Parenting Australia

Being an events coordinator means I always celebrate birthdays and love to party. Since having my 2 children (Lily 7 and Leo 4) I now have 2 extra reasons to celebrate each year and for the past 7 years we have held a party for each of their birthdays!  For my daughter these have included a butterfly party, princess party, horse party, pink party, ballerina party, pool party and sleepover party, and my son has celebrated with a dinosaur party, pirate party, batman party and beach party.  Each party has had an average of 15 children under the age of 10 and around 30 parents.  I usually hold a morning or afternoon tea along with party food and games.  Each party has come with its benefits and challenge and along the way I have picked up a few extra tricks for creating a party that is enjoyable for both your child and you!

Preparation - Taking the time to think about the party beforehand will really reduce stress on the day.  Write down what food you want to serve and make a shopping list.  Think about the games to play and any supplies you will need such as prizes, wrapping paper, treasure and music.  Consider how you will decorate the venue, and create a list of extras you will need on the day such as chairs, table cloths, cups, plates etc.  Having an idea of all of this will help cut down your preparation time on the day and help you feel more organised and in control.

Time - Always hold your party after 10am!  Afternoon parties are the best as you have most of the day to get ready, and do the last minute things like put up decorations, ice cupcakes, and get party bags together.  This ensures you won’t be as rushed when your guests arrive.

Venue - Holding your party at your own house adds extra work that you don’t need. If you can, try to find a local park, playground, swimming pool or beach that has a nice shelter where you can set up for the party food and games. Last year I held a beach party for my son’s 4^th birthday and it was the easiest and most enjoyable party.  The kids had fun, the parents were relaxed and there was no pre or post party stress!

Food - Having simple cold party food all prepared before the event means that you can spend time with your child and guests during the party.  Party food like biscuits and dips and fruit which require little chopping or peeling (such as grapes and strawberries) are both healthier and easier to prepare than traditional party food. I love cupcakes at parties and these can also be made ahead of time and simply iced on the day ready to add that party feel. I really recommend having your cake made.  It will reduce your stress levels ten fold and also give your party that extra look of pizzazz for little effort!

Decorations - Having a beautiful outdoor location means you won’t need a lot of decorations. Just some colourful bunting hung in the trees or in the shelter above the table, a few balloons and a simple table cloth will add colour and a festive atmosphere to the day.

Guests - I always invite parents to parties and encourage them to come as a family.  I really enjoy the adult company as much as my children enjoy the company of other kids.  I find that both Mums and Dads will come along to the beach or a park party, whereas if it’s at a play-centre or your house you’re more likely to just get the mums.  At our last beach party all of the mums and dads came, the party was relaxed enough for couples to go for a quiet stroll while the children played and then the dads had a great time playing beach golf and swimming in the surf with the kids. An unstructured event allows you this freedom and makes for a more relaxing day all round.  Having both parents of each child attending makes supervision a lot easier to manage as well.

Games - There’s so much to do at an outdoor venue that you don’t really need to provide too much extra entertainment in the form of party games.  For our beach party the kids were happy to dig, swim, build sandcastles and explore!  This meant I only needed to hold a few games such as pass the parcel (compulsory as stated by my daughter) and a simple treasure hunt with clues.

And my number one rule for having a stress free party?  Don’t forget that at the end of the day your child will not remember the perfectly folded napkins or the fancy canapés but they will remember the smiles from their mum and having a fun fabulous time with their friends!  So relax, keep it simple and remember to enjoy the day with your little one!

1 Comment

1. SquiggleMum makes this comment

   Tuesday, 30 March 2010

   I love the idea of hanging bunting in the trees (especially as my daughter is terrified of balloons)! So simple and sweet.