MY BLOG EXAMPLES Copy & Paste if you like! Writing isn't for everyone - I TOTALLY understand! So, here's a HOT TIP for my TALKERS out there... I like to turn on google docs microphone or use otter.ai app and just talk!

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My top 5 favourite songs for a kid's party

** My background is dance and my recommendations for songs are based on lots of dancing/movement games and having the children moving (think more statues and less pass-the-parcel).

Personally, I find music a must at any party but ESPECIALLY at a kids party! I love the atmosphere it creates and, with the right music, I love watching everyone relax, interact and (sometimes) have a little boogie.

Over the years I have found that most people will play (or request) music that their children request. Sure “Slow hands” by Niall Horin is a great song that your child might love listening to in their room, but it won’t get any party vibes flowing!

I find music key if you’re trying to get the kids moving, and for me, there are certain songs that really get kids ready to play! I also find it really helps if you are enjoying the music too - the kids pick up on it! So, if these aren’t to your liking, no matter what - make sure you pick songs that won’t grate on you too much!

We’ve been running parties for almost 5 years now, and songs change. But no matter what, my team and I agree that if we bust out one of these tracks - the kids will start dancing with us.

Here are my top 5 songs for a kid's party:

Psy - “Gangnam Style”. This song is an oldie but SUCH a goodie. If you can get the kids to do the dance - even better! “I like to move it” - Any version! Initially I did question the appropriateness of this song when children were requesting it. However, given it's in Madagascar it gets across the line. Kids LOVE it and now we all love to dance to it too! Sam and the Womp - “Bom Bom”. A bit left field but there's something about that beat that gets the kids (and everyone’s hips) moving. Great for statues!

- 1 - Don’t judge - but I’m a bit of a Redfoo/LMFAO fan so I’ll sneak 2 songs in here: “Let's get ridiculous” & “Party Rock Anthem”. How can you not want to play limbo to one of these songs? (I also love “I'm sexy and I know it” but it isn't super appropriate even though the kids go a bit nuts with the beat) Finally, you can’t go past Taylor Swift “Shake It Off”. This is a great song that works well across all ages (it goes particularly well with Maracas) and I love the meaning behind it too!

I hope this helps you with planning your next child friendly event! Don’t forget if you have any questions, just shoot me an email or message me on Facebook

Happy Partying!

Brinie Scheen Chief Entertainment Officer Dragonfly Parties x

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The 3rd Birthday party from hell (my son’s party…!) A.K.A Reasons why you need an all weather plan

I’ve been running children’s parties for almost 5 years now, and there are certain things I always suggest to parents. In particular, if you are having your party outdoors, I strongly recommend that you have a back-up plan. However, for some reason, for my darling son’s 3rd birthday party (with 20 small children invited) I decided to ignore my own advice on this and go head to head with Mother Nature.

It was a breakfast party and I did what all time-poor mums do - I tried to make everything myself. Popcorn & jelly for the kids (and a fruit platter because we have to have it on the table even-though no one will eat it!) Ham & cheese croissants for the parents. BYO coffees - check! On the plus side DS is allergic to eggs and, although it is far less severe now, has developed an aversion to cake. So thankfully the cake was fuss-free (We had a tim tam cake - super fun and easy - the kids went crazy for it! - you can check out our egg free cake ideas here!)

- 2 - I decided on Cars theme for this year (he was obsessed). I printed all the printables, cut and glued all the labels, bought a Cars tablecloth. We had “Popcorn pitstop” and Lightning Jelly Cups…. It was going to be perfect!

To make it simple I held it at a local park - it also has a bike track so the older kids could ride while the littler ones played. I kept an eye on the weather - no rain in sight!

I. Didn’t. Count. On. Wind.

The whole thing was a disaster - not only did the food fly every which way, and dirt and dust cover EVERYTHING, the kids were running around screaming and covering their ears every time the wind blew….

Just don’t do it. Learn from me - Parties and their required preparation are stressful enough without losing it all simply because you didn’t have an all weather plan.

Lucky he had a ball - but hubby & I needed an extra wine that evening!

When was the last time things didn’t go to plan for you?

I hope this helps you with planning your next child friendly event! Don’t forget if you have any questions, just shoot me an email or message on Facebook.

Happy Partying!

Brinie & the Dragonfly Team x

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Tips for a stress free party!

** Any party that you throw for your children will be just wonderful! We are not advocates of big parties - just parties that are easy for parents!

1.Have an all weather venue (or back up plan!) Be it your home, or alternate venue, be sure to be protected from rain, sun and wind! You want to be able to change location quickly rather than cancel. You can read about what happened when I ignored my own advice for my son’s 3rd birthday here. If you can’t host at your home, we also highly recommend local community halls as they (usually) have large indoor and outdoor spaces! See our local recommendations here. 2.Pick a theme It can be as simple as "spots" or "stripes"; or go big like "Pirates & Mermaids". Choosing a theme will make it so much easier to pick plates, decorations & food! 3.Party length & structure. Personally we recommend a 2 hour party for children. Allow 20 minutes for everyone to arrive; 1 hour for the kids to play (or do an activity); 20 minutes for substantial food (Nothing wrong with serving party food throughout the party - this is just if you’re going to serve substantial food that you want the kids to sit down for); Finally, 20 minutes for cake, group photo & farewells! 4.Music! I love music and I think it helps set the mood. Music will help keep everyone relaxed and get the party vibes flowing. Keep it upbeat but not too loud. (Check out our post about top 5 songs to play at a kids party!) 5.Have something for the kids to do. Ok here is where it gets bit prickly - You don't need a host to have a great party but we recommend that you have at least 1 activity that gets the kids together. You can run your own games, have a craft table, bubble machine, pass the parcel or pinata! We all know what it is like when you have lots of kids running around with no direction - all they want is our attention!!

Do you have any stress free tips for parents?

I hope this helps you with planning your next child friendly event! Don’t forget if you have any questions, just shoot me an email or message on Facebook.

Happy Partying!

Brinie & the Dragonfly Team x

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Party venues we love!

One of the most common conversations I have with clients is regarding the size of their space and where I recommend they hold their party. I get it - I don’t have space for 20 children inside my home as a wet weather option!

I thought I’d share some of the venues that I have personally used for my own parties. I’ve also recommended a few venues that we have attended over the years that we have found to be really great spaces. These venues are all affordable, located in the Illawarra and bookings can be arranged via the links included below:

Russell Vale Community Hall - This is a big space and can get quite loud, but with a large indoor hall, kitchen and toilets and 2 large, gated, outdoor spaces with some shade cover, it’s the perfect spot for a big family party! More information can be found here. Thirroul Railway Institute Hall - this space is a little smaller but it backs on to Thirroul Station so it’s FANTASTIC when the trains come by. The smaller children just love that! It has a smaller indoor hall and kitchen and small gated outdoor space and toilets. It can also get a bit echo-ey with everyone inside but a really great space if your home is too small for everyone! More information can be found here. Figtree Community Hall (yes, I love the community halls!) It’s tucked away, across the road from McDonalds. We have done quite a few parties here and the hall has a lovely gated outdoor area that can be viewed through the glass doors so parents can stay inside (and have a little rest!) while still being able to keep an eye on the monkeys! More information can be found here. Local scout halls - we have run parties at a few scout halls and I’m always impressed by how easy the venues are. There is usually very little outside area but the kids don’t care! The venues are sometimes a bit dark BUT I think this is balanced by how sturdy and vacant the space is. The kids won’t do much harm running around - and they always love to run around! Find a hall here.

I hope this helps you with planning your next child friendly event! Don’t forget if you have any questions, just shoot me an email or message on Facebook.

Happy Partying!

Brinie & the Dragonfly Team x

- 5 - Other things to note

Add links - If you are going to tag places or songs etc then make sure you add in the web links. Adding links in your blogs gives your site credibility! Simply highlight the word and link a site to it so when someone clicks on the word they are taken to the new site. (Make sure the new link "opens in a new page" so they aren't taken away from your site)

Collecting emails - Make sure you have a call to action set up for every post! You want to try and collect email addresses on every blog post.

Your signature/Sign off - Make sure you give ourself a "fun" title. It can be totally made up! Make sure if you have places people can contact you, that these words are highlighted and contain links too.

Pull Parts out! Now that you have your blog, if you list a few things then each one of those things could be an individual post once a week! You now have content for days!!

Have fun with it - There is no right or wrong way for you to do this! Get started, see how people respond and then you can make changes from there!

Make sure you reach out if you have any questions!

Brinie Xx

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