Kids Party Space is only a few weeks old and already there are some fantastic party shares.  These shares are a great way to get some kids birthday party ideas and you can find out what each party’s highlights were. Here are just 5 “secrets” that we would like to share, to help with planning your next party.

1. Use the child’s toys to decorate the table, room and cake.

An inexpensive way to add to the decorations is to use your child’s toys.  The Lalaloopsy Party shared on the website, uses the doll collection and other Lalaloopsy toys to add to the display and provide lots of colour and interest.  While in the Octonaut Party share, the toy Octonauts were the perfect size for the top of the cake, making it look great!

2. Plastic table cloths are good for more than covering the table!

In the Under the Sea Party, this mum hung plastic table cloths from the ceiling to create an underwater feel – at around $2 per table cloth, they are great value.  There are so many uses for these table cloths, they can be cut into strips to act as back drops, ruffled to make a great table display and plaited to hang over the doorway and make a great entrance.

3. The ‘old style’ games are still the favourites and can be adapted to any theme.

Nearly all the parties had some old fashioned games – pass the parcel, musical chairs, statues, or pin the tail on the donkey.  Some of the adaptions from our shares have included pin the beak on the owl, or pin the patch on Quazi.

4. Set up a craft corner, or similar activity area for the guests to enjoy.

Having something for the children to do when they need a bit of quiet time or time out from the bustle of the party is a great idea.  It will give them the opportunity to calm down and make something they can take home.  You can ‘schedule’ it into the party activities so everyone does it at the same time, however, it is often best to set up a table and some chairs in a corner and the children can then choose to be creative as the mood takes them.

5. Make the invitations part of the party fun.

This idea was used in the Cars Party share where the invitations were lanyard VIP passes to the party! Encourage the children to wear them as part of the party fun and you could even put coloured dots on the back to organise group activities, or form teams.  This also works well in a Science Party, Disco Party (back stage passes) or Dinosaur Dig. Rosie’s Fairy Party share used a tiny invitation with a magnifying glass, reuse the magnifying glass as a part of a treasure hunt and include a “magical” hint on the invitation.

Make sure you don’t fall into the trap of competing with other children’s parties.  A good party is determined by the fun that is had, not the party bag.  Remember, children love the excitement of playing games with friends and being at a PARTY !!

Get your child to make a list of the guests, food, games and themes for their party, not all will be useful, but they will know what is “in” and what they and their friends like. This way everyone will be happy and your child will have a party that everyone will enjoy.   And remember, your child is not you, so make sure you take into account their personality and let them tell you what they want.

Some more specific points to remember :

AGE  1  -   This party is more often than not about the adults, so it is OK to make the food and entertainment more adult orientated.  Remember to plan around nap times and make sure there is a safe place for children and adults to play.

AGE  2  -  Often children at this age are still playing around each other, rather than with each other. So a small group (including parents for supervision) with a few simple games such as a treasure hunt , drawing competition or block building (something parents can help with) is all you will need. Don’t forget to put away favourite toys to minimise tantrums.

AGE  3  -   The children should now be starting to understand what a party is, but make sure they don’t get scared by loud entertainers/ment and stay clear of games that require a blindfold – try a lucky dip game instead.

AGE  4  -  This is the age where they can’t wait for their party and for their friends to arrive, so include some games and some unstructured play time to keep everyone happy.

AGE  5 to 7  -  This is when your child can choose a theme and everything can be centred around it. Structured games such as statues, piñatas, races, musical chairs, limbo, etc. will provide hours of fun.

AGES  8 and above  -  These are the years that need to be completely guided by your child – let their imagination run wild !