Planning The Perfect Childrens Party

1-2 Months Before The Day

Choosing A Date And Time For Your Party
Think about a date and times for your party - Most parties are held on Saturdays and Sundays for obvious reasons. 2 Hours is the normal length for a party. Think about what time the children will want to eat and plan games and entertainment around that. If a child is younger (ages 1-4) you may want to consider an earlier time.

The Venue
Having a party at home can be a very comfortable environment for the birthday child. If there are concerns about space or things being damaged you may want to consider hiring a church or village hall.

During the warmer months you may even consider having the party outside in the garden, always ensure that there is somewhere to hold your party in the event of bad weather on the day. Also consider the possibility that any entertainer you hire for the party might not be able to work outside.

If you are wanting to hire a hall start to make enquiries about who takes the booking and handles deposits. The hall should be booked for a minimum of 3 hours.
This allows 30 minutes either side of the party for setting up and tidying the hall afterwards. A typical church hall will normally cost from £10-£15 per hour to hire.

Hiring An Entertainer
Popular entertainers can be very busy particularly at peak times such as Christmas.
Ask around to see if anyone can recommend an entertainer. Entertainers should be Police checked and also have Public Liability Insurance. Most entertainers now send out a confirmation, this helps to give peace of mind.

Bouncy Castle Hire
Bouncy castles are great for the children to burn off that excess energy. If planning to use it in a hall make sure there is enough space. The bouncy castle should be supervised at all times. By keeping it's use to periods of no more than 30 minutes you will stop the children becoming too boisterous and prevent tears. It is a good idea to allow the castle to deflate by turning off the power during food times. This will allow the children to concentrate on eating.

1 Month Before The Party

Choose Your Guests
Take time to sit down with the Birthday child to prepare a list of guests for the party. Think about the number of children you can comfortably look after as well as how many children the venue can hold.. It may help to get a list of the names of the children who attend your child's playgroup session or are in your child's class at school.

Invitations
Write your invitations. Don't forget to put a date that you would like replies by and a contact telephone number. Getting a clear idea of the number of children who are coming will help you to know how much food to prepare and cut down on waste.

Selecting A Theme For Your Party
Most children love dressing up so choosing a theme can really help to make your paty. Here are just a few traditional themes

Princesses and Pirates
Jungle Animal
Safari Party
Farm Animal
Football/Sport

Purchase Your Party Supplies
Make a list of what you will need. There are three main areas to think about :- tableware, decorations and party bags with contents.

Birthday Cake
If you are having a birthday cake made especially for your big day it will need to be ordered now. This may be designed to tie in with the theme or what about a photograph of the Birthday child on it. Don't forget the Candles!

2 Weeks Before The Party

Entertainment During The Party
Think about any Games that you want to play with the children such as Pin The Tail On The Donkey. If you are planning a pass the parcel try not to put too many layers on as it can go on too long making the children lose interest.

Music is also important to a great party. Sort out those cd's and a reliable cd player.

1 Week Before The Party

Last Minute Checks
Telephone the party venue and entertainer to confirm the booking and make sure everything is alright.

Make a list of food that you need for the party. Most of the food can be purchased now. Fresh food such as bread and sandwich fillings will need to be purchased in the days before. Don't forget refreshments for any adults that may also stay.

If you are planning to put up Decorations remember string, sticky tape, blue tack and drawing pins.
Check your camera to be sure to capture every moment of the big day.

Prepare your party bags. Don't forget to allow room for the Birthday cake among all those novelty toys and sweets.

The Day Before The Party

Party Preparation
Purchase the fresh food required and start to prepare the food. You may be able to get some cardboard boxes or trays from your local supermarket. These can be used to transport the food to the venue making life much easier.

The Big Day

Prepare The Venue
Inflate Balloons and store them in a black bag to transport them. Attatch string or ribbon so that they are ready to put up. Set up time in a hall can be very limited, so it is important to get as much done as possible.

Make sure that as much as possible of the food is prepared and layed out in advance. This will allow you to enjoy the party to the full.

Why not place a table or box by the door to collect the Birthday presents.

Above all else relax and enjoy the day.

After The Party

The End!
Sit down, relax with a glass of wine and compliment yourself on a job well done!!
and don't forget to send out those Thank You Cards for all those great presents.