Shopping

Tips to Throw the Perfect Kid-Friendly Party

By: Joseph Akintaju on May 29, 2013 @ 7:49 am.

If you are getting ready to throw your first party for your child, always plan for the worst! As fun as they can be for children, and as rewarding as it is to see the permanent smile on their face all day, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. There is a good chance that the famous quote “Expect the unexpected” was inspired by a child’s party. Don’t be foolish and think that you can handle it alone either; do yourself a huge favor and hire a nanny, if you don’t already have one.

Now, if you are planning an adult party, but there will be a lot of kids there, some of the these ideas will need to be tweaked a little. In this case, a nanny is 100 percent necessary because you simply can’t entertain guests and supervise children at the same time. Not to mention, you do not want your adult guests to feel as though they have to constantly check on their child.

Plan the Menu Thoughtfully

Gone is the day when you can just order pizza, pour some cups of soda and finish it off with ice-cream sundaes. While some parents will not mind, others certainly will. Not to mention, children these days have a more sophisticated taste. It is not uncommon to see a 5-year-old turn their nose up at pizza, but be a professional at mixing wasabi and soy sauce together for their sushi.

Plus you have to consider allergies. More and more children are being diagnosed with celiac disease, so you need to make sure that you have a gluten-free option. Are they lactose intolerant or vegan? If so, your menu will demand careful planning. Are they allergic to peanuts? Are they even permitted to drink soda? These are all questions that you need to ask.

Set Up Boundaries

If you are hosting a child’s party, you will want to set up boundaries where everyone must stay within. If you are having an adult party, you can often make sure you have a bedroom or game room with a TV and DVD player. If it is nice out, you will want to designate an area outside for them to play. The last thing you want is to give the all free reign of the entire house.

Within this designated area, you need to remove all breakables, plants, etc. If you hire a nanny, they can help with this. You will be able to relax and let kids be kids, if you are not stressing out every second that something is going to get broken.

Provide Entertainment

Renting one movie or picking up a few extra coloring books will have you pulling your hair out within an hour. Kids get bored easy and it is very rare that they will all want to do the same thing. Therefore, you have to have a good variety of thoughtful activities. By thoughtful, this means don’t break out the water guns or balloons if you didn’t tell parents to send an extra change of clothes or swimwear. Also, picking up finger paints and expecting your nanny to try to contain sloppy fingers to one area is unfair.

Make a List of Rules

Write a list of rules on poster board that is easy to read and understand. Go over the list with all children and parents upon arrival so everything is made clear. This could be something as basic as taking shoes off before entering the house or as important as limiting how many kids can play on the trampoline at one time. If you hire a nanny, they will be able to be your second set of eyes to help enforce the rules too.

Contributor: When planning a child’s party, consider utilizing the service of a caretaker. Find a great one at nanny.net.

Further Reading

Leave a Reply