Alright guys, the year’s kid party circuit is hotting up as the weather cools down and I’m looking forward to creating some fun for my kids’ birthdays. I’m pretty enthusiastic about this topic so I have gathered my top twenty party tips on planning a rad celebration for your smalls and I think you’ll really like them.
1. Cook all cakes and cupcakes up to three weeks before and freeze them. So long as they are sealed properly they will last for up to a month.
2. Consider something different for party bags. Try a packet of seeds, a fancy iced biscuit or a wrapped story book. Even if it seems like a big cost, it will probably be much cheaper than putting all the party bag bits together and will definitely be less time consuming.
3. Stick to one area when it comes to decorations. I like to focus on making the food table/backdrop look amazing. One awesomely decorated space looks better than a sparsely decorated house/yard. If it looks great and you still have some stuff left over then you can always expand out.
4. Don’t bother with the layers of wrapping. Instead of traditional pass the parcel, just get a pretty box and pop lots of prizes in it then the kids can pick their own when it stops on them. It will mean you don’t need to know numbers or remember orders. Sure it may take ages to play because all the kids have to carefully select prizes but the others really don’t seem to care. Alternately you can wrap each prize in the box like a lucky dip – you can use different coloured paper for gender or age coding.
5. Choose a colour scheme and go from there. Even if there is a theme for your party it’s the colour scheme that will really bring it all together.
6. Just use a packet mix or pre-made sponge for the cake. The kids don’t care, they are probably going to just lick the icing anyway.
7. Fill your cupcakes. Make your cupcakes twice as yum by using a medicine syringe to fill them with chocolate sauce, strawberry topping or lemon curd before you put the icing on.
8. Simplify cake decorating. Use mini bunting or plastic figurines (or both) to dress up a simply iced sponge. You really don’t have to make Elsa out of fondant. Unless you want to of course.
Related: 20 Easy Birthday Cake Decorating Ideas That Only Look Complicated
9. Serve drinks in glass bottles. Strawberry or Chocolate milk in little bottles is a super cute drink that will also decorate your party table. Step it up by dipping the rims in chocolate sauce before rolling them in hundreds and thousands. Before you pour the milk in… obviously.
10. Decorate with fruit. Use fresh fruit from your colour scheme like pineapples, peaches or watermelon to decorate the party table – they look great and smell awesome too.
11. Get the kids cooking. Set up a cupcake decorating station – just put out iced cupcakes with bowls of lollies and sprinkles then let the kids do their thing. It’s an activity and a food, winning.
12. Pop a thank you note in each party bag. Then as each child walks out the door, your job is done.
13. Organise drinks for the adults if they are invited. It’s their weekend too so tea, coffee and if you’re game (I always am), champagne and orange juice is totally appropriate at any time of the day.
14. Be clear with job allocation. If you want someone in your life (ahem, hubby) to be helpful, give him a specific job. YouTube can teach anyone how to make balloon animals.
15. Delegate photography. Enlist the help of your most creative family member to take pictures. Be specific with what you want pictures of; most people enjoy a bit of direction. It gives you one less thing to think about and you can always take over at any point you have free hands.
16. Create a balloon canopy. If you tape balloons to the roof you can get the feeling of helium, without the cost. This tape won’t take the paint off.
17. Give yourself a limited amount of time on Pinterest. Create a board (you can make private boards now) be ruthless and use every minute well.
18. Invite someone to come early. Bribe a grandparent or good friend to come an hour early so you have a spare set of hands. My bestie doesn’t have kids yet and she often will come early to help and then duck out when the mayhem starts.
19. Take some time before to get yourself together. Whatever is your thing, make time for it. A quick coffee, a quiet minute, some make-up or a rad outfit. Taking that time will make you feel so much better.
20. Put a finishing time on the invite. People need to know when they are allowed to leave; they probably have lots of other things to get done that day.
What’s your go-to kids’ party idea?
More ways to rock a kids’ party:
- Star Wars Party Ideas That Kids Will Flip For
- Alice In Wonderland Tea Party for Kids
- 31 Adorable My Little Pony Party Ideas
Image: Barbara O’Reilly
