Tag: party

Weatherproof Indoor Games

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It seems as soon as we get excited about the sunshine and make ‘outdoorsy’ plans, the rain clouds arrive! If you’re left wondering what on earth to do with the kids, we’ve come up with some great games to play in the comfort of your own home to keep kids of all ages entertained.

Indoor bowling

This game provides hours of fun for children (and adults) and can even be as competitive as you like You can either buy an indoor bowling set or use empty water bottles set up in a line and a soft ball. Don’t forget – place some tape as a starting line so avoid any cheating!

Dressing up stories

Get the kids using their imaginations and write a story – it could simply be their favourite fairy tale changed! They then have to act out their stories complete with costumes and props. Of course, you’ll need to put your acting skills to the test and join in with them!

Alphabet fishing

A fun and easy way to develop letter recognition and early reading skills, and even better it’s perfect for those rainy days! All you need are some magnetic letters, sticks or chopsticks, string, and paperclips. Tie the paper clips to your string and then tie (or glue) your string to your stick. Pour the magnetic letters into a big bowl…and let the children start fishing! The ‘catch of the day’ is the kids need to make words with the letters they hook out

Play ‘Sardines’ – a twist on the traditional hide and seek

You’ll need at least four players for this game with one person hiding and the other players searching for the hider. When a player finds their friend hiding, they then need to hide with that player staying where they are until another player finds them and so on. The fun will continue until the last person finds everyone at which point everyone will be squashed like – sardines!

Board games

Ditch electronic games and play with traditional board games. Snakes and Ladders, Guess Who, Monopoly…which games keep your little ones entertained?

Play ‘Bubbles’!

Playing this game is very simple and loads of fun! All you need is water, washing up liquid, a bowl and some straws! Put some water (about 2 cm) in the bowl with some washing up liquid and mix just a little bit until bubbles start forming. Use the straw to gently blow bubbles (avoid drinking – it tastes yuck) and very quickly you’ll start making huge bubbles! You could even add a bit of food colouring to make different coloured bubbles!

Build a den

Drape blankets and sheets over chairs to make a cosy den for the kids. They can read books, play games and even nap (if you’re lucky!) however the challenge may be coaxing them out of their secret fort at teatime!

Plan a party for your little princess

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A Frozen Birthday Party is what most little girls want at the moment and were are here to help with inspiration on how to decorate your home or children’s party venue to make it that extra bit special.

Costumed characters are always a big hit; these characters call also entertain the children whilst you get on organising the food.

Make sure you have table cloths that look ‘Frozen’ for example you could have silver foil laid out with blue plates and don’t forget to have plenty of ice in jugs for decoration to really make it look authentic, or if your budget allows why not hire an Ice Sculpture for your centrepiece.

If you know of any singers in the family or friends, then they could sing a few ‘Frozen songs’ but if you don’t then why not hire a solo singer preferably one that can be Elsa or Ana for a few hours.

It’s all about the ‘wow’ factor when your little girl walks into the venue you’ve booked, she and her friends want to be transported into the world of ‘Frozen’.

Fairy lights can transform any dull church hall into something magical if it’s done in the right way. Battery powered tea lights are also very effective and safer!!

Tissue paper pompoms, honeycomb balls and paper rosettes also offer a great cost-effective solution to decorating any space. They pack the wow factor without much effort or cost.

Why not hire or make a Sledge where a photo opportunity would be great keepsake for all your guests.

For DIY party decor, a few tissue paper pompoms can help bring life to any table or theme.

When it comes to budget-friendly favours, we believe a party activity where guests create something to take home is ideal! It’s not only practical, but it’s also a lot less work for the hostess. And the kids will love something they actually made as opposed to something shop-bought. A jewellery- or snow globe-making station would be a great way to incorporate the theme into your activities.

​Another cool idea is to use white Christmas lights you may already have at home to create the “Frozen” atmosphere. And don’t forget the cute goodie bags or packaging to match your theme!”

‘Sing’ the movie

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“SING” is released across UK cinemas on the 21st & 22nd of January 2017 and it’s a perfect way to entertain children and adults alike.

The main character is a koala called Buster Moon, voiced by the rather lovely Matthew McConaughey, who is obsessed with “making it big” with his completely run-down theatre.

In a desperate last measure to save his beloved theatre, he decides to hold a talent contest, with a prize of $1000.  Unfortunately his rather elderly assistant, Ms Crawley, (a half blind lizard!), voiced by the very clever Garth Jennings, manages to add two extra “00s” to the prize fund on all the leaflets…..

 

So, of course, every animal under the sun turns up for the auditions and the main characters of the film emerge as the final show performers.

These include Rosita the pig, who is a housewife and mum to 25 piglets, (the mums in the audience will identify with her 100%!), voiced by Reese Witherspoon.

Meena the elephant who is terrified of performing in front of an audience and prefers to stay back-stage if she can, voiced by Tori Kelly

Johnny the gorilla, who was most definitely our favourite character of the bunch, voiced wonderfully “Eastender-ish” by Taron Egerton.

Ash the punk-porcupine, who is more or less, the “moody-teenager” and flits between heavy metal to love songs, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.

The baddy of the crew is smarmy ole Mike the mouse, voiced very cleverly by Mike MacFarlane: you can’t help but hate him as soon as you see him!

Gunter the pig, who is paired with Rosita to choreograph a dance routine with her for their joint performance, voiced by Nick Kroll.

And then there’s Buster’s faithful friend, Eddie the sheep, who stands by him in all his efforts to keep the theatre up and running, voiced by John C Reilly.

Eddie has a hugely famous opera singer grandmother, Nana Noodleman, voiced by our very own Jennifer Saunders, who does help to come to the rescue in the end…..

Without revealing too much of the plot, it all goes horribly wrong and all ends up fabulously good!

As the name suggests: it is very music orientated, so if that’s not your little one’s “thing” – this film is not for you, but who doesn’t like music?

Secret Life of Pets Movie night

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We’re so excited of the release of THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS on Blu-ray and DVD this holiday season! To help celebrate, why not host a super fun Secret Life of Pets Movie Night Party for your children and their friends!

What’s not to love when it comes to a movie all about animals and pets? Needless to say, with think all children are obsessed! They LOVED the movie, and were so excited about it coming out on blu-ray and DVD.

The Secret Life of Pets is a comedy from the humans behind Despicable Me about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day. The all-star voice cast includes Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Bobby Moynihan, Steve Coogan and Albert Brooks.

Max is a spoiled terrier who enjoys a comfortable life in a New York building. That is until his owner adopts Duke, a giant and unruly canine. During their walk outside, they encounter a group of ferocious alley cats and end up in a truck that’s bound for the pound. Luckily, a rebellious bunny named Snowball swoops in to save the doggy duo from captivity. In exchange, Snowball demands that Max and Duke join his gang of abandoned pets on a mission against the humans who’ve done them     wrong.

The new release of The Secret Life of Pets features nearly an hour of bonus content! It including three hilarious mini-movies: the all-new Norman Television and Weenie PLUS Mower Minions which debuted in theaters and is now available to own. The Secret Life of Pets makes a perfect gift this holiday season for that special someone on your list.

Just don’t forget the popcorn!!

Party Themes

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The tradition of holding a party to celebrate the anniversary of birth began centuries ago in Europe when it was feared that evil spirits sought out people on their birthdays. To protect them from harm, friends and family would gather around to bring good thoughts and wishes. Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to ward off evil spirits, and candles were placed on cakes to transport the birthday wishes directly to God.

Initially, only royalty was deemed important enough to have a birthday celebration, but the tradition soon spread with the introduction of the children’s party in Germany, the Kinderfeste.

For the trivia buffs amongst you; the lyrically astounding ‘Happy Birthday to You’ song was written in 1839 by sisters Mildred and Patty Smith Hill!!

Children’s Birthday Party Ideas

Try the following themes as a starting point when organising kids birthday parties.

 

Alice in Wonderland

Kite Flying Party

Arabian Princess Party

Ladybug Party

Arts and Crafts Party

Lion King Party

Ballet Party

Mermaid Party

Barbie Party

Mickey Mouse & Minnie Party

Beach Party

Movie Theater Party

Beauty and the Beast

Nursery Rhyme Party

Buzz Lightyear

Peter Pan Party

Butterfly Party

Pirates of the Caribbean Party

Camping Party

Robin Hood Party

Cartoon Characters

Rock Star Party

Cheerleading Party

Roller Skating Party

Cinderella Party

Safari Party

Circus Party

Sleep Over Party

Clown Party

Snow White Party

Dinosaur Party

SpongeBob SquarePants Party

Fairy Party

Star Wars Party

Football Party

Superheros Party

Hannah Montana Party

Tea Party

Harry Potter Party

Teddy Bear Party

Hollywood Star Party

Under the Sea Party

Ice Skating Party

Wizard of Oz Party

Jungle Party

Winnie the Pooh 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.

The Puppeteer

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Puppet shows are great for children of all ages and have been part of our culture for thousands of years. They’re normally aimed at 3-7 year olds but can work for 2 years too. Even if the younger children don’t fully understand the storyline or the jokes, they can still enjoy the visual aspects and get involved with audience participation, which usually includes shouting things to the puppets and doing loads of funny actions.

Puppet shows can be the main event or form part of a huge mix of party activities. Either way, it goes down a treat and is often one of the things kids remember best.

The Circus Performer

Circus performers or clowns are great for parties where the guests are a little bit older (maybe 4 and up) any younger and the kids can get a bit scared of clowns as they don’t like the makeup on the face or the red nose and clown wig. Our clowns do loads of fun clown gags and jokes. The parties are very interactive for children. A clown is not something kids see every day so it really adds a brilliant wow factor when your child sees a clown coming to their party for their birthday. Apart from general clowning around, a clown can be a magician, he can hold a puppet show, do games, juggling, etc. Clowns can be balloon modellers or, face painters; their versatility really is endless.

Don’t go overboard.

We are well aware of the pressures facing parents, and would like to tell you that those looking to create a memorable birthday celebration for their little one should focus on simplicity and fun and try to ignore, where possible, the feeling that they have to compete with other parents as this can actually result in having an adverse effect on your children’s party!

Ask any parent and they will tell you of the increasing pressure they feel when planning their child’s birthday party. 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. We’ve seen it time and time again where parent book an entertainer, bouncy castle, popcorn machine, mascot, face painter, etc. all in one party that last just 2 hours.

Parents feeling the need to plan a children’s party filled with different activities can actually leave birthday boys and girls so overwhelmed with far too much to take in that they don’t focus properly on any one thing and are unable to really enjoy their special day properly. Instead, parents should choose no more than a handful of activities for the children and to make sure that there is plenty of time for the kids to enjoy all of it.

In the same way, parents that don’t plan enough activities or have any form of kids party 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 e.g. food running late.

Star Wars parties

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Party theme planning

Long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars came to life. Today, Star Wars is still every bit as popular as it was in the last century. Several generations love the saga and there are so many fun ways to throw a successful Star Wars celebration that even Darth Vader will be jealous of!

Invitations Ideas

From the classic rectangle invitation with eye-catching graphics to a lightsaber replica made from paper, there are many different styles of invitations to choose from. Another great idea is using your DIY skills and some downloads to achieve a completely custom look.

Unique, homemade invitations can really get you in the party mood! If you have the time, here are a few Star Wars invitation ideas to consider:

Cut a piece of white cardstock into the shape of a lightsabre. Use markers to colour the handle grey and the beam blue or green. Write your party details in silver marker on the beam. Alternatively, fold a piece of cardstock in half, cut out two small lightsabers and cross them together in the middle of the card. On the front of the card, write, “You are Invited to a Galaxy Far, Far Away…” Write your party details inside.

  • Print out movie stills from the birthday child’s favourite Star Wars movie. Write your party details on the back.

  • Punch a hole in the corner of a card-style invitation and attach it to a Star Wars Mask that your guests can wear to the party.

  • Make a simple black helmet to resemble Darth Vader’s helmet out of black construction paper. Write your party details in gold pen.

Include creative wording for your party details, such as:

  • In a galaxy not too far, far away,

  • Michael is having his 5th birthday!

  • So fly your spaceship at the speed of light,

  • To the celebration of our Jedi Knight!

Decorating & Food Ideas

Star Wars Party Decoration Ideas

Aside from sticking to the basic Star Wars party theme colour palette of royal blue, black, white and grey, you can take your party to another level with the details. Choose a couple of accent colours, such as the green, red and blue associated with lightsabers to add a pop of colour to the party. From a cupcake tower centrepiece to a sweet buffet you can definitely make a huge visual impact with your decorations.

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!!

Pony party ideas

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Your child’s birthday is just around the corner, or maybe you’re in charge of throwing an amazing school summer holiday party, but you’re not sure where to start. Why not have a Pony Party? Now, you’re probably thinking that this sounds complicated? But be assured It isn’t complicated.  So we have put together 4 essentials for any Pony Party to be a great success:

1. Ponies

You can’t have a pony party without the ponies! There are many organisations who will provide the ponies, trainers, and all the other bits for you! All you have to do is contact them, set up a date, and let them do the rest. Now, how easy is that?

2. Crafts

Of course all children like to draw, colour, and make their own arts and crafts. Setting up a craft table is a great way to keep the children busy when it’s not their turn to ride! Plus, with the right crafts, it’s easy to tie in your children’s party theme. How about getting some recycling bits of cardboard boxes and toilet rolls etc., as well as paint and googly eyes and get your guests to make a pony. Each child makes their own pony and at the end of the party the best one wins a prize. Don’t forget to give everybody a little token for taking part though!

3. Costumes

What would a Pony Party be without cowboy/cowgirl costumes? Get some fancy dress for the children while they ride! Hire a Photographer to capture the priceless sights!

4. Food

The children will have worked up an appetite after all that running around. Time to feed them! Here are a few simple treats. Keep with the pony theme by slicing up apples and carrots, and serve some mini shredded wheats (hay) set them out on a picnic table. But what would a children’s birthday party or any party be without sweet things? Ask your cake decorator to help you keep the theme with a cake or cupcakes!

Follow those directions and your Pony Party should be fun, easy, and totally memorable!