5 BIG mistakes people make when hosting a kids party!

CTP Party have been in the children’s entertainment business now for 22 years. We have seen the fashions come and go, the new characters become very popular and then become the “most uncool character ever….” We have witnessed the rise of glitter tattoos, face painting, nail art, hair sun-in, unicorns, jedi’s and many more fads that come and go.

     

     

    We have hosted parties for 1 or 2 children at a private house right up to 1000’s of children at a family music festival so we know a thing or 2 about how to keep kids busy and entertained. We also know and have seen a lot of people make the same mistakes when hosting a kids birthday party or event.

    Now, let’s be clear – hosting a party or event for anyone is not easy….let alone 30 4 – 8 year old children who are all hungry, tired, excited and full of sugar, so we thought we would tell you the main mistakes people make and how to avoid making them! Believe me NO ONE, especially not your party host wants you to have any stress on the day so read carefully…..we may just save you some stress, money and more importantly…time!

        10 Mistakes people make when hosting a kids party or event: 

          Go easy on the sugar! Most children and parents are aware these days of the danger of the “sugar rush” and more importantly the “sugar low….” so we are finding children are more aware and not in the business of grabbing 5 sweets every time they are offered one. Some parents are avoiding sweets altogether and opting for stickers/prizes or even better… some fruit! The choice is yours but if you are having an entertainer come along, be clear on whether you want sweets or not to be offered. CTP Party use Haribo (soft and chewy and suitable for 3’s +) however we are happy to arrange veggie or vegan alternatives. We tend to NOT be keen to bring chocolate to parties due to allergies so why not stay safe if you would prefer no sugar and go with stickers! Every child (and adult) loves a sticker!

              Tell people where your party location is:  Have a sign/balloon or board up to signal your party location! Nothing is worst than an empty party when no one can find the venue. You would be surprised how often this happens. Just because you have been to your local hall a million times, does not mean the new parents to the area or the entertainer has so be aware that clear and simple signage/balloons are sometimes necessary. You will find, it grabs people’s attention as they nearly drive past the venue/your house plus it also shows the rest of the town you are having a party so they will slow down around the venue/house as they will be more aware of children in the carpark/crossing the roads. If you know your party location or house is hard to find and doesn’t appear on google maps/near the postcode, then add additional info on the invite but also be aware you need to send this info onto your entertainer/suppliers. You would not believe the amount of clients we have who change their party location to “up the road” and don’t send us the new postcode (even though it is over a mile away.)

                  Start time / End times (set them and tell people): It sounds like an obvious one but we have been to a fair few events & parties recently whereby the party has been running all day and unfortunately for the parents only 2 out of 20 kids were actually present in the one hour they booked our entertainer. They had been so relaxed on when people were to come to the 11 – 6 (all day party) that they hadn’t realised that people would want to come after lunch so when our entertainer arrived at 11.30am for 1 hour, only 2 children were there….meaning that when the bulk of the children arrived (after 1.30) the entertainer had already left. We find a relaxed timed party is great fun especially if you are hosting the party at your home and the weather is great…but if you have booked an entertainer, why not get value for your money and ensure you tell all the parents when they are coming so the kids don’t miss out!

                     

                      Keep the format simple: Ever heard the phrase less is more? Well….we hate to say it but with kids and parties…we find that is generally the case. With under 8’s, simple things work. The best parties that run the smoothest generally tend to be the ones that are 2 hours with 1 hour of games and activities, then a break for food and then back for more games until the end. We sing happy birthday, we use music and we play games. Everyone has a great time and everyone leaves happy with a belly full of cake and arms full of prizes! We have experienced parties where there is so much going on in the room that the kids are torn between activity a, activity b, a clown, a magician, someone doing glitter tattoos and a massive loud bouncy castle in the corner of the room. The kids have no idea what to do, where to start and end up getting overwhelmed by everything going on and ending up in tears.

                          Allow yourself to sit down, enjoy & relax: A lot of our parents who book with us say their one regret from the day was not being able to sit down and enjoy the party. They get so consumed by the party food, the parents of other children, the naughty 1 child in the corner, the food burning in the kitchen, making everyone a coffee and the +1000 other things on their list to do that day that they missed the children’s faces when their entertainer walked in or when they won pass the parcel! We always suggest that you take at least 5 minutes to yourself, grab a cup of tea and sit quietly, watch and enjoy the party….it will mean so much to you and you won’t have to rely on someone else’s FB photos to see everyone having a good time.

                            Obviously, there are a number of other things which we would recommend you do/don’t do when hosting your child’s birthday but we firmly believe the 5 above will save you money, stress and most importantly time! If you have any other questions while booking your party with us, just let us know and our team in the office will be able to help you!