Kids Party Tips and Advice from Anne Marie Scanlon

When I was a child in the 1970s and 80s a birthday party consisted mainly of sandwiches and cake.  If it was a posh affair there was also trifle.  Most children these days would scorn at such lack of sophistication.  Or would they? Funnily enough, one of the latest trends on the children’s party circuit is ‘Retro’, where kids get jelly with ice-cream, sandwiches, sausage rolls (or sausages on sticks) and of course birthday cake.  Games like Pin-the-Tail on the Donkey, Pass the Parcel and Musical Chairs never go out of fashion and going Retro can keep costs down. 

Themed parties never go out of fashion whether its pirates, princesses or superheroes.  In the past few years Frozen parties (after the Disney film of the same name) have become extremely popular. Theme parties need not cause huge expense as many supermarkets and discount shops have decorations and table accessories to suit the various favourites including the ever-popular Frozen.  Don’t discount leaving home as an expensive option as many local amenities have facilities that are under-used and often up for rental.  If you provide your own food and decoration that will help keep costs down, and it has the advantage that no priceless family heirloom or treasured possession is going to get smashed to pieces. 

Entertainment is always a worry for parents and while clowns and jugglers are still popular children these days may also find themselves being tutored in football skills or meeting an Elsa (from Frozen) lookalike.  Again, on the surface these might seem like pricey options but shop around on the internet and there are bargains to be found. Activity parties are increasingly popular; your child can learn to make pizza in a restaurant, paint crockery or even go on a Bear Grylls adventure in the woods. 

As children start to reach the end of primary school they often become too ‘sophisticated’ for ‘children’s parties’.  One option in this case is to have a cinema party where they all go to see a film.  Many cinemas will organise this for you, but you can just as easily do it yourself. If money is an issue you can always have a cinema party at home, let the guests choose DVDs and make their own popcorn – then disappear! Pizza parties work equally well for both older and younger children. Pizzas are easy and quick to prepare but do keep an eye on local pizza chains for vouchers and discounts

Many parents stress about what food to provide for their small guests. Some of the delicacies on offer at children’s parties would put pricey restaurants to shame. Don’t be tempted down this path, these are small children, not the Michelin committee (although there will always be one precocious child who would prefer caviar to fish fingers). The only food that should worry a host is one that a guest may be allergic to, or intolerant of, as some allergies can be very severe or even fatal.

It’s All in the Invite!

Send out invites approximately three weeks before the date of your party.  The invite should contain all the information the guest’s parents need to know.

1. Your child’s name and the birthday they are celebrating.  You know what age your child is but not every other parent will, so this will avoid any embarrassment with cards or gifts. 
2. The venue along with it’s full address and post code.  Even if you are celebrating at home other parents will need this information as they may not be familiar with your house.  If the venue is tucked away or difficult to find, then including a photocopied map or set of directions is polite.
3. The date of the party, the start time and the finish time.
4. If the party is themed then make it clear on the invite if guests are expected to dress up as pirates, princesses or more specific characters.  Nothing spoils a party like a small child getting upset because they’re not dressed appropriately.
5. Put a note in along with the invite requesting information about food allergies, general allergies or special dietary requirements.  Apart from food issues bear in mind some children are highly allergic to household pets (or indeed terrified of them) and this could be problematic if you are hosting at home.
6. Make it as easy as possible for other parents to RSVP by providing both a telephone number and email address if possible.
7. No matter how easy you make it for people to RSVP you will find that you have to issue a gentle reminder to some.  This is the time for you to say that you really need to know if little Cynthia is coming as you have to pay in advance for the soft play area or anything else that charges you per head. 
8. Don’t send invoices to parents who fail to show without telling you.  Yes, it’s rude and it’s costly but for the sake of your child, as Elsa from Frozen says “let it go!”.

Party Check List

1. Guests.  (Don’t leave it to the last minute to issue invites, see above).
2. Music.  Make sure in advance that the CD Player or iPod is in good working order.  If you are hosting away from home don’t forget it! You can’t play musical chairs without music.
3. Food.  Keep it simple and non-fussy.  Just make sure there’s plenty of crisps and enough birthday cake for everyone.  Provide your guests with plenty of water, you can get individual small water bottles from supermarkets for little expense.  Don’t bother with juice or fizzy drinks as there’s enough sugar in the food and many parents take a dim view of both. 
4. Candles.  For the cake.  They are often overlooked with all the other preparation.
5. A Piñata.  A relatively recent addition to the party circuit but these days no party is complete without one.  The Piñata is a papier mache shape (often a donkey as they originate in Mexico) containing sweets.  The Piñata is hung up and the children take turns at bashing it while blindfolded.  It’s a lot of fun, but be warned, stand back once it splits and the sweets come out.  Piñatas are available from many supermarkets.  You can also order them online.
6. Birthday Cake.  Home made vs shop bought.  It’s up to your child.  It’s their birthday.  Your child knows whether you are a super British Bake Off style parent or not.
7. Entertainment.  If you hire someone, be sure to call them a day or two before the event to confirm they are coming. 
8. Decorations.  Balloons are non-negotiable.  It’s not a party without balloons.  

Quick and Easy Chocolate Hedgehog Cake

1. Buy or bake a round sponge cake.
2. Divide the cake into three parts, the middle should be slightly bigger than the two sides, which should be the same size as each other.
3. Cut a V-shape at the end of the middle piece of cake (this is the hedgehog’s nose). Discard the two smaller pieces.  Or eat them.
4. Cover the middle piece of cake with thick chocolate icing.
5. Place the two remaining pieces of cake on top of the iced piece, round side up, for the Hedgehog’s hump.
6. Liberally cover the entire sponge with thick chocolate icing.
7. Use chocolate buttons or flakes for the Hedgehog’s spines.
8. The Hedgehog’s eyes and nose can be made using Smarties or similar.