Birthday parties can be extravagant sugar highs that cost the earth. However, with the parties I’ve done for my children, I have tried to make them amazing, healthy and not a complete bank-breaking affair. Here are some tricks for throwing a children’s party you can be proud of.
Birthdays in our family are special, a celebration and a lot of fun. Growing up, I remember my mother’s birthday party cook book with all the different birthday cakes – the Barbie Doll with the dress, the number eight car race track, and the butterfly. My mother made our parties so exciting, and she went to a lot of effort to make them special. This is a tradition that I am passing to my children.
Getting the planning right
The invitation – Firstly, if your child is still young, invite the entire class. This makes everyone feel special. Generally, not all of the children will come but at least they have felt welcome.
Pick the venue – For me, a home party is the best. You don’t have to lug the food to the venue and you can save a lot of money on venue hire. For my son’s third birthday we were in a small rental with no garden. My husband and I transformed the dining and living rooms into a train station. We used masking tape to make tracks that interlinked. The small space was not a problem when we decorated the room as it added to the atmosphere. For my daughter’s second birthday we had a teddy bear picnic at a nearby park.
Pick a theme – This is always chosen by the birthday child. I let my children get involved and help to plan the event (age dependant). This year my daughter has chosen under the sea. She helped me make envelopes that were waves, and helped to glue the invitations. Yes, this is a bit of work but it is also great bonding time with your child.
This story is from the July - Sept 2016 edition of Baby's and Beyond.
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This story is from the July - Sept 2016 edition of Baby's and Beyond.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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