Helpful Party Guide
Here’s a really helpful guide we’ve put together for you, to help your party go without a hitch!
Book ahead
Moms and dads, whatever you do, try to plan your kid’s birthday party round two months in advance. This might sound crazy but so many parents get stressed when they’ve left it just a few weeks before the date, and find there are no local venues left for hire. They also can’t find any kids entertainers, or worst yet, another kid in your child’s class is having a birthday party that same day! Plan ahead and avoid having to call heaps of places, only to find they’re already booked.
Booking your venue for enough time
Heaps of parents can underestimate the time they need to set up for the party, before the kids arrive (e.g. prepare food, lay out tables, decorations), not to mention how long it can take to clear up. So when booking your venue, avoid stress and have plenty of time before and after the party time. 45 – 60 minutes should be sufficient. Of course you don’t have to have a venue. You can have the party in your house or back yard.
Set a time limit for your party
For most kids parties, 2 hours is about right. Any shorter and it ends real quick. Any longer and kids get restless. Best to end on a high rather than stretch it out too long.
Do I get an entertainer for my kids party?
We’re a kids entertainment company so it comes as no surprise that we would say yes! You don’t have to of course, but the alternative is to do it yourself. This is a perfectly viable option, if you want to maybe play games with the kids. But a professional children’s entertainer knows how to keep a group of kids engaged for the whole party, and in a really fun way. Unless you’re a teacher or someone used to dealing with lively excitable children, then it can be quite stressful dealing with that many kids. So its probably best to avoid the stress of trying to do it yourself. A kids entertainer is also a great opportunity to give your child a special treat for their birthday celebration, and give them something they wouldn’t normally see.
Ok so if I get an entertainer what do I book?
We’re happy to give guidance on this if you want. Call us and we’re here to help. Maybe discuss if your child has some idea in mind already. Maybe they really want a magic show, or a clown, or they want to do loads of dancing. Maybe they want all 3. Either way we can help. Just don’t overload the kids with too much in one go. (see our last point on this page for more about this)
Sending invitations early
Once you have a date, an entertainer and a venue, get those invitations out. You want to give parents plenty of notice ahead of time. Don’t forget we offer a fantastic range of free kids party invitations on our website.
Call in reinforcements
Don’t get left doing everything yourself. Get help. Prearrange with friends and family to arrive early on the day, and help with food prep, laying out tables and chairs, decorations. Parents underestimate how much there can be to get done before the kids arrive. Have a list of what needs to get done and delegate to your friends and family. It makes life a whole lot easier.
Party Food
Keep it simple. Don’t overload kids with choice. Finger food works well like carrot sticks, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese sticks, cucumber sticks, potato chips and dips. You want a good variety of healthy snacks, with a few sugary treats. If you want to prepare something more than just simple finger food (particularly if you’re having a themed party) there’s so many great ways to do this and theme the party food and make it look really fun and exciting for your kids. But…just remember kids probably won’t notice your hard work! Sad but true! They’re just interested in eating it! So unless you’re a culinary wizard or making creative kids party food is your favorite past time, keep it simple.
Cake
You can’t have a party without a cake. Question is do you make it yourself or buy it in? Store cakes have some pretty awesome and affordable selections that kids just love and it does create less stress to do this! Nowadays its probably cheaper to buy it too. But then, heaps of parents understandably want to make it themselves and have that personal touch. Just make sure whatever you do, its big enough for everyone to have a slice! Another idea is to prepare plenty of colorful cupcakes. They’re fun, and simple to make, kids love them, and they’re easy to hand out at a party.
Decorations
We’d always advise keeping things simple here too, to help you avoid unnecessary stress. Some plain colored balloons (normal or helium filled) and maybe some banners do nicely. You can of course really go for it with helium ‘balloon bouquets’/ centre pieces, balloon drops, door party posters and more. Just remember how much time you have to put up the decorations when you get to your venue. Don’t plan too much if you don’t have heaps of time, or people to help you with it. The blowing up of the balloons alone takes more time than you think.
Minimize clutter in the party space
Kids get distracted easily so whatever entertainment you have planned for them, make sure there’s nothing to distract them from what’s happening. Common things to avoid are loose balloons left on the floor for decoration (they look great but really distract kids from the entertainment), toys – if the party’s at home, or simply having too many different things going on at the same time (see next point below).
Avoid overloading kids with multiple activities at the same time
We’ve done a lot of parties now. Understandably moms and dads want the best for their little ones and so they often think that ‘more is best’. This can be true to a degree. But there’s a point where ‘more becomes a mess’ .lol. What we mean is that you just don’t want to overstimulate kids with too many things all at the same time. For instance we’ve gone to parties where we’re doing our show for the kids, but then there’s a bounce house running at the same time, then a candy floss maker in another part of the room, or the food is out on a buffet table for kids to grab when they want, or a costumed character is wondering around during the show, and kids want to see the character instead. If you want kids to enjoy something, you need them to focus on one thing at a time. Bounce houses and characters are great! BUT have it on at a different time to the entertainment. Food is a must, but we advise not leaving it out for kids to grab whenever they want. Rather, lay it out at a set time. Our kids parties and shows pack a lot in them. Its just we do the activities at different times form one another to ensure kids can enjoy all of it. Heaps of activities is no bad thing. Just have set times for them so kids can really enjoy each one. You get the idea. If you want free guidance on how to make your kids party run smoothly, give us a call and we’d love to help.
Plan for more kids than you expect
Moms and dads are busy people so they may not all be great at the RSVPs. So if some don’t RSVP, don’t assume they’re not coming. When it comes to food, party bags, cakes and drink, plan to have more than you expect, just in case.
