'Happy birthday to you' (Children's Parties)

Member Name: Claribella

Product:	Children's Parties
Date:	17/04/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: So much fun

Disadvantages: Can be overwhelming and expensive if you let it.

I was reading an article last week about how parents seem to be going over the top with children's parties and on average spending between £200-£300 on children as young as three. In the article it was explaining that some parents go without food and clothes to give their children what they want for that special day of the year. In my opinion that is absolutely ridiculous and feel that if parents are already giving their children everything they want at that age, then I am pretty sure that they will come to expect bigger and better things every year so the parent will surely end up being stressed and miserable.

I can honestly say that there is none of the above in my house and my children are definately not deprived in any way, shape or form. I feel that a party or some sort of celebration is important for the child to feel special but there is just no need to go over the top with material things.

I love birthday parties but I must admit I do prefer the old fashtioned style ones with party games, party bags and jelly and ice cream. It's much more fun and you can cater to the children that are coming. Here are a few pointers on how to make you child's party very special without spending thousands of pounds.

1) The food.

This really isn't important. The children will probably be so excited and hyper that they don't eat much anyway. I recently went to a party where the host did a big plate of food for each child and that was it. I thought this was a great idea because there was hardly any waste at all and the bits that were left were eaten by that child's parents.

If you are having a party over lunch time then you could buy in or make a few cakes so the adults have a little snack to keep them going too.

2) Theme.

If you fancy it you could organise a themed party or even fancy dress. I think themed parties are great because you can add to the detail of everything without it being too costly.

3) Games.

A party wouldn't be a party without games. The prizes don't need to be spectacular. At my son's last party we bought a couple of colouring books for less than a pound for pass the parcel and the rest of the prizes were sweets.

Some of the games you can try are:
musical chairs
musical statues
Pass the parcel
sleeping lions.

Don't get frustrated if you don't fit all of the games that you have planned in. Kids are unpredictable; some may really want to play whilst other may be hard to round up.

4) Party bags.

This is such a major part of the party and I'm pretty sure that the kids will be dispointed if you don't give them out at the end. You can do them to match your theme if you have one. Kids won't care whats inside at all. We bought some little 10-20p bits of a cheap shop in our area, added some sweets and a bit of party cake and balloon.

5) Cake.
This is the most obvious part of the party. I have however been to a few parties where they have forgotton the candles or matches so the delightful part of turning off the lights and blowing out the fire has not happened. Heres a little reminder; don't forget the candles, don't forget the cake and most importantly don't forget the matches!!!

6) Something else to play with.
I would suggest that you have some toys or colouring out on the side for the kids to do if they are bored or theres a bit of a lull. This probably won't be the case with older children as they make there own fun but I found that the kids at the parties we have been to have found this helpful.

Parties are so much fun! The kids will be hyper on the excitment and the chocolate and will enjoy interacting with the other children so don't worry about trying to piece together a perfect situation because it probably won't go to plan. Just make sure that the kids are safe and you try to spend a bit of time cherishing the moment rather than running around like a headless chicken making sure that there's enough food.

Summary: A great time to use your creative skills.