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Whether it’s for a five-year-old or a fifteen-year-old, organising a party for your child puts a lot of pressure on any parent. Not only do you want their party a to be something they enjoy, you’ll also be thinking about the parties that their children’s friends have had, and your kid will either want something the exact same, or even better. But hosting a kid’s party doesn’t have to be stressful. Just follow these tips, take a deep breath, and everything will work out just fine.
It Starts With a List
It might be a kid’s party, but it’s still
an event, and in order for everything to run smoothly, you’ll need to plan
effectively. That means one thing. You need to be organised. To do this, you’ll
have to make a list of everything that you’ll need in order to make the party a
success. It might seem like overkill but creating a task list really is the
best way to help make planning a party a stress-free event. Once you’ve got it
all down on paper, you can get started with the actual organising!
Who to Invite
Depending on the type of party, the invite
list could either be quite small, or really large. If it is a special birthday
or a celebration of an achievement, you’re probably going to need to invite a
lot more people. This will of course change the nature of the party which is
why it’s a good idea to get the guest list sorted early. If your party is a
more casual affair, you can keep the invite list down to a minimum – work with
your child to find out who they really want to invite instead of having to bring
their the whole class!
Where to Host
Of course, it’s always tempting just to
have a party in your own home, but at times that just isn’t going to be
possible. Particularly if the invite list is quite large, having to cater for
everyone yourself in your house is a lot more work than it’s worth. There are kids
party venues for hire in London of all sizes available so you’ll be able to
find one that will not only fit everyone that you want to invite – it also won’t
break the bank while doing so.
Venue Considerations
If you do decide to go for an outside venue,
there are some other things that you’ll need to consider. First of all, it
shouldn’t be too far for anyone to travel to. You don’t want your kid to be disappointed
when half of the guest list can’t make it. Many venues are designed to host kids’
parties, and this means that they will have their own set of rules that
everyone will need to abide by. Make sure that you know what they do and don’t
allow to happen on the premises, so you know that all of your party ideas are
feasible.
Talk to Your Kid
While you get caught up in the planning, it
can be easy to forget the most important part of the whole event; your child.
Ask them what they want from their party. If they are quite young, this can be
as simple as asking them what colour they want everything to be or if there’s
any activity or game they want. As your child gets older, they’ll want to be
more and more involved in the decision making, so ask their opinion on things
so that they feel that this party is truly theirs.
Catering Options
One thing you can’t forget about when
planning a kid’s party is the food. Everyone’s going to be hungry, but luckily kids’
food will be easy to organise. There are loads of caterers who specialise in
just this and your venue will even be able to recommend some. Whatever the
occasion, cake is always a must, and so look around to find a bakery who will
make you a showstopper cake that everyone will enjoy. Parents will let you know
about any dietary requirements, but it’s important for you to have a list to
hand with all of this noted.
Entertainment
Depending on your child’s age, you’ll need
to also think about hiring in an entertainer to keep them occupied for a few
hours. Young kids need constant stimulation, and so searching for experts is
the best way to go instead of trying to organise activities yourself. With
older kids, if you have some projects for everyone to complete, they’ll likely
to be happy to get on with things themselves. Once you get in to the teenage
years, a disco is always a good plan. Hook a sound system up to your phone and
get some lights, and you’ll have a ready-made DJ!
Remember the Parents
With all this planning going on, don’t
forget that there will be other adults there! Whether the kids are too young to
leave, our they just want to stay and chat for an hour, make sure you have
enough food to cater to the adults as well. Having drinks for them is also a
great idea. While most will be driving, it’s good to have a supply of tea and
coffee on the go for everyone to enjoy and well as seats not far from the
children so you can all talk while still keeping a close watch on everything that’s
going on.
A kid’s party isn’t something to stress
about! After all, they won’t notice if it’s not perfect, the main thing is that
they have fun with their friends. There’s no point in competing with others,
just create the party that your child wants. Finding an outside venue and caterers
can take all of the planning out of your hands, so that all you have to do is
turn up and watch everyone have a good time together.
Organising a children’s birthday party from scratch can be a big ask, so you may be wondering what you can do instead of a traditional birthday party. Why not head to a London activity venue? They’re normally very experienced in throwing birthday parties, plus there’s an inbuilt activity for the kids to do so you know they won’t get bored. Popular options include bowling, karaoke and mini-golf, so whatever your little bundle of joy loves to do, you’ll be able to organise the perfect birthday party for them through Canvas.
Hiring a local hall or recreational space can be a really cost-effective way to organise a children’s birthday party in London. Most halls will offer hourly rates, so if you can set-up and clean up quickly you’ll be able to save even more money - it’s worth organising a team of friends and family to help! The halls are likely to be “dry hire”, so you’ll need to provide your own food, drinks and entertainment.
The first step in planning your child’s birthday party is to ask them what they’d like – you might be surprised! Younger kids will prefer a party where they can run around and play games with their friends, but older kids and early teenagers might want something a bit more grown up, like an activity venue, a cinema trip or even a meal. Once you know what they have in mind for their party, start putting together a guest list so you know how big you’ll need the venue to be. Depending on what kind of party it is, it’s not unusual to ask parents to pay for the activity, so don’t worry too much if it’s starting to look really expensive.
The only way to know for sure whether you’re expected to stay or leave is to ask the parents organising the party. Depending on the size of the venue there may be fire safety restrictions on how many people can be in the space – alternatively, they may need extra hands on deck to help! If they would prefer you leave, London is the perfect place to find a café around the corner so you can pop back whenever you’re needed.
