Entertaining: How to Host a Fun and Stress-free Children’s Party
From portion sizes to present wrapping, read on for some clever and creative suggestions for a successful kids’ party
Parties hosted at home are a fun, friendly and relatively inexpensive way to throw a birthday bash for your child. No need to hire a hall or transport trays of sandwiches, you can simply open your front door and let the fun begin. But what are the ingredients of a great children’s party? Choosing the soundtrack and selecting some games is just the start. From the themes and colours, to the packaging of the party bag, we have thought of everything else. These 10 great ideas will help your kids’ party go with a pop!
Devise an arty activity
Games are great fun, but children also enjoy a craft or art activity at a party. So why not set up a paint station, ideally in the garden, and let them create their own artworks? Timetable painting for the start of the party, so the painted creations have time to dry before home time.
Games are great fun, but children also enjoy a craft or art activity at a party. So why not set up a paint station, ideally in the garden, and let them create their own artworks? Timetable painting for the start of the party, so the painted creations have time to dry before home time.
Set up camp
If you are hosting a summer party, make use of your outdoor space by setting up a camp of mini tepees. They look great and are fun to play and hide in, plus a garden is open to the elements and has no ear-damaging acoustics, making it the perfect place for children to be giddy and noisy.
If you are hosting a summer party, make use of your outdoor space by setting up a camp of mini tepees. They look great and are fun to play and hide in, plus a garden is open to the elements and has no ear-damaging acoustics, making it the perfect place for children to be giddy and noisy.
Put out some plastic
A children’s party is no place for fancy crockery. So store your best china out of sight and invest instead in some colourful plastic plates and cups. They look pretty and can handle being dropped, too.
A children’s party is no place for fancy crockery. So store your best china out of sight and invest instead in some colourful plastic plates and cups. They look pretty and can handle being dropped, too.
Create snack trays
Kids set great store by fairness, so avoid any squabbling breaking out over portion sizes and who had most of what come tea time by creating individual snack trays. Fill each compartment with a different treat, from virtuous blueberries and soya beans to simple sweeties, creating a mosaic of tempting colour. Ice cube trays work perfectly for this.
Kids set great store by fairness, so avoid any squabbling breaking out over portion sizes and who had most of what come tea time by creating individual snack trays. Fill each compartment with a different treat, from virtuous blueberries and soya beans to simple sweeties, creating a mosaic of tempting colour. Ice cube trays work perfectly for this.
Make party bags
Giving children a goody bag to take home at the end of the party has become a tradition, but there are no rules about what you put in it. Stick to simple sweets, which the children will love, but find or make pretty packaging that fits the party’s theme for a splendid send off.
Giving children a goody bag to take home at the end of the party has become a tradition, but there are no rules about what you put in it. Stick to simple sweets, which the children will love, but find or make pretty packaging that fits the party’s theme for a splendid send off.
Enjoy some decorating
Children enjoy eating biscuits, but they love decorating them, too. So prepare something simple, but fairly sturdy, like this gingerbread house, in advance, then let the kids loose with icing pens and edible decorations.
Children enjoy eating biscuits, but they love decorating them, too. So prepare something simple, but fairly sturdy, like this gingerbread house, in advance, then let the kids loose with icing pens and edible decorations.
Choose a theme
A theme, however general, can help to give focus to your party planning. Children can dress up to suit it, and you can delight them with themed decorations, lollies and cakes. These hand-decorated lollipops were made for a Russian doll-themed party.
A theme, however general, can help to give focus to your party planning. Children can dress up to suit it, and you can delight them with themed decorations, lollies and cakes. These hand-decorated lollipops were made for a Russian doll-themed party.
Wrap some presents
Ribbons, boxes and bows are fascinating to children, so prepare a small gift for your son or daughter’s guests as an extra special treat. Choose something inexpensive, such as face paints or stickers, but have fun with the wrapping, using colourful paper and lots of ribbon, to delight eyes and fingers.
Ribbons, boxes and bows are fascinating to children, so prepare a small gift for your son or daughter’s guests as an extra special treat. Choose something inexpensive, such as face paints or stickers, but have fun with the wrapping, using colourful paper and lots of ribbon, to delight eyes and fingers.
Get baking
Some form of cake is essential at a birthday party, but rather than bake one large cake that then needs to be cut up with a big knife – slightly dangerous when little kids are gathered around! – make individual cupcakes. Groaning with icing and decorated with pretty sweets, edible silver balls or glitter, cupcakes always go down well.
Some form of cake is essential at a birthday party, but rather than bake one large cake that then needs to be cut up with a big knife – slightly dangerous when little kids are gathered around! – make individual cupcakes. Groaning with icing and decorated with pretty sweets, edible silver balls or glitter, cupcakes always go down well.
Forget freshly cut flowers and elegant centrepieces, the key to decorating for a kids’ party is to keep the look fun. Stick to bright colours and disposable or recyclable materials. Paper makes the perfect decoration, as it is inexpensive and the children can draw on it or rip it up at the end of the party. Here, paper lanterns and ribbons have been hung from a simple string, stretched across the room.