Children's parties (Children's Parties)

Member Name: adam171275

Product:	Children's Parties
Date:	07/05/09 (194 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great for them and fun

Disadvantages: Hard work and costly

We all know that being a parent at some time you will have to do a children's party of some sort, this can be an absolute nightmare! When our daughter was 5 my wife was due to give birth to our son we decided to give her a big party. When her birthday came around my wife was due to pop as it was her last birthday before the imminent arrival we decided to make a real fuss of her and make it a big one. Here is what we did and some mistakes we made.


1) Firstly we told her that she could have as many friends as she wanted. Mental note this was a huge mistake! She decided she would invite her whole class plus a few more. The list came to around 50, at the time we agreed but looking back this was far too many. The cost alone was enough, 50 children who all needed feeding, entertained and party bags! I would advise anyone when doing a children's party to put a limit on it as we truly were over run with children it was barely cope able.


2) Food

Children really are not that bothered with all fancy food at parties, the main aim for them is to gorge on cakes and biscuits etc and to have fun. Although we did have lots to cater for we were quite sensible with the food. We did the food ourselves with some help from friends and family. We kept it simple and as cheap as we could as we all know that most will end up on the floor! Sorry kids but we did buy a lot of Tesco value products to serve them, at the end of the day children are not going to tell the difference between a cheap biscuit to a leading brand one. We served sandwiches (ham, cheese and jam only) different types of cakes and biscuits, crisps, sausages on sticks, cheese and pineapple on stick. We didn't bother with the healthier options of carrot sticks etc as lets face it; it is a party let them eat junk that is what it's all about isn't it? We did keep it basic and didn't have too much left over. The key with the food is to think like a child or try and remember back to when you were a child. What did I like to eat at parties? How much did I eat? On average a child aged between 4 and 6 really won't be able to eat that much so don't over do it on the food as you will be left eating the leftovers for weeks! We used all plastic cups and plates which are as easy as you just chuck them away after there is no washing up after. I think my wife got them online from a party shop; it really is best to shop around to get the best deal possible. We didn't use a theme such as Disney Princess etc as we had a mixture of both girls and boys coming. We decided to stick to plain colours pink for the girls and blue for boys. Don't complicate it by using themed accessories as you will make a rod for your own back. You will become so obsessed with the theme it will cost you a small fortune in getting matching party bags, tablecloths cakes etc, don't do it!



3) The cake

As we had 50 children to cater for we were a bit worried about the birthday cake. When looking in the shops like Tesco at the birthday cakes we thought they were overpriced for what they were and to be honest having tasted one in the past they are very synthetic tasting nothing compared to a home made cake. This is where we struck lucky as my wife does love to make cakes and to be honest is very good at it. She makes nothing fancy like shapes etc but a nice tasting thick chocolate sponge with lots of butter cream on the top. She did have to make two large ones, put lots of sweets on the top and it went down a treat. Children only have a small slice in their party bag so too much isn't essential.


4) The entertainment

We were rather worried at the prospect of entertaining 50 children so we did opt for the easier option to hire some. We had a local entertainer who sang with them, did magic and jokes etc. It was £90 for ¾ of an hour but it was worth it. We didn't have to worry about entertaining as it was done for us. They had the entertainment, ate there food then it was time to go, sorted. If you had less children you could do it yourself by playing allsorts of party games such as musical statues and pass the parcel, but with 50 we thought this would prove too difficult. A popular option for parties is bouncy castles, with this you need to obviously make sure the weather is good or the hall you are holding it in allows you to have one. With 50 children this was a big NO as we didn't want to send 50 injured children home. The key thing is to plan and make sure there is something to keep them occupied. Children get bored very easy and at parties they are excited enough which could run into some rather silly behaviour.



5) Party bags

Party bags seem to be such a focal part of parties nowadays and there is some kind of competition to it between parents, my advice is not to rise to it. As we had to do 50 we had to be very money conscious, and not go OTT. We did get a lot of the stuff from Tesco and Asda; if you go to the larger stores they do a good range of party bag fillers at very good prices. We did stick to a rigid amount in each bag, this was:

Small packet of sweets
Birthday cake
Lollipop
Balloon
Small toy

This is all they need, the amount of times my daughter has come home from a party with a party bag and has discarded it within the hour, total waste of money I'm sure they all do the same.


6) Length of party

When we decided to do the party at first my wife said 3 hours, I had to put my foot down and say only 2, which I was right. After the 2 hours are up children are a bit excited and tired, we noticed towards the end when the children were waiting to be picked up they were all over the place. Running around, screaming, crying and falling out, take my advice the shorter the better.

7) Help

Make sure you have enough help to carry it off but not too much. I tend to get annoyed with the parents that don't leave their children at parties and insist on staying. If they are over 5 I don't see the problem unless you are an overly protective parent. Extra parents add extra hassle as you are trying to cater for them too by making them tea etc when really you have enough to do.


8) Decoration

My advice is to keep this simple, don't go mad and buy lots of expensive decorations as the only thing this will do is make your bank balance less. All you need is a few birthday banners, again Tesco and Asda do cheap ones and balloons that's all kids need. The most important thing I would suggest that if you are having balloons make sure there is enough for one each and a few extra in case of ones popping. If you don't it will end in tears!!


Looking back it was a successful but stressful day, my daughter loved it and it was a special day for her to get all the attention for the last time. It was expensive but we did try and cut costs where we could. Remember children don't need fancy just lots of fun as that is what kid's parties are all about. Don't waste money on the fancy stuff, think about it seriously parents who do this are only doing it for themselves; it's not about you looking good honestly. I would think twice again about having that many children and totally worthwhile having the entertainment. Since this birthday she has had quiet ones with just a few friends for tea, which is much easier. Remember children want to:

Have fun
Let off steam
Eat simple food
Be entertained

Summary: keep it simple