviting children to the party, it’s often hard to know who should get an invite. The amount of guests that can come will obviously depend on the size of the venue and the budget you have for the party, but where possible it’s a good idea to not leave anyone out and simply invite the whole class at school. If you don’t then some children (and parents) are bound to get upset. Some schools actually ask that you do invite the whole class if you are giving out invites on the school grounds, so it’s an idea to check what the school policy is with this. 
Check All the Information Is Correct –  
Before you send out the invites check that all the information on them is correct. This sounds obvious, but the last thing you want is for people to show up an hour early because you put the wrong time on the invites. Make sure you have included the address of the venue, what time the party starts and finishes, what day and date it is on and whether there is any specific dress code in line with your party theme. You may also want to add that parents are welcome to stay for the duration of the party if you decide you are happy for them to do so. We’d actually suggest they don’t stay (if the children are old enough) because the background noise made by parents charting can actually mean kids can’t hear the entertainer as well and it has an adverse effect on the children’s party. Of course it’s understandable that you may want parents to stay but we’d suggest that if they do, you have a separate room for them to be in.

A Circus theme or Clown Party idea

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PARTY INVITATIONS;

We used cheap white card and envelope.  Used red cardboard paper to make a big top for the front of card.  Square base and canopied top.  Square base to be glued on sides and bottom, top to be left open to create a pocket for admit ticket. 

PARTY DECORATIONS;

We kept decorations simple.  Used red/white crepe paper to make a canopy (big top) in the kitchen.  Hung paper clown faces (which were homemade) from the ceiling.   Bright tableware was placed around the cakes.  A lion cake and a clown cake were centre of the table.

PARTY GAMES;

We thought it would be nice for the children to have an ‘arty’ party so we put felt tips, glitter, glue etc. around and lots of coloured card paper so they could make their own circus/clown pictures. 

We also had a ‘face painter’ which painted each child’s face, we took a picture and printed each one off before the party ended and stuck it in onto their party bags.

Another children’s party game we played was each child took turns throwing darts at different coloured balloons.  Whatever colour you popped, got to pick from that “colour” toy pile. Each toy was in different coloured bags so the children knew which one they had won from. 

We then had an elephant game where you have to hook a ring around their trunks. Each child puts on an elephant mask and tries to pick up hoops with the end of their nose.  Of course no party is complete without the clown piñata.  

PARTY BAGS;

No party is complete without party bags so we filled them up with candy, crafts, prizes, and cotton candy bags.

 

Movie star parties

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This party are for girls (or boys) that would just love to be in the movies…

INVITATIONS:

For the invitation, buy some really good stationary, and cut it into a star shape. Then, punch holes in it about every inch or so and thread gold or silver ribbon through the holes. Then in calligraphy write “you are cordially invited to spend (date) at the Oscars. Please arrive at (address) at approximately (time). To make your final reservation, please reply to the home of (child’s name) at (number).

DECORATIONS:

On the front walkway, we laid out some red felt made to look like the red carpet, and stuck sticks of wood about 1 foot away from each other along the sides, where I tied gold, silver, and white balloons to. Inside, I let some more balloons float.

ACTIVITIES:

The main activity of the party was Making the movie, but before that, we got all the actresses ‘ready’ by sending them to the ‘spa’. Throughout the house, there was a different station, and one was in the birthday girl’s bedroom. The first station, the spare room, was home to the nail and hair salon. In here we had some friends dressing the girl’s hair with pins and clips and my other friend did the nails. The other station, in the downstairs office, was makeup.

The last station, in the birthday girl’s bedroom was the dressing station, here, there were all kinds of dress up clothes that the girls could choose from. After all the girls finished at the spa, we made the movie. Before the party, we had written a simple script based on the movie, “the Princess Diaries”, where a normal teenage girl finds out she is a princess. We handed out these 3 page scripts, and each girl was given a part and five minutes to look it over quickly. Then we filmed it. Afterwards, we showed it to the girls on video and they were very proud.

Then, last but not least, we handed out the actual Oscars. Before hand, we had cut trophies out of cardboard and painted them with each girl’s name on it. For the ceremony, we had 10 categories (there were ten girls). Some of the categories were best script remembered, funniest costume, etc. We called each girl up individually to receive her award. (since we didn’t know what category each girl was going to win, when the girls came up, we wrote it with a pen on the back). After this, we had dinner at our homemade restaurant and then, to make the girls sleepy after the excitement, we showed them a copy of the proper Oscars, which featured all their favourite actors and actresses.

KIDS PARTY FOOD:

In the dining room, we had table settings that made it look like a posh restaurant. For each girl’s plate, we had a typed name card, a folded cloth napkin with a napkin ring, and we even had real silverware instead of plastic. We served chicken, rice, soup, and a chocolate cake that looked like an Oscar award. 
PARTY BAGS

When the girls were watching the movie, we made 10 copies of the video we made. We gave these out to the guests along with a bottle of nail polish.

Monsters Inc…

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This little boy was mad on Monsters Inc and he wanted anything to do with Mike Wysocki!!

INVITATIONS: 

Invitations can be bought as there are lots of merchandise from the Monsters Inc film, but for these invitations we downloaded from the internet was a cute picture of ‘Mike Wysocki’ from the internet and stuck them onto card.  The invitations said ‘You’re invited to a pool party for Jacob’s 5th birthday’ it also had important information like: Date Time Place RSVP info.

DECORATIONS: 

Since the party was at a pool, there was no need for a lot of party decorations.  We had a poster board sign for the entrance that said Welcome to Jacob’s MONSTER of a party! with a clipart Mike on it too.  For the tables, we filled metal buckets with glass beads, blowers, & clipart Mike on sticks and attached balloons.  I did lime green balloons and attached cut-out eyeballs & smiles to make the balloons look like Mike.

PARTY BAGS: 

Since Mike is the comedian of Monsters Inc. we bought a joke books to fill the bags.  Also had bubbles for younger brothers and sisters at the party.  To the books & the bubbles, we tied suckers and a tag that said thank you for coming to my MONSTER of a party with a Mike clipart.  We used round suckers and glued a lime green circle & big wiggly eye to them to look like Mike.

FOOD:

Simple and easy food, like pizzas, popcorn, jelly and sandwiches which we put a little green food dye on to make them more monstrous!! For dessert, we served choc chip ice cream with a Mike cake.  We made the Mike cake with a large round cake pan and lime green icing with his trade make one big eye. We used plain lime green plates, napkins, cups, etc. It turned out great and was a really fun party and exactly what he wanted.

A party for the 4th of July

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Join in the fun and celebrate the United States’ Declaration of Independence with all the fireworks, stars and stripes that go with it for your 4th of July party this year! All you need is an assortment of traditional patriotic foods such as apple pie, hamburgers and ice cream, and a firework-worthy location to create the most magical commemoration of American freedom you and your family have ever experienced. 

4th of July party besides the fireworks is fantastic food. You can start by pledging allegiance to your grill and making some of America’s favourite barbeque foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, steak and chicken. Try adding an Independence Day twist to some of your favourite classics by incorporating an American flag or the colours red, white, and blue in each dish. For example, you can buy some toothpicks with an American flag attached from a party store and stick them in each of your hamburgers.

Your 4th of July party success depends largely on the location of your family gathering, whether it is a cosy barbeque or fun picnic for the kids and all the family.

Since this sunny holiday takes place in the summer, it is wise to select a party location where you and your patriots can enjoy the beautiful weather and even a firework show after the sun sets. If you aren’t willing to host your 4th of July bash in your garden, try staking out a spot at the beach or the park where you can best enjoy the sunny weather. Although many cities do not allow fireworks to be set off to avoid accidental fires, there is always the option of driving the family over to a park where fireworks are not prohibited. And don’t forget to be safe and bring a bucket and some water to ensure that all the fireworks are properly extinguished.

Ahoy me Harties!!!

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Shiver me timbers! Ahoy ye hearties and avast thy chase for a booty of pirate party ideas are right here on this site which marks the X. For all sea dog pirates who are searching for party idea treasures for their young swashbuckler, look no further. For here lies the Pirate Party Ideas shared by parents from around the world!

Are you ready to transform your home into a family fun Caribbean port and your garden into a pirate ship? Pirate parties only come once in a lifetime and you want to make it one that your little pirate will remember forever.

Invitations.

Pirate party invitations can be a treasure map, a treasure chest, or a Jolly Roger flag with a skull and crossbones.  Just be sure to make them really special by using a fancy font, or calligraphy.  Be sure to give the start time, end time, date and location of your pirate adventure.

Decorations

Set the mood for your party with great decorations like a Jolly Roger flag flying on a ship’s mast, some old wooden signs pointing to the Caribbean or a banner over the drive saying “landlubber beware”.  Cover the party table in black or red and accent with streamers, balloons and confetti.  If you’re really ambitious you can create a pirate ship out of some large appliance boxes for a special play area just for the party

Pirate Games.

What pirate party is complete without some pirate games like a treasure hunt?  Games like walk the plank, pin the eye-patch on the pirate, or a cannonball toss, add excitement to the party and provide a time for everyone to interact

Costumes.

A pirate party just isn’t the same without all the pirates dressed in their buccaneer outfits.  Being shipwrecked and marooned at the party really requires the right outfit and the magic of pirate costumes makes the party special.

Snacks and Drinks

Don’t forget snacks and drinks for all of your buccaneer guests.   Certainly snacks and drinks that prevent scurvy are always top of the list, but sometimes it’s best to incorporate some healthy vegetable snacks while providing a pirate dip.

Have fun!!!

DIY Monster Party Ideas

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Thanks to hit films such as Monster’s Inc., ‘monsters’ has become one of the most popular children’s party themes.

Aside from being a guaranteed hit with kids, the theme is also one of the easiest to pull off – a dash of colour here and some googly eyes there are often all it takes to give your food or décor a monster makeover!

From multiple-eyed marshmallow pops to Monster’s Inc. inspired balloons, here are some of our favourite ideas.

Monster Marshmallow Pops

Monster marshmallow pops are completely adorable – plus, they’re easy to create, even for young children, making them the perfect pre or during-party activity. Simply dip marshmallows into melted, coloured chocolate, before dipping in sprinkles and adding edible eyeballs.

“Mike” Inspired Monster Balloons

Looking for a simple yet effective decoration idea for your monster party? Inspired by Mike Wazowski from the Monster’s Inc. franchise, these one-eyed balloons are guaranteed to be popular with the kids.

“Sully” Inspired Cupcakes

Mike’s partner in crime, Sully, is also a popular and instantly recognisable character from the Monster’s Inc. franchise. These Sully-inspired cupcakes will be a great addition to any monster themed party, and simply require some creativity with icing and fondant.

Get the Kids Involved in the Décor

Getting the kids involved in the party decorations is a lovely touch. Let them loose on any signs or banners and challenge them to draw the scariest monsters they can. You could also ask all of the guests to bring their best monster drawings to the party and create a ‘Monster Gallery’. Hand out prizes for categories such as “funniest monster”, “most creative monster” and “scariest monster”. 

Gooey Monster Eyeball Cookies

These cookies are another fun and super-simple way to give your party food a monster makeover. To get the ‘look’, you’ll simply need some food colouring and edible eyeballs.

A monster party theme is guaranteed to be popular with the kids – plus, you can create really effective food and décor, without having to spend lots of time or money!

Make sure the kids remember the day with some themed party bags.

Party games for children 2 – 3 years

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Air Balloon (3 upwards)

This is more of a time filler than a game with a winner and is enjoyed by everybody because it doesn’t matter how good or bad you are! It’s a good way to start a party whilst you are waiting for everybody to arrive. Before the kids party, insert a small, light-weight gift such as a Stretchy Smiley Men into the opening of a balloon before inflating it. Then, blow air into the balloon and repeat until you have a balloon for each guest. The children have to try keeping the balloon in the air for as long as they can just be using their head. Once given the go ahead they can enjoy bursting the balloon and retrieving their prize!

Pass the Parcel (3 upwards)

Before the party wrap a gift into a layer of paper. Now wrap it in another layer and repeat until you have the same number of layers as you do guests. (If you have more than about 15 guests it’s more fun for your guests if you play the game with 2 parcels). Seat everyone in a circle and play some music for a short time. When the music stops, the person holding the parcel removes ONE layer of wrapping. (Have a bin bag ready so you can keep tidy from the start!) Repeat until the last layer of wrapping has been removed. The winner keeps the present.  Three variations include:

1. Putting a forfeit in each layer e.g. name 2 animals beginning with p, count from 20 backwards, kiss somebody wearing blue….

2. Putting a gift in each layer. Have a look at our really special made up pass the parcels which save you a huge amount of time and inspiration. If you make up your own, choose fairly small gifts to stop the parcel becoming unmanageable and you might like to follow your party theme if you have one. 

3. Cinderella Pass the Parcel – another special pass the parcel but more of an effort for you. You need a pair of Cinderella type dressing up slippers and as man y girly gifts as you have guests. First, wrap one slipper with a girly gift. Repeat wrapping individual layers and tuck a girly gift in each layer. About halfway through the number of layers you choose to use, insert the other slipper and a girly gift, and keep wrapping. Play the game in the normal way. Continue until the first slipper is unwrapped. Then, reverse the passing order until the second slipper is uncovered. The 2 girls holding the slippers then ball room dance around the circle, wearing one slipper each.

Animals (2 upwards)

This is game is fun for small children who are naturally intrigued by animals and can’t cope with the intricacies of a more complicated game. Have a selection of animal masks or small wild animals– the same number as you have guests. Hold one up, one at a time. Ask all the children to imitate the animal. Continue, changing the animal just as soon as you feel the time is right! At the end of the game, give a mask or animal to each child. This could be a good ‘going’ home game if you’re brave enough not to hand our party bags!

Sleeping Lions (3 and upwards)

Surprisingly loved by a huge age range, this is a great ‘calming down’ game before handing your guests back to their parents. Ask the children to ‘sleep’ on the floor like a sleeping lion. The moment anybody moves they are ‘out’. In reality, you can ignore the odd twitch and your guests can stay ‘sleeping’ until somebody comes to collect them! You will look marvellously in control and the children will have calmed down into a contented and peaceful state.