How to prepare the ultimate kids party!

Kids’ birthdays can be a source of potential stress for many parents, but they don’t need to be that way. Jane Rylands, Head of Marketing Communications at kitchen appliance manufacturer Belling, is here to explain how you can manage the whole process yourself.

From planning to execution, tears to tantrums, there can be a lot to deal with when it’s your child’s birthday. But, with a little planning and preparation, you can easily throw a one of a kind party for your child that’s both memorable and hassle-free. The key thing to bear in mind is that the children won’t notice if everything isn’t perfect. All they want is to have some fun, some food, and to go home happy. With that in mind, here are my tips to help everything go off without a hitch.

Figure out what they want

Every child is different, so the type of party you put on will ultimately depend on your son or daughter. Most kids are adaptable and will likely be able to enjoy whatever you put on, but there’s no point hiring a clown if it’s only going to scare your child and ruin the day. Kids will go through fazes of loving particular things, whether it’s dinosaurs, horses, or Disney, so building their party around this can be a good idea. You can incorporate this theme as much or as little as you want, with decorations, presents, and even food items related to your chosen theme.

Think about logistics

The time of your party and how long it lasts will depend on the age of the children in attendance. It’s a smart idea to set a definitive end time to the party, that way you can put a plan in place for the day and everyone will know the right time to start heading home. You’ll likely know all of the friends your child will want at the party, but it’s wise to talk to them ahead of time and see who they might like to come. You should also consider throwing a separate “parents party” for the grown-ups to chat and catch up while the children play.

Choosing a menu

A buffet allows you to put on loads of different options while also incorporating your chosen theme. You should check in advance with all the parents about any allergies or health problems that their children may have and plan your menu accordingly. The benefit of finger foods is that the kids can eat while they play, and there is no need to get the cutlery out. There are many great options to choose from such as quiche bites, chicken drumsticks, sausage rolls, pizza, sandwiches, and don’t forget healthy options such as fruit sticks and crudités.

Bake your cake

By all means, order a cake from a professional if you are so inclined, but I always find it much more fun to scour the internet for ideas and put something together myself. It might not be as polished as if you’d bought it, but it’ll taste just as good. This is a great way to bring in your theme, and what you’ve chosen should inform your baking. The trick to not being too rushed on the day is to bake your various cake layers ahead of time, wrap them tightly in cling film, and freeze them. Pull them out the day before the party to thaw and decorate your cake the morning of.

Don’t forget the party bags

There’s no better way to have everyone leave feeling happy than by preparing some party bags for the kids to take home. You can go as overboard as you like but, oftentimes, children are happy with the inexpensive options. Think bottles of bubbles, colouring books and pencils, Play-Doh and a few treats or why not save yourself time and purchase them from Favour Fairy pre-filled? You could even add something that fits in with the theme, such as a dinosaur stuffed toy. If you want to be a real pro, cook an extra cake and use it to fill party bags ahead of time so you aren’t in a mad rush when everyone starts to leave. Don’t forget to make a goody bag for the birthday child, too!

Though you can’t guarantee there won’t be tears and tantrums, follow these tips and you will be able to make sure that everyone leaves feeling full and having had lots of fun.