Childrens Birthday Blog
27th Jan 2012 (Party Ideas)
Having A Party? Acting The Party?
A party without music just isn’t a party! But a lot of kid’s party music is, quite frankly, a disappointment when it comes to the 6 to 10 year old age range. Many children’s music CD’s are lame, to the point of embarrassment.
Party music for this age range has to be upbeat and reasonably loud; bordering on the Top 20 charts but still managing to be child friendly – I’m sure you know what I mean. Deciding to choose your own music however is most likely going to cause embarrassment to your child, “Comm’on Dad that music’s soo last year - we want modern stuff!”
All well and good, but music, as we all know, can move on so fast, and who really knows what children’s taste in music is, or is going to be, in three months time.
We have found that music hasn’t got to be childish to be child-friendly. It has, however, got to be easy to dance to and fun, without being cringy.
If you are having a party and want to devote a bit of time to dancing don’t expect to just pick out your favourite CD at the last minute and expect children to think “Oh, this is cool” because they won’t – and no child is going to want to wait around while you fiddle about saying “er… well ok then, er…how about we try this one?” - it’s a sure fire way to stop a party in its tracks.
‘Now That’s What I Call Music’ style CD’s are excellent for this age range – and a good way for young children to get into their peer music. However, if you buy one of these it’s a must to sort out which tracks are good to dance to and which are not, many of the tracks will be smoochy and not the type you’ll be wanting to play at a child’s party! Again, children hate having any gaps in the proceedings and will wander if there are pauses to the proceedings, so unless you are Fatboy Slim make a compilation CD or a playlist to have ready.
Plan the style of music you want if you’re having a game of musical statues or pass the parcel, make sure the piece you choose doesn’t have natural rests or breaks in it. It’s also a good idea to have some very raucous dance music standing by for 10 mins after food, this is when they’ll have their energy back but yours will be flagging.
On the other hand, Acting the Party® will not only sort out the entertainment and the party games but it also has the right style of music chosen very carefully for this age group. We have tried hard not to be patronising in our choice of music so children feel comfortable getting up and having …excuse my old-fashioned expression… a good old bop!
The Acting the Party audio play, where the children take it in turns to get up and act, has atmospheric music to build confidence. The party games are themed to fit in with the story and the music, like the atmospheric music, is chosen to set the right tone. Plus as we’re the one’s organising the music we can give a new dimension and a twist to some of the games, such as with our ‘reversible’ Pass the Parcel, using two contrasting pieces of music denoting different directions.
Acting the Party® comes with character invitations, the Audio Play CD, and game accessories- providing the entertainment, organising the games and sorting out the party music. To look at Acting the Party in action and for further details please go to Acting The Party
We hope, whatever you do, you have a very enjoyable party…. and a great bop!
18th Jun 2010 (Party Ideas)
Kids Face Painting Birthday Party Advice
When it comes to your kid's party all you want is for them to have fun. These days the old style 'sing-and-dance routine' won't keep them entertained for long. A child's party should be fun with interactive and a interesting activities that will not only keep them amused but also help them develop their social skills. With this in mind have you considered putting on a kids face painting party for your child's Birthday Party this year?
What to do in preparation for the party
As we all know, children are very impatient, especially when other children are around. If you are considering a face painting party, do you think they would sit there patiently and wait for their turn to either use the paints or be painted? The answer is NO they won't.
At a party it is hard to keep everyone happy so why not ask friends to help you manage and organise the children. They can either help you paint the kids faces or depending on the age of the children they could simply supervise the face paint sessions to make sure the kids don't do anything too silly (such as eat the face paints).
Here are some top tips to help keep the party running smoothly:
- Make sure you have enough face paint kits for a group of children. The more children you have the more face painting kits you will need.
- Choose face painting kits with clear and easy designs.
- If you have any older children assign a friend or family member to do an elaborate design as an example for the younger children.
- Make sure you have cleaning equipment nearby in case of any spillages.
- Prepare a lot of moist and dry wipes.
- Have at least one or two mirrors around so kids can see themselves.
17th Dec 2009 (Gift Ideas)
Fireman Sam Gifts
Fireman Sam seems to be well and truly back in fashion for kids. Maybe he always was, but I remember being a great fan when I was a child and was amazed when doing some research for top selling character gifts to find that Fireman Sam Gifts were in the top 3!
There are many great Fireman Sam pressies out there, some of my favourites being:
- Fireman Sam Helmet with Sounds
- Fireman Sam Intercom Set
- Fireman Sam Playground Ball
- Fireman Sam Single Duvet Cover Set
Admittedly, I am guessing that children aged 5-10, well the latter anyway will probably have grown out of Fireman Sam by now, but I am sure there are some parents with late developers out there who will appreciate this post :-)
11th Nov 2009 (Party Food)
Jelly And Ice Cream Recipe
Ok, this is actually more like just a list of the things you need to make a lovely jelly and ice cream dish rather than a recipe but I thought I would add it here any way!
Requirements
- 1-2 packets of jelly mix (depending on no. children)
- Ice cream (preferably Vanilla)
- Dessert bowls & spoons
- Table Spoon
- Ice cream sauce or hundreds of thousands
Instructions:
- Follow the jelly mixtures specific instructions (water to add etc)
- Chill in the fridge until firm which usually takes 2-4hours.
- When ready to serve, spoon the jelly into individual bowls with the wooden spoon
- Top with a scoop of ice cream
- Add any decorations you have such as hundreds of thousands or ice cream sauce.
13th Aug 2009 (Gift Ideas)
Luggage For Little People
Trunki (As featured on Dragons Den) manufacture childrens suitcases that will put an end to any tantrums. Their variety of charcterised suitecases will have your kids driving around having endless fun as you walk and wait around at airports or any other place where you might have luggage for that matter!
Check out the video below to see more, or better still visit their website!
13th Aug 2009 (Party Ideas)
Teddy Bear Parties
Blackberrie Bears offer fun no sew bear kits which are great for gifts and birthday parties.
You will receive a kit including:
- 15” Bear Skin, Stuffing (just enough for the bear)
- Blackberrie Wish Insert
- Birth Certificate
- Drawstring Carry Bag
Other kits include a choice of sound, t-shirt and textile pen and much more according to your budget.
If you order 10 or more kits then you are entitled to receive their FREE Party Box which contains:
- Invitations
- Prizes for Games
- Tableware
- Pass the Parcel
- Party Bags
The party box has all you need to host a 2 hour party, all you need to supply is the food and birthday cake!
The Blackberrie Bears site also offers some useful information and tips for your kids party.
05th Aug 2009 (Party Ideas)
Kids Party Games
Party Delights have a great range of Pin The Tail games for your childs birthday party. Aside from the original pin the tail on the donkey, you also have the choice of replacing the donkey for a unicorn, clown and princess.Of course, it is not a tail for these other characters as apart from not making any sense to kids it could also be deemed very inappropriate!
As well as 8 pin the tail games on this page, you will also find a Pinata's section. There are many to choose from ranging from giant pink dummies to huge footballs. Most of the pinatas cost from around £10-£15 which is pretty good value. All you need to finish them off is a load of sweeties! Personally I think I would have to go for Maom bars!
Party Delights have loads of ofther great ideas and products so they are well worth checking out if your are holding a kids birthday party. I hope you find their website useful.
05th Jul 2009 (Party Ideas)
Number Of Friends Per Party
It is always very difficult to know how many invitations to send out to your childs friends. It is even more difficult predicting how many people are going to turn up out of the invitations that were sent out.
After doing some research, I discovered that many people invite their son or daughters whole class and usually find that approximately half this number turn up to the party. If we estimate that their are 30 children in a class on average, that means 15 kids will trun up to the birthday party. This is a fair number, but I would not encourage any more than this really otherwise it starts to get expensive and harder to control.
I feel that the best advice on the number of children to invite to your childs birthday party would be to agree on a number of atendees before hand. Lets say 10 for example. Tell your son or daughter that they can invite 10 and only 10 people. This way you are more likely to have the whole 10 turn up as they will most probably be closest friends and feel a lot better about coming.
06th Jun 2009 (Party Ideas)
Childrens Fancy Dress Themes
Children's parties seem to become much more extravagant events year after year. At toddler birthday parties, the children are content with jelly and ice-cream, fairy cakes, and pass the parcel! As the become school children, those last years of nursery and at least reception class, its all about the soft play area and ball pit. Mum and Dad can chill out with a coffee as the kids go wild for an hour and half, all happily contained in a big safety net (assuming no one falls over!!). However, once children get past year one in school, parties have to be cool. They have to be as good as, or better than, their friends, and they will want a birthday party that is a bit different!
So, what are the weary parents supposed to do, especially bearing in mind costs! Well, a great way to offer your child a 'customised' birthday party, which they can actually feel they have contributed to, is to make their birthday party a fancy dress party. Fancy dress parties for children are a fabulous way to allow your child to pick a theme for the whole day, this means that you can tailor invitations, party decorations, the cake and even the food (making your life a whole lot easier!) the trick however, is to get the theme right. Whilst your little angel may like dressing up as a fairy princess with her younger sibling, they may not want a princess pink party with their friends! And your darling little boy might love to wear his superman pyjamas to bed, but he may want his friends to think he is a more grown up! This is why it is essential to choose the right theme for your fancy dress birthday party.
Popular themes include:
Latest film or movie
- High School Musical is very popular, surprisingly with boys as well as girls! This theme will also provide you with the music for your party as well!
- Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, more popular with girls than boys! Purple seems to be Hannah s colour, so plan your decorations to suit!
- Monsters Vs Aliens are big at the moment, but the costumes might be a bit tricky!
Pirates
Ooh Argh, me hearties! All kids love pirates, and most parent can whip a pirate costume up with a few days notice!
Superheroes
Batman, Spider man, Wonder girl, Superman... the wonder pets... lets all save the DAY!
Ben 10/Power Rangers
Themes for the girls!
Disney Princesses/Fairies
Most little girls will have a Disney Princess costume in their wardrobe and a Disney princess party is the perfect excuse to wear it with their friends! Beware fashion faux pas – and try to get the birthday girl something a bit special so her friends do not come in the same costume!
Colour co-ordinated
Its a bit different, but if your little one loves a certain colour, then why not got for it! Beware, inviting boys to a 'pink' party, may not go down so well!
TV Characters/shows
Lazy Town's Sportacus and Stephanie are very popular, so are Dora and Diego (with younger children), Tom and Jerry could inspire a cats and dogs themed party, and the Simpsons appeal to children of all ages!
So, whatever theme you choose, you are sure to be able to find suitable Fancy dress costumes online. Just be sure you make it clear on the invites what is expected of guests, and maybe invest in a spare costume of two, in case a child turns up not in costume, so they do not feel left out.
06th May 2009 (Party Ideas)
Popular Kids Birthday Party Themes
Children`s birthday parties shape their childhood and help them learn to socialise with other children. They can help kids to learn about sharing, congratulating each other and interacting thoughtfully and meaningfully. They are also tons of fun!
If you`re thinking of setting up a birthday for a little girl or boy you might be slightly stumped for ideas. In this article we`re going to take a look at some of the best and most popular themes for kids parties this year.
Birthday Boys
Boys love physical play so incorporating some in to your party is a great idea. Try to make games co-operative and praise children for co-operating rather than creating a competitive environment where some children feel left out or better than others.
For football parties why not have a casual game of football in the back garden or a local park. Let the kids eat sugary and colourful food before they play to get them full of energy and then let them work it off by playing kick about.
For pirate parties (which are incredibly popular following the Pirates of the Caribbean films) why not arrange a proper treasure hunt by burying (or hiding) a wood or metal box packed with sweets or party bags in the back garden and arrange a game around the search for the buried treasure. Girls love the intrigue and mystery of games like this too and also adore the pirate theme.
Birthday Girls
Fairy princess parties are immortal and girls love talking to each other and indulging in imaginative play so why not invite guests to also bring along a favourite toy. One twist on the fairy party is a teddy bears picnic which will encourage children to talk about their toys and introduce them to each other; you can also clean up easier after hoards of kids if you keep them on a blanket on the lawn!
Good games for girls include fairy cake or cookie decorating with coloured icing (boys obviously love this too!) and face painting. You can buy face paints cheaply and if you`ve got lots of girly guests you`ll also need plenty of make-up grade glitter. Then you can make a motley crew of garden fairies, lions, vampires and other creatures to cavort around the garden.
Hints and Tips
Children often eat too much junk at birthday parties. After the initial sugar rush this can end up getting them grumpy afterwards. Combat this by structuring your party carefully. When they arrive get them to use up plenty of energy by playing a game or dancing.
Then, when they`re hungry serve fruits and vegetables (they`ll fill up on this, sharpish!) and then, when the cakes and other high energy food stuffs come out they`ll eat less of it all, being full of carrots and apples. After food, get back in to a high energy game. That way, by the time the party is over they`ll hopefully be murmuring for their Peppa Pig duvet.