Parties Don't Have To Be Perfect!

The best children's parties are usually those which are great fun, and allow children to use their imagination and boundless energy for a couple of hours. The golden rule is: plan the party, but don't get stressed out over the details.

So, where to start.......?

A little thought beforehand can save you a lot of stress on the day itself. It doesn't have to be an expensive event, and home-based parties are every bit as good as the showstopping extravaganza at a hired venue.

Important Things To Consider

How old is the child? For a toddler, you only need a couple of guests, but for older children around 10, you will probably be looking at a fairly large group of children. Whilst toddlers are happy with a party at home, older children may want  a sleepover, pamper evening, or a party at a swimming pool or sports centre. For children who are around 7 years old, you may want to hire a church-hall, as they like dressing up, and themed parties more than the other age groups. 

The Timing Of The Party The usual time span of a party is around 2 hours. Although some children may want to stay longer, it's always better to send happy children away with their party bags and cake, rather than over-tired children who will only remember the exhaustion.

To Theme Or Not To Theme A themed party doesn't have to be expensive. Sometimes it can make things easier, as you can have a themed cake, perhaps some dressing-up, themed party games, and the party bags are then easier to fill too.

Click here to see our Party Games!

Timings For Your Party

First 30 Minutes Say hello to the party guests, switch the music on, and let them have a dance. Or let them do a simple craft, such as decorating their own mug, or making a placemat. If you have hired a venue, why not investigate hiring an indoor bouncy castle?

Next 30 minutes Serve the party food. Remember that children are not impressed by 5-star food, they want tasty morsels from a range of healthy savouries, to grapes, cherry tomatoes, party ring biscuits, and fairy cakes. Don't prepare too much food, the children are usually so excited that they hardly eat anything!

Next 30 minutes Play some party games, such as musical chairs, musical statues, Simon Says, or other traditional games. You could even purchase a ready-made pass the parcel from Happy Little Monkeys (we put a small item into every layer, so nobody goes home empty-handed, and we can make a different number of layers for you if it makes it easier!

Look at our Parcels & Pinata!

Last 30 minutes Turn down the lights, light the candles on the cake, and sing Happy Birthday. Then you have enough time to cut the cake into pieces and put them into the party bags for the guests to take home, without the last-minute panic.They can have a dance to the party music, or play another game (appoint an adult helper to take control). It's a good idea to purchase a couple of on-the-spot prizes for this one, such as a paint or craft set, which you can purchase from Happy Little Monkeys!

We can assist you with the party bags!

Have a look at our Pre-Filled Party Bags!

Make A Record Of The Day Especially important if some close relatives are unable to attend the meeting. Take some great photographs, and make a scrapbook. Your children will love to look back on these parties in years to come.

Very Important Things To Remember!

Don't forget to take a party banner, and some table covers to your venue. Remember the sticky-tape, this is for the banner, any door sign you want, and most importantly, to stick the cards onto the presents when people bring them to you at the start of the party. If you stick the card onto the present, your child can then open all their presents at home later and you'll know who brought that item if you want to send a thank you note, or keep a record in your scrapbook.

Remember the matches for the candles on the birthday cake, and extra napkins to wrap pieces of cake in to pop into the party bags. Also, take a CD or Tape Player with you, along with music. Not all hired venues have a music-system that you can use.

Remember your camera!

Take some Kitchen Roll. Spills do happen, as do accidents. If anyone falls and gets a graze, you can dampen the kitchen roll, and apply it as a cold compress. It soothes away the ache.

Take some spare drinks. Children who are running around for 2 hours will need more than one drink to keep them happy. If the parents are staying, and you can afford to, take some disposable cups and some soft drinks for them.

Remember those bin bags!

And on a cheeky note - remember to tell them if you bought the party bags or games from Happy Little Monkeys!!!!!!