Throwing a kids birthday party can be very daunting but with careful planning, everyone should succeed.

Special days are not just about how much fun the children have but also how much fun you have. The secret to a stress free memorable day is help, advice and above all planning.

Don’t forget the following when organising parties:

• When and where
• How long for
• Party theme
• Invitations
• Catering
• Decoration
• Entertainment

WHEN & WHERE TO HAVE THE PARTY?

The first question is when to have the party. The child's birthday would seem the most obvious but unfortunately this is often not possible due to other family commitments. Weekends are generally better as children have fewer after school clubs and activities. Parties held during school holidays can often be another tricky time as many families go away and it can be difficult to contact them. If possible have a quick chat with some of the guests parents beforehand just to avoid disappointment. Entertainers and venues during holidays and weekends tend to be much busier, so remember to book well in advance of your date.

HOW LONG SHOULD THE PARTY BE?

Getting the duration of the party is crucial in avoiding those inevitable meltdowns when a party goes on too long. The main factors to consider are the age of the children, the number of children and the activities planned for the party. On average, this is usually betwen 2-3 hours.

THE PARTY THEME

A Party theme is not essential but having a theme provides you with a focus and will automatically generate ideas for the party invitations, food, decorations, games and other party related things. Choosing the right theme for you and your child is key so involve your child in the party planning and preparation stages as much as possible. Some ideas for children’s parties:

THE PARTY INVITATIONS

Getting the party invitations right is extremely important as they set the scene for the party. You want them to be exciting and grab the attention of your guests. There are several ways in which you can source your party invites:

• Buy a packet from a shop, the least personal but by far the easiest.
• Go onto one of the “design your own invitations” websites, more expensive than the first option but clearly more personal.
• Or by far the most personal and exciting is to make your own invites.

Remember to include the following information on your invites.

• The reason for the party
• The venue of the party
• The date, time and duration of the party
• RSVP with your contact details and date by
• Any special instructions, theme, costumes etc.

It’s the middle of the summer holidays. We can’t complain; the weather has been beautiful so far with lots to do but with no playgroups or swimming lessons to attend, mid-week days can often be boring.

So I've decided to invite some of Toby's little friends around for a ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’.

We had an amazing morning. The sun was shining and the kiddies had fun running around in the garden, playing in the sand pit and going down the slide.

It was time to gather around on the picnic blanket and have a well deserved picnic lunch - with all the little teddies of course!

The yummie picnic food included some teddy shaped sandwiches, cheese, carrots and apples. And even some teddy bear crisps!

But the highlight of all was the tiny teddy cars that every little one adored!

TINY TEDDY CARS RECIPE

Ingredients:

    50g milk chocolate, melted

    10 Milky Way bars

    10 Bear sugar toppers

    1 bag Smarties

Method:

Set out a tray or serving plate for the Teddies.

Sort the Smarties into colours and cut 5 Smarties in half with a sharp knife to use for steering wheels.

Remove the wrappers from the Milky Way bars.

Place the melted chocolate into a re-sealable bag and snip a tiny corner off. Squeeze out a few drops of chocolate to glue 4 Smarties 'wheels' on each car then place on the serving tray.

Place a few drops of chocolate on the top of each 'car' and sit the Teddy's on. Place a drop of chocolate on the 'car' in the front of each Teddy and glue on steering wheels.


Enjoy! x