In part 1 of the Games and Entertainment of the Party Planning series, we looked at ideas for party games.

Here are a few guidelines for hiring an entertainer for your child’s birthday party.

If you decide to hire an entertainer for the party, do that immediately after you have decided [...]]]>

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In part 1 of the Games and Entertainment of the Party Planning series, we looked at ideas for party games.

Here are a few guidelines for hiring an entertainer for your child’s birthday party.

If you decide to hire an entertainer for the party, do that immediately after you have decided on the theme of the party.

The best entertainers are normally booked far in advance, so if you send out the party invitations and only then contact the entertainers, it might just be possible that the entertainer you had in mind, might not be available on the day of the party.

There are a variety of birthday party entertainers with a wide range of prices. The best way to find a quality entertainer is to ask around.

Talk to friends, other parents, your child’s school or childcare center, etc. If your child comes home from a party raving about how funny the performer was, find out who it was. Ask your child if they want that performer to come to their birthday party too.

If you didn’t have any luck finding entertainers through referrals, look in your local family type publication in their “party” section.

There are more choices there than you could ever call. Find a few ads that catch your attention and seem to be the kind of entertainment you need.

Call them starting with the one that caught your eye first and work your way down the list. You should be able to find what you’re looking for in two or three calls.

When calling, there are several things you need ask:

• What age group is their show most suited for?

• What do they do in their show?
• What does their package include?
• How long is their performance?
• How much experience do they have?
• Do they have references?
• What do they charge?
• Do they accept credit cards?
• What are the payment arrangements?

The answers to these questions will help you decide which entertainer is right for you.

Keep in mind that the entertainment seldom matches your party theme unless you theme the party around the entertainer or hire a costumed character.

On the other hand, don’t worry too much about the entertainment matching your theme.  Even if you and your child have set your hearts on a clown for the  party, it is not the end of the world if he is not available. A magician may work just as well and if he is not available,  find other ways to keep the children entertained, for instance, with a trampoline or jumping castle.

If you must have an entertainer, rope in family or friends with special talents to come and lend a hand with the entertainment. There is bound to be a “natural” clown in the family, so rent a clown costume from the local theater and let he or she entertain the children.

What about uncle Tom who is always entertaining the young ones by letting a coin or two disappear from behind their ears and has a few card tricks up his sleeve? I’m sure he would not mind helping you out if the professional magician you wanted for the party, is not available.

Maybe the young teenage boy down the road who is always juggling a few balls on the lawn, will be willing to entertain the party guests for half and hour and teach them a few juggling skills.

Keep your options open and think about people you know with special skills or knowledge.

The local science teacher may enjoy showing the children a few science experiments or the local dance teacher may be willing to come over for half an hour to teach a few dance steps.

Your local fire department may even be willing to surprise the party guests by arriving in front of the house with a fire truck and may even take the kids around the block for a drive…

And if all else fails, YOU can become the entertainer. It is easy to learn a few magic tricks, how to twist a balloon or two, learn a few basic face painting techniques or use your own special talents to entertain the party guests.

Don’t worry too much about not being able to provide a professional entertainer even if your child really wants one.  As long as the children are being entertained and having a good time, you can be sure that the party will be a success.

Teach yourself:

Balloon Twisting

Face Painting

Magic Tricks

Disclosure: This article contain links to party products. If you buy any of these or related products I will get paid a commission.

Children under the age of one do not require much to keep them busy. A few balls or boxes that they can play with, maybe [...]]]>

There are many games and activities for birthday parties. The important thing is to choose games that are age appropriate and will fit in with the theme of your party.

Children under the age of one do not require much to keep them busy. A few balls or boxes that they can play with, maybe some finger-paints and blank sheets of paper will be enough to keep them busy and happy.

Children over the age of two up to 10 years of age are  more active.  Normally this age group likes games and if they understand the rules of certain games, they will almost always take part in these games.

Things can get a bit trickier when you are dealing with 11 to 13 year olds; they can become bored quite easily.  If the game appears even the slightest bit babyish, they will definitely not take part.

You have to be careful when you pick out games for this age group, after all, they are at a stage in their lives where they have to think about their image and anything that is not “cool”, will be shunned.

The best is to talk to your child and find out what kind of games he and his friends would prefer. The chances are good that they would just like something like a movie or pizza party with no actual games.

By the time children reach the age of 14 years or older, they have become more comfortable with who they are and may even enjoy participating in the “immature” games of their younger years again.

If you are going to hand out prizes at the end of games, it is good policy to give a prize to every guest at the party. It does not have to be expensive prizes, just something that again fits in with the theme of the party.

By doing this, you will let every child feel good for taking part in the games. Let’s face it, not all children like to take part in games; they may be shy or just not that much into games.

You will, however, almost always need to plan at least one game for the party, even if you have an entertainer coming.

Activities can range from coloring with crayons to having  a jumping castle in your back yard. It is not really necessary to keep the kids busy with lots of games or activities, but you also have to make sure that there is enough for them to do, so they do not get bored during the party.

 Ideas for Games and Activities for Children 2 through 10

 Build your own Maze Activity

Hit your nearest appliance stores and department stores for this game in a hunt for as many extra large boxes as you can find.  This activity involves letting the kids take the boxes and make mazes they can crawl throughout them.  Do not forget to recycle when you are done.

Dressed for Work Game

You already have everything you need for this game.  Supply the guest with enough adult clothes and a timer and see who can get dressed over their existing clothing for work on time.  Longer time is allowed for younger children but speed up the time for older children and see who ends up half dressed come time to “go to work.”

Pass the Orange or Tennis Ball

Make a relay with the guest having to go from one end of the room to the next holding either an orange or tennis ball under their chin and pass it on to the next person on their team.  The first team to have all their players finish, wins.  If the ball or orange is dropped, they can only pick it up with their neck.  For younger children you can modify the rules some to make it easier for them.

Bubble Gum Game

This is another relatively cheap game that only requires paper plates, whipped cream, and bubble gum balls.  This is another great game for picture perfect moments so have your camera ready.  Here is how it is played.  Put a couple gumballs on a paper plate and bury tem with whip cream.  The guest has to dive in and find the gumballs!  Messy, but hilarious!

 Ideas for Games and Activities for Age Group 11 and up

 Mystery & Murder Mystery Games

The internet has made this game free to anyone.  You can also purchase more advance versions of this type of game online.  This would be a great task for the birthday child to get ready.  All instructions are included and they are great fun for this age group.

Indoor Golf Ball Croquet Game

This game makes for some hysterical pictures.  Each guest will need one pair of panty hose and two golf  balls.  Place the one golf ball in each leg of the panty hose.  Tie the pantyhose around the waist with the long ends of the legs hanging down in front of the guest.  The guest will then take turns trying to make a golf ball that is placed on the ground into designated targets.

Karaoke Contest 

A karaoke contest can be a blast for teenagers.  They can pretend like they are the next up and coming American Idol and other guests can play the roles of the judges.

Other great standbys are riddles and treasure hunts and/or board games.

What kind of games do you plan for your children’s birthday parties? Old trusted ones like for instance, Pin the Tail on The Donkey, Musical Chairs and Spoon Walk or do you devise your own games everytime? Please share your ideas in the comment section.

Disclosure: This article contain links to party products. If you buy any of these or related products I will get paid a commission.

Here are  few ideas  for kids party decorations:

GREETING SIGNS:

A greeting sign in your front yard or on your door is a nice way to welcome party [...]]]>

Decorating for a kid’s party can be cheap and easy, yet impressive, if you have the basics in place and use a little imagination and advance planning.

Here are  few ideas  for kids party decorations:

GREETING SIGNS:

A greeting sign in your front yard or on your door is a nice way to welcome party guests. Match it to the party theme and colors.

For a beach party write “No Swimming at High Tide” in blue on  a white background decorated with shells around the edges of the sign.

For a magician party, the sign can be in the form of a hat with the words:

“Step into the magical world of ____ (your kid’s name)”

A music party sign could say “Disco now in Full Swingl”. With just a little imagination, a homemade sign can be better than a store-bought one and you’ll be complimented on your ingenuity to boot!

BANNERS AND POSTERS : Put up birthday banners and themed posters in the party room to add a festive touch

WALL DECALS:  Buy life-sized decals to decorate the walls and windows of the party room. These decals can normally be removed after the party and be used in your child’s bedroom again.

LIFE-SIZED CARDBOARD CUTOUTS:  These life-sized cardboard cutouts are very popular at birthday parties. You can buy cutouts of  movie stars, cartoon characters, sports heroes, music artists and many more. Certain companies will also make customized cutouts of your child from a photo that you provide to them.

BALLOONS:

Balloons are a must for every kids party. They are cheap, colorful, and children love them!

Choose the balloon color to complement your party theme. For example, two shades of green for a jungle party, yellow and orange for a construction party, pink and purple for a princess or fairy party.

Assorted helium-filled balloons can be bunched and anchored in the middle of the party table as a centerpiece, or attached from the light fixture in the center of the room or let them simply float underneath the ceiling. If the party is

outside, attach the balloons to tree branches for a festive touch.

A balloon arch is an impressive way to direct guests to the party area. Simply attach helium-filled balloons to a ribbon about every 12 inches and secure it to the ground on either side of your doorway.

Remember to attach a few balloons to your mailbox to show guests where the party is. Be sure you have enough balloons to give one to each party guest as they leave.

CREPE PAPER:

Another cheap and easy party decoration is crepe paper. Tie four to six pieces from the center light fixture in the room extending to the corners and walls.

Twist as you go and secure with masking tape or rubber cement, both of which are easily removed after the party is over.

For an extra fancy effect, twist two different colors of crepe together. Attach a couple of balloons over the crepe paper ends to cover any tape or glue.

Hang crepe paper strips in doorways similar to the 60′s beaded look. Alternate colors for more visual effects. Balloons and crepe paper alone are enough to give your party area a fun and festive atmosphere.

SPIRAL HANGINGS:  These can be made by recycling plastic bottles or cut paper or tin foil plates into spirals and attach theme related images to one end of  each spiral. Attach to the ceiling.

FLOWER HANGINGS: Use fishing line and string fake flowers to make “flower curtains” for the windows and at the entrance to the party room.

TABLE DECORATIONS:

Use one or more of your child’s toys related to the party theme as a centerpiece, for example, a large teddy bear for a teddy bear picnic party, a grouping of Barbies for a Barbie party, a cowboy hat or boot for a western party.

You can even anchor a balloon bouquet to your unique centerpiece. Curl several lengths of curling ribbon and scatter them all over the  table.

Empty toilet paper or paper towel tubes, egg carton and cereal boxes can all can be turned into fun characters to decorate the party table.

Decorated paper plates and cups (use cut out paper shapes, napkins, candy and cookies to do this).

The party food can also contribute to the table decorations, for instance cookie, fruit or candy bouquets.

COSTUMES:  You may not think of costumes as decorations, but they are! They just happen to be adorning the party guests and not the walls or tables! Costumes lend a playful mood to the party. It can vary from full-blown customes that fit in with the theme or the party, or just funny party hats, sunglasses, crowns, masks, or costume jewelery.

Have fun when you decorate your home or backyard for your child’s next theme party.

Disclosure: This article contain links to party products. If you buy any of these or related products I will get paid a commission.

One thing you should do is to decide  how many children you are able to handle and then use a [...]]]>

Further to the previous post (link opens in a new window)  about 3 tips for the time, guestlist and location of your child’s birthday party, let’s take a more in-depth look at the guest list.

One thing you should do is to decide  how many children you are able to handle and then use a little bit of psycology to get the upper hand… sneaky?  Yes, I know, but sometimes necessary.

Talk to your child and explain to him that he can only invite a certain number of friends (be wise and give him the least amount of kids you can handle comfortably.)

For instance, if you only see your way open to have 10 young energetic party guests at your house, first tell your child  that he can invite 6 guests. In this way,  if he wants to invite one or two more, you will still be within your limit and he will feel as if the final call was actually his.

While you are busy compiling the guest list, you should also keep the ages of the kids your child wants to invite, in mind. If  the party guests’ age group will be, for instance, in the 3-4 year age bracket, there’s no need to invite little Johny’s  two elder sisters of 9 and 11 as well.

The same goes for your daughter of 12. There is no need for her closest friend’s brother who is 18 and already out of school, to attend her party!

You should also decide if you are going to need help looking after the guests during the party.  If the birthday party is for a toddler, you should really specify that the mother or a grandmother or another adult should accompany this child to the party.

You will be able to give attention to more important things like food and games and not having to keep an eye on the children the whole time.

A good rule of thumb with toddlers is to take their age and just add one and invite no more guests than that. For instance, if your child turns 4,  the most number of guests you would invite would be 5.  The average party guest list is eight children for children over the age of six, so do not feel like you are shortchanging your child by not having more.

As your child turns older, the number of guests would normally become more. However, as you are paying for the party and also have to take responsibility for the guests, you really have the right to decide about the final number of guests.

Don’t invite the whole school or all the children in the neighbourhood just to keep up with the neighbours across the street!  Maybe your son of 13 just wants to “hang out” with one or two of his closest buddies, watching a movie while snacking on some popcorn and talking amongst themselves about the new girl in their class.

A birthday party is after all, all about your child and like I have mentioned quite a few times, talk to him/her and decide together about all aspects of the party including the guest list.

I’m curious… how many children can you comfortably handle when you and your child decide about the birthday party and the number of guests?

Avoid weekend parties:

If you plan a small party for your child, it is best not to have it on a weekend. You will find that the brothers, sisters and even cousins will tag along and you may have to budget for more children than you originally planned for. [...]]]>

Post It Notes - www.fuzzimo.com

Avoid weekend parties:

If you plan a small party for your child, it is best not to have it on a weekend. You will find that the brothers, sisters and even cousins will tag along and you may have to budget for more children than you originally planned for. Friday afternoons can be quite a good time to have a smaller party as all the extramural school activities normally run from Monday to Thursday.

However, if you do enjoy huge parties and family gatherings, have the party on a Saturday and enjoy it!

Keep the guest list short:

It is not necessary to invite everyone you or you child can think of. You can limit the guest list to your child’s close friends and family members if they live nearby. Don’t worry if the mother of one of the children not included in the list, feels offended. It is your child’s party and if he or she is not friends with this other kid, let it go. The mother will also get over it in time.

Budget for a venue or entertainer:

If you can afford it, book a party venue of some sort – many times these venues include party food for the kids and would also serve coffee or tea to the adults. All you have to do is to provide the birthday cake and a few snacks for the parents that accompany their children. Another plus point is that entertainment is on site and they also clean up afterward.

If the party is being held at your house, be prepared to keep the kids busy with games or some other form of entertainment. A professional entertainer like a clown or a magician is always a great hit with the kids but if your budget does not allow it, you should have plenty of party games up your sleeve.

You should also be able to move the party inside should weather conditions change suddenly.

Your turn: When do you think is the best time to have a party?

How many guests will you invite?

Where do you think is the best place to have a party? At your house or at a venue?

Remember the time when you realised that there was nobody who could fetch the birthday cake you ordered 4 weeks ago, or [...]]]>

If you have ever planned a theme party for your child, you would know that it can be a lot of work; the more so when you do not plan everything in advance.

Remember the time when you realised that there was nobody who could fetch the birthday cake you ordered 4 weeks ago, or what about realising that you promised your child a balloon artist and you never got around to booking his services. Imagine the disappointment on your child’s face!

If you have always scoffed at the idea of making lists when you have to plan a party; now is the time to change your whole attitude about checklists. Without a list you can be sure that something will go wrong on the day of the party so begin your checklists the moment you sit down with your kid to plan the birthday party. (At least 4-6 weeks before the actual day of the party).

Use separate pages/lists for each category of the party planning to write down all the things you have to decide upon. (Link opens in a new window)

You should also compile a general list that includes things like extra batteries for the camera, some help on the day of the party, whether it is to help looking after the party guests or to clean up during the party…  just write down things that come to mind that you feel is important regarding your kid’s theme party.

After the initial brainstorming, you can now compile shopping lists for the lists mentioned above, for instance, write down the ingredients you will need if you are going to prepare the party snacks yourself. If you are going to make your own party invitations, make a list of the materials you will need.

It is also good practice to break down all your lists into time lines and keep to it. In this way you can assure that everything goes according to plan:

Here is a good time line to use:

• 3 – 4 weeks before the party
• 2 weeks before the party
• 1 week before the party
• 2 days before the party
• 1 Day before the party
• The day of the party

Something else that will help you to keep organised during the planning of your kid’s birthday party, is to keep all these lists together in a folder. Nothing can send you into a panic attack as fast as a list that has disappeared.

It may seem like a boring and unnecessary task to compile and follow your party planning checklists but parents who host one successful birthday party after another for their kids will tell you that checklists are the secret to these parties.

Don’t let your unwillingness to compile checklists, keep your child’s birthday party from being the success it should be.

Whether you are planning the very first birthday party for your child or whether you have to plan yet another theme party for your child, there will always be certain basic steps that you have to follow to ensure that the party will be a success.

The Important First Steps

Today I have to thank Ewan Cambell MacDougall for his great advice on how to use camcorders to record memories of your child’s birthday parties

If you are the parent of a child with a food allergy (or any other allergy, for that matter), this can be [...]]]>

In a few days it will be Halloween again and children in many countries will do the rounds of trick or treat or attend/give parties with lots of candy and other sweet treats.

If you are the parent of a child with a food allergy (or any other allergy, for that matter), this can be a nightmare for you and your child. Should you allow your child to go to a party where he or she is sure to eat foods that can be dangerous to his or her well being or should you turn into this monster mommy by keeping him or her at home while all the other friends are having a good time?

You don’t have to feel bad or alone. According to statistics, one out of every 25 children has food allergies and has to be really careful about what they eat. However, that does not have to keep your child from feeling excluded and missing out on all the fun by not attending parties.

There are quite a few basic things you can bring to the hostess’s attention when your child is invited to a party; the first and foremost is whenever your child is invited to a party, to contact the mother/parents and inform them of your child’s allergies and ask what kinds of food will be served. If there is nothing that your child can eat, why not offer to provide some snacks for the party and arrange with the hostess that she will serve these  snacks to your child? I think that she will be only too thankful not to have to provide extra food for your child amidst all the other party planning issues she has to deal with.

Likewise, if you host the party, you should really make a point of mentioning on the invitations that parents with children who suffer from allergies, should please inform you beforehand so you can make provision for their children as well. If need be, ask them for a list of  “safe” foods and go the extra mile to prepare special snacks for these guests or even ask the mother/s if they would mind preparing some snacks for their children to bring along to the party.

In serving these snacks together with all the other snacks, it can also be a good opportunity to make the other party guests aware of the fact that there are children who are not as lucky as they are in eating ordinary/everyday food.

Let your child  join his/her friends in having a fun-filled Halloween this year…  download your copy of Healthy Halloween as well as Celebrate Halloween even with Food Allergies. Right-click on the link and choose “Save Target As” or “Save Link As” to download and save the files to your desktop or to a preferred folder on your computer.

Happy Halloween

Kids of all ages love [...]]]>

Birthday party food does not need to be elaborate, just kid friendly, and in some cases, as for toddlers, age appropriate. The theme of your party will play a role in the kinds of food you are going to serve but does not necessarily dictate it.

Kids of all ages love to eat potatoes, so at your next theme party, instead of  buying a few packets of potato crisps,why don’t you make some mashed potato snacks?

This is another of my favourite recipes because you can change the basic mashed potato mixture into many different snacks by adding different seasonings, fillings and coatings. The mixture can also be used as a filling for cold meats. It can also be prepared a day or two before the party and kept in the refrigerator which will add considerably to the time management of your party planning.

How to make mashed potato snacks for a kid’s theme party:

Basic mixture:

-  4-6 large potatoes
-  Salt and pepper or seasoning of choice
-  Mayonnaise
-  Crushed potato crisps

To make:

Peel the potatoes by hand or use an electric potato peeler if you are short on time; add to water in a saucepan and boil until soft  Remove from pan and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes, add salt, pepper and just enough mayonnaise to form a very stiff mixture. Leave to cool.

Form small balls or sausages and roll in finely crushed potato crisps of choice. Store in refrigerator until it is time to serve it.

Tip: Substitute the mayonnaise with cottage or cream cheese.

Ring the changes for different potato snacks:

• Seasoning

-  Aromat (flavoured seasoning salt)
-  Salt and white or black pepper
-  Lemon pepper
-  Celery salt
-  Garlic or onion salt
-  Soup powder of choice (be careful not to add too much to the
mixture as soup powder can make it too salt)

• Add to mixture

- Crushed potato chips
-  Grated Cheddar or cheese of choice
-  Grated onion
-  Finely chopped chives, chopped parsley
-  Finely chopped celery
-  Chopped nuts
-  Fried, crumbled bacon pieces
-  Hard boiled grated eggs

• Fillings:

-  Cheese cubes
-  Ham cubes
-  Gherkin slices
-  Vienna slices
-  Filled olives
-  Small radishes
-  Small cooked mince balls

• Coatings:

- Crushed potato crisps
- Crushed savory biscuits
- Sesame seeds
- Finely chopped nuts
- Finely grated cheddar or Parmesan cheese
- Finely chopped parsley
- Shredded biltong (if available in your country)

Other snack ideas using the mashed potato mixture:

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto polony slices. Spoon the mixture onto ham or other cold meat slices. Roll up and secure with a toothpick or tie a chive around it.

To serve as a vegetable side dish, roll the mixture into bigger balls, put into fridge for 30 minutes, roll into beaten egg and dried breadcrumbs. Put back into fridge for 30 minutes to one hour and then deep fry until crumbs are crisp and golden brown.

Idea: If you look at the many different ingredients that can be added to the basic mixture, you should also take the age of your child and the party guests into consideration. Don’t stretch your budget by buying expensive ingredients when your child is still a toddler or a little older, keep to the basic mixture. Tweenies and teenagers will love the more exotic ingredients.

Tip:  When it comes to kid’s party foods, be on the safe side by contacting the parents of the guests and find out if their kids have any food allergies so that you can make special provision for these guests.

Enjoy the mashed potato snacks and remember to have fun planning your kid’s theme party.

All photos © 2007  Elsie van Rooyen