Decorating Tips and tricks

How many children will there be, boys and/or girls?

In our house we make a rule that you can invite the number of kids equal to your age. This avoids inviting the whole class if you don't have the space.

What sort of age group?

Mixed ages
Toddler
Primary

Is it a sit down meal or buffet or will there just be snacks?

Remember if it's a buffet, the guests will need somewhere to sit. We often lay down a big mat which all the kids sit on and have a sort of indoor picnic if it's too wet or cold to be outdoors.

How many rooms do you want to decorate?

Sometimes it's a good idea to make certain rooms out of bounds if you want to avoid too much mess and do remove fragile or precious items. Don't forget that burst balloons create a choking hazard for the under threes so clear them up immediately. Kids do like space and there will be a lot of very excited guests. Push furniture back against the walls and if you're very worried about your carpet/flooring, consider buying some cheap plastic or grass mats to lay down.

Do you want to use disposable cutlery and crockery or food boxes that save on the washing up and broken plates?

Make sure the disposable cups aren't too flimsy as with little kids paper cups tend to get a bit soggy round the lip and thin plastic ones tend to get crushed by little hands. The same applies to paper plates. I always write names on each cup and plate (or stick pictures on) to save mixing them up, as the kids always forget which one is theirs.

Do you want to have some music?

Music appeals to all age groups and I always find that it gets the party atmosphere going at the beginning especially when some of the kids are a bit shy. It's also great for when you have run out of games towards the end of the party, and you need a rest!. By then the kids are often just happy to dance around.

Will you be giving party/favor bags to take home?

I must admit I am always in two minds about this as some families go way over the top. When I was young, a balloon and a piece of the cake that we weren't able to eat at the time, kept us very happy but nowadays party bags tend to be full of toys and sweets.

In my experience, the children are just happy of the fact to have a party bag (toddlers are just happy with a balloon) and the contents aren't so important. If it's a theme party, a small figure/toy that represents the theme is a nice addition.

Something we do, is to play a game so that the children actually win/earn the party bag – naturally you will ensure that everyone gets one! Games that we play are a treasure hunt or fishing for the bags out of a big bowl and the party bags are the fish (no water obviously!). The other nice thing is to get the host child to give out the party bags, as it is a way for them to say thank you to their guest.