It’s time to PARTY!

As the madness of Christmas and New Year has worn off and the January blues have subsided, February is the perfect time to begin thinking about your child’s perfect birthday party. Primary Times has compiled an extensive guide on how to host your child’s ultimate birthday bash, whilst remaining under budget and stress free throughout the whole process.

To begin, tell your child it’s time to start planning the big day. No doubt you will be met with tons of ideas and it’s your job to steer them in a way that is both realistic and affordable, but also plenty of fun for all.

The first step to party planning is to choose the venue for where this party will be held. If you’re happy inviting all your children’s friends into your home, then this will be a great money-saver. For some of us however, this isn’t an option.

In this case, try shopping around to find what works best for you and your little one. Appropriate venues can include a whole multitude of options, from your local village hall, to soft play centres, swimming pools, cinemas, sports pitches, or restaurants. Ask these individual venues whether they have any package deals available for children’s party hire.

With costs in mind, when booking a venue consider partnering up with another school parent to host a joint birthday party for your children. This will allow for just as much fun, whilst cutting the costs down by half. Guest list numbers will greatly depend on the venue you choose, but with another parent on board, it will allow you to be a bit more flexible with your pennies.

Once all of this is decided, you can begin to think about the fun details of the day. The food, for example, can be a great way for your child to get involved in the party planning. If your party is self-catered, consider the different foods you will lay out for your guests. You can’t go wrong with rustling up a selection of sandwiches, mini pizzas, veggies with dips or cocktail sausages.

If you’re looking for a theme, an International themed menu is a great way of encouraging the children to try different foods from around the world, whilst having fun at the same time. Indian samosas, Mexican nachos, Chinese spring rolls and American hotdogs are some of our favourite dishes of the day.

As for games, there are a whole host of different options that will keep the children happy and keep your costs low. Some of our favourites include the old classics of pass the parcel, musical chairs, and pin the tail on the donkey. Alternatively, for a more modern party game, a piñata is becoming an increasing favourite amongst children. They are available at most major UK supermarkets, and are sure to keep the kids laughing for ages as they eagerly try and retrieve the treats inside. 

Finally, before children leave a birthday party, they are usually expected to take a party bag home with them. Rather than the classic cellophane bag filled with sweeties, balloons, and pencils, there are several alternatives which will keep your party guests smiling, without costing a fortune. Some of our favourites include a small children’s story book, a packet of seeds for children to grow their own vegetables, or some home-baked treats wrapped up with a bow.

The Party Checklist 
Invitations • Party Venue • Games • Cake • Food & Drink • Decorations • Music • Camera • Party bags • Thank you notes