celebrations party pointersBy Yvonne Walus Big kids and little kids alike love parties. Here are some fun ways to make your child’s next birthday party one to remember! rules of thumb for any age • Parties are cheaper at home, but it’s less stress and less mess at another venue. • Tailor the party to your child’s personality: some kids need a quiet party, others a crowded party. • Birthday cake and candles are a must. It’s more important what the cake looks like than what it tastes like. • Avoid serving peanuts or tree nuts. The parents will tell you if your guests have any other allergies, but they won’t expect you to provide alternative snacks. • Kids, especially boys, need to run. Pre-make these little chocolate spoons or party food – small kids let the kids create their own. • Parents will usually stay for the party, so you’ll need to Theme your party with provide food for adults as well as for the kids. face painting. • Toddlers and preschoolers don’t need a lot of party food. Serve popcorn, fresh fruit pieces, cheese cubes, bite-size sandwiches, pizza, cocktail sausages, sausage rolls ... but not all of it. About three plates of different snacks (eg, fruit pieces + cocktail sausages + popcorn, Set up buckets of water balloons for or fruit pieces + sandwiches + cheese) will be about a summer party water fight. right. • Consider serving the children’s snacks pre-packaged in small packets (chips, popcorn, teddy bear biscuits). Although not environmentally-friendly, you will end up wasting less food. • Giving each child a party lunch box with sandwiches or Colourful rainbow cakes have made hotdogs and chips is another way to contain the mess. a comeback. • Avoid lots of sugary treats: other parents will disapprove and kids will run wild. The birthday cake is an exception. • Remember water. Small juice cartons with straws are fine as bonus, not a replacement for water. Send a decorated cupcake home with each child. party food – older kids party themes • With drop-off parties, you don’t need to provide adult food. • Princesses, nail parlour, garden fairies, polka dot, • For the kids, start with snacks like chips, popcorn and balloons, jungle, lego, pirates, aliens, trains. one sweet treat like marshmallows or small chocolate • Frozen (or Winter Wonderland): Buy 2-3 bags of ice biscuits. Follow up with pizza or hotdogs. End with cake. cubes and scatter them in the garden. Give every • Have lots of water (a 10L bottle) and plastic cups. guest a can of shaving foam and send them outside. Ballerina, fairy and mermaid parties are always popular. • It’s okay not to have fizzy drinks. Use paper snowflakes as decorations. Decorate an ice-blue cake with a marshmallow Olaf snowman. • Mad Hatter Tea Party: Decorate with playing cards (the party bags hearts suite), clocks, white rabbits, white gloves, • Party bags (loot bags) are super-important for the 1–7 mushrooms and caterpillars. Shape the cake like a age group. They tend to fade out quietly after that. teapot, or have a cupcake pyramid with the words eat • Even if you don’t believe in party bags, your child does. me written in icing. • Ideas for party bag fillers: stickers, sweets, plastic • Mad Lab Science: Utilise blackboards and whiteboards. whistles on strings, Happy Family cards, face paint and Pour coloured water (a few drops of food colouring) into other bits and bobs from the two-dollar shop. glass jars for decoration. Serve snacks in glass beakers, jugs and jars. Give the guests lab nametags, glasses • Don’t make the bags too expensive. and plastic syringes filled with Smarties. • Themed bags are always a hit. For a pirate party, • Superhero Challenge: Buy cans of confetti spray for the include an eye patch, an eraser shaped like a parrot and guests to use. Hang a few masks and capes on the some chocolate gold coins. walls. Colour-code your snacks into blue, red and yellow. Serve green jelly as kryptonite. Make your cake party venues in three layers (blue, red, yellow) and decorate the icing • Lollipops Playland, Chipmunks or other indoor playground. with comic book words like POW! and BOOM! • Instructor-led activities such as Jumping Beans, Y-gym. special parties • Older kids will enjoy climbing parties, laser force • Get a chocolate fountain. You can dip strawberries, (7-years up), bowling, mini golf, wave pools, hot pools. banana pieces, marshmallows, biscuits, dried fruit, etc. Don’t stop the party games for tweens, they actually have • Movies. (Expect running around and screaming in the lobby.) • Book a limousine for half an hour. just as much fun as littlies playing traditional party games. • Open-air venues (beach, garden, Rainbow’s End, • Hire an entertainer: magician, clown, fairy, pirate. Actionworld) are weather-dependant, so have a • Take them to Gold Class movies. Check out page 44 for our party directory. back-up plan..