Children's Party

A successful children's party depend on various factors, the following checklist provide the common items for your preparation.

• Choose a location, time and theme, the more original, the better.

• Send out interesting invitations two to three weeks ahead; try to keep the guest list small.

• Choose the menu and as much as possible ahead or time. (Check now if any guests have special dietary needs.)

• Prepare house for the intended horde -- clear away all valuables and establish ' off limits ' boundaries such as bedrooms, studies, etc.

• Ensure that all children can be delivered and picked up at the designated times; have a list of contact numbers for parents in case of emergency or illness.

• Ask another adult to help out and give you support for the afternoon. You'll need it!

• Decorate party area with balloons, streamers and posters, anything that's bright and cheery.

• Give the children plenty of room to move and make a mess; preferably outdoors.

• Have on hand a food supply of prizes, at least one for every child. Extras may cone in handy in case of tantrums!

• Be sure your home and yard are safe for party activities; inform your neighbors of the event so they can keep a lookout for ' escapees ' and wanders!

• Keep pets away from the party zone; they may frighten timid guests or tempt little terrors!

• Arrange a set of rainy-weather alternative games and activities.

• Assemble goodie bags as far ahead of time as possible; make a few spares fro last-minute arrivals and some for brothers and sisters.  

Children's Party Planning

Preparing for successful children's party with musical statues, apple bobbing, treasure hunt and Ice cream.

Apple Bobbing: Best as an outdoor activity, fill large tubs or buckets with water, place whole or halved apples in the water can challenge children to retrieve the apples using teeth only. Sure to cause a few splashes but lots of fun!

Musical Statues: A variation on the musical chairs theme, each guest must dance and move about while the music is played; when it stops suddenly, each must freeze perfectly still. Those who fail to do so are eliminated until there's a final winner.

Treasure Hunt: With secret little treasures hidden throughout the house and garden, issue each guest a clue that leads them to the next clue, and the next, until eventually they uncover the booty. Small amounts of coin money are always well-received!

Eat The Ice Cream: Watch how fast children consume the prize in this game! You'll need a hat, gloves, sun-glasses, large apron and a pair of large boots plus a big bowl or ice cream and the smallest spoon you can find. Place all this in the middle of a circle of chi8ldren and give them a couple of dice. Each child takes turns at rolling the dice until someone lands a six; the winner then leaps into the middle of the circle, puts on all the clothing then begins to eat the ice cream using the spoon. Meanwhile, the other players continue to roll the dice until another six is throw. The winner then assumes the ice cream-eating role, even if the previous winner has only just frenzied fun in a mad race for just one bite of the ice cream!