Star Wars is back with its next instalment ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’! Spanning several generations and producing countless box-office sagas, it is one of those franchises where there is something for everyone!

Star Wars is a CTP Party family favourite and so we made it our mission to develop an out of this world Jedi inspired party. Don’t just take our word for it though, here are a few is some feedback from our Star Wars events:

“Thank you for such a good party. I have to say James was fantastic. He really ran the party superbly right from the moment he arrived. He was brilliant with the kids and kept them entertained. Please pass on our thanks to James. My son has gone to sleep a very happy 5 year old.” – Mr Hubbard, Nov 2019

“Excellent party service- professional and polite. Francesca and Sophie were extremely helpful. My son had a great Jedi themed party- never seen 20 kids do as they’re told for an hour without question! Very happy with the service and would highly recommend to everyone” – Ms Davey, Sept 2019

“Thankyou so much to our Jedi knight host who made my son's 6th birthday party so great! He came in character with music playing, and engaged and entertained 25 kids for 2 hours. My son loved it as did his friends!. Really appreciated how he took time to talk to the children and how special he made my son feel.” – Ms Heaslip, Nov 2017

“Alex came as Princess Leia and had 14 six year olds in the palm of her hand. My son had the time of his life, and his party was the talk of school for days.” – Ms Pollock, March 2017

“We had a fantastic Star Wars party with "Ray" who was absolutely amazing. She started from the second she walked in the door (in character) and continued solid for two hours” – Ms Madder, Oct 2016

Take a look at our parties here and if you want to feel the full force of our Jedi’s then contact us now for more information!

Clients ask us every year what will be in fashion the Summer for kids parties?

Over the Summer months, clients want some new for the summer to celebrate all the kids being outdoors and in fresh air.

We asked our team of party hosts and the crew in the office what was fashionable for Summer 2019 and here is what they said:

Making Memories: Get a photo booth at your party. We know that photos booths became big for Weddings a couple years ago however now a kids party is not complete without a photo booth. We have been speaking to our corporate clients who suggested that the bloggers/event goers they invite to their parties and events want to capture the memories on the day and a photo booth is the perfect way to do that. Props can be a great accessory and you could arrange for a themed background to suit your event/theme.

A great company we recommend which is simple and doesn’t need an operator imposing on your event/party is The Memory Booth company. They post/ship out their booths directly to you..we know this sounds amazing – so you can set it up for your party where and when you want to. It means you aren’t paying a huge amount to have someone awkward come and be in the room with the kids and the assembly is super easy (easy enough for a single parent to do on their own.) These booths are perfect for kids as they look friendly and stylish but also their isn’t an operator (stranger) they don’t know asking them to smile…the screen tells you what to do! It’s that simple. They are available across the UK and are delivered & collected from your door for £300 so a lot cheaper than paying a photographer for an event plus you could have it all day running so great value for money!

Mermaid Garden Parties: So we know not everyone has a pool or access to a beach in the UK but Mermaid parties are really taking off in this warm weather. Our Mermaids here at CTP Party aren’t the swimming type…we find not enough of clients have the demand for our costume to allow the party host to actually be in the water however we do send along a beautiful Mermaid who runs the party in a Mermaid, Under The Sea or Pirate theme.

Ideal for both boys and girls at mixed parties and very in fashion with the recent theme of “Glitter” we honestly can’t think of anything more we wanted when we were little girls…!

We host Mermaid and Under the Sea parties with 1 entertainer for up to 30 kids from £125 for 1 hour (in the local area) our 2 Hour Mystical Mermaid Event party is from £230 and we bring costumes/wigs & glitter/make-up for that one! This is literally the dream party for any wannabe mermaid.

The only question is whether to go full Ariel or not?

Family Sports Day: We run a lot of kids areas for Festivals in the UK and this year the big demand has been on getting the whole family involved in the activities. So we normally make a sports activity area with loads of games for all the family to enjoy; hurdles, walk the plank, long jump, bean bag toss, water bucket relays and sack races.

We find parents and adults can’t resist taking part which of course all the kids absolutely love too!

Our friends at Vita Coco and The Big Feastival have the right idea and always keep their areas super approachable for the whole family and ensure that they include everyone…not just the adults or the kids. Besides…what’s the point in going to a family friendly festival if the whole family can’t join in?

We have found that private parties are also asking for more parties based around sports. We bring along super soakers, team games, relay buttons and assault course and run games suitable from 4 – years right up to 11 year olds! The idea is fun and that is exactly what the kids have….although our last super soaker themed event, our party hosts got absolutely soaked!

Talk to us about your company christmas party:

• With just over six weeks left until Christmas, now is the time where the office manager or assistant gets passed the royal duty of organising the Family Christmas Party for the company..sound familiar?
  • There is a lot to take into consideration; Do you host the party at the actual office, do you invite parents, what about the people without kids? Well…the answer is there is no right or wrong way to do it. The only thing we would advise is that you take into consideration the below points.
    • We have hosted Corporate Kids Parties for some well known brands including; Sony, KPMG, De Beers Jewellery, Hawaii, JWT, Bank of America, Avis and many more. The reason we continue to get asked back is due to our experience and also our ability to plan/be flexible and work with our clients and their specific needs on the day.
      • Don’t get us wrong…the kids christmas party is always fun but the lead up can be stressful and with the MD’s family coming and their little 4 year old who doesn’t like anyone…we have got your back!

Feedback from a past client:

“Just a very quick note to say a huge thank you to you and the team for an outstanding party.  You did a brilliant job – everyone I spoke to commented on how fantastic the entertainers were.The event was a great success and I’m sure we’ll be in touch for future events (not least of all my children’s own parties) – you made a tough job look very easy!  All the kids of all ages seemed to have a great time and I’m very grateful –  I’ve never seen my son so happy to be wrapped in toilet paper before… it’s a good look on him! Please thank your team – they were all great. ” KPMG, London, UK

Feedback from a past client:
“Great news. We had fantastic feedback about you and your team and we would be keen to work with you again this year.” Avis, Bracknell, UK

Our Top Points:

• • • • • • • • • • • 1. 1.What are you hosting? – Be clear about whether your party is for the whole of the family of people who work at the office/company or whether you are expecting the parents to drop the kids off and go and have some valuable time away from their kids while the entertainers work their magic. Our top tip – Always invite the whole family (especially if there are children attending under the age of 5) The way we see it is Christmas should be about the family and if you are hosting this party to say thank you to your team for all their hard work, by inviting their partners and children you are also saying thank you to them. It is also nice for the whole family to see the kids enjoy themselves.

                         2.Get the entertainment right – Unless you want to be on your hands and knees colouring with “little Johnny” who ends up hitting you… get the specialist help in. We don’t tell accountants how to file for VAT so don’t try and take on 50 x 3 – 6 year olds (even if it is just for an hour) trust us..we have had phone calls on the day before from people who have tried to do it themselves and let’s just say…it wasn’t going well. Entertainers work their magic while you sit back and watch and enjoy is a far more appealing image and more likely to go well.

                         3.Try and get a feel for who is coming and the age range – General rule; under 3’s don’t leave their parents arms for long so entertainment should be aimed at +3 – 8 year olds. Any children over 9 years are normally either glued to their favourite screen or interested in slightly different entertainment. Get the age range right and you are onto a winner. NB. if you have children attending who are under 3 this isn’t a problem but prepare the parents that they will have to keep a close eye on their little ones as the games/prizes etc. may not be suitable for their age range. If you have children attending + 9 years, again no problem but warn your entertainment company so they can get some suitable activities running for them.

4.Do kids like themed entertainment? 100% yes. We have had clients in the past say they don’t think the entertainers should be dressed up and we always recommend that you have an Elf or similar. Kids react well to the costumes and the idea of someone from Lapland! Trust us…we have been doing this for over 23 years. Don’t worry, it isn’t you that has to dress up..however we had a whole board team dress up once and it went down very well with the whole company and the children.

• • • • • • • • • • • 5. What about Food?  General rule – if the kids are attending your party over a lunch/tea time period they will need feeding. We can help advise on the best brands/best ways to cater for your young party goers. We generally see lots of party boxes with a couple sandwiches in, some fruit etc. and of course different dietary requirements catered for. We also recommend if you are having parents to watch that you provide some food and drinks for them. We can always advise with the best options depending on your budget/venue.

                      • 6. Prices & Availability – Depending on how many children you are expecting on the day and where your office is based will have an impact on your budget. Availability around Christmas is always hard (we know it is for you too) but generally offices like to run Christmas Parties the 3 weeks leading up to Christmas. We have lots of entertainers to choose from so even if it is last minute…let us know! We normally recommend 1 entertainer for every 20-25 kids however the amount of entertainers we send normally depends on the age range and the venue size/scope of the party. Example: For a very large corporate company we hosted last year, we sent a team of 3 entertainers, 1 event manager, 2 assistants and a Father Christmas to ensure EVERY child was involved in the festive fun. There were 100 children and 120 adults.

                        • 7. Extras – We can bring gifts/party bags/glitter tattoos/snow machines/bubble machine…the works! Just let us know what you want. Kids do expect a little gift or something when going to a party. Don’t confuse their party lunch/tea with a gift! 🙂

 
Feedback from a past client:
“The children really enjoyed the party and thought the Snow Fairy was great. Once again the entertainer was brilliant and kept the children thoroughly entertained for 1.5 hours. She arrived when expected and was straight into character. Some parents commented that the overall theme and games she played were excellent, and she seemed to make an effort to call the children by their names. Also, when handing out gifts at the end she checked with the parents if the gifts were suitable.

 

September is always a busy month for kids’ parties. Apart from the children who have birthdays in September, lots of parents hold parties then for kids whose birthdays fall in July and August because of holidays and starting school.

There’re a few things to bear in mind if you’re holding a party in September:
1) Even if you got your act together in July before the last day of school and handed out invitations, don’t expect mums to have put the date in their diary. There’s a lot going on in July – anticipation of the long summer to come, beach holidays and family days out.  Somehow September seems a long way off. If you’re holding a party in September, especially in the first couple of weeks, we suggest you send out a gentle reminder of the party date. There’s nothing worse than hardly any friends turning up at your kid’s party which you and he have been planning for months.
2) Another thing to consider when inviting kids to come to your September party is who to invite, especially if this is your child’s first term at a new school. Do you invite the whole class or just the few friends he already knows at the school and a few kids in the street? If yours is one of the first parties of the school year you may well set a precedent so if you don’t invite the class don’t be surprised if your child doesn’t get invited to all the parties in the year.

3) There may be a big age gap between the children. Some children may have had their 5th birthday in August whilst some will only turn 5 in September so there’ll be almost a years gap between then. The younger the kids the more you’ll notice the age difference.
4)You may find some mums want to stay at the party if this is the first party of the academic year. They may want to stay to reassure their child or … they may want to get to know other mums. Kids’ parties are a great way for mums to make friends and for you to make some great friends, so get ready to offer a few cuppas to keep the mummies happy too!
We wish all the parents/carers and guardians who are planning and/or hosting a kids birthday party this month the best of luck! We salute you and if you do need any help in planning your event please get in touch!

Unless you have been somewhere abroad over the past month or so you will know we are having one of the hottest summers the UK has experienced in decades. We are constantly getting asked advice on how to keep the kids cool if the party is going to be held and hosted outside so we thought we would let you all know….So, if you’re having a summer party this year you’ll need to adapt the activities to keep the kids cool….we literally can’t believe we are writing this. Normally we are writing about how to have a back up plan if you are thinking of hosting an outdoor party just in case in rains!

Most importantly if you’re taking advantage of the weather make sure the kids are in the shade and give them lots of drinks – in fact having a drink between each activity could become part of the game. Suggest you label cups so kids go back to their own each time.
Have a good supply of sunscreen available to apply if kids do get in the sun and whilst it’s likely kids have their own, rummage through your cupboards to find summer hats and caps for kids who don’t bring one.
Whether indoors or out, don’t have too many lively games and alternate with a quiet activity – you’d be surprised how many kids love to do guessing games or games where they have to put their thinking hat on.
Include some games like “the water bucket relay” where you can soak the winning & losing team with water after to keep them cool!
Make the food simple, and if you’re serving sandwiches and jelly keep them in the cool till the kids are ready to eat -and of course ice cream and lollies will go down a blast!
Lastly, if you are joining us at one of the Family Festivals we head to over the summer, don’t forget the kids will need down time too!

Finally don’t forget yourself. Keep hydrated and stay in the shade – and spare a thought for your entertainer dressed in a hot costume. They will appreciate being based in the shade!

We hope you have a really cool party this summer.

We love to show people what we can do for them at their next party so why not come along to our next FREE kids party!

WHAT IS IT: Free kids party, you can come dressed up as anything you like however it will be an Animal Explorer themed party!
WHEN: Next Tuesday, 24th July 2018
WHERE: Scout Hut 6388, St Bartholomews Road, Ashley Down, Bristol, BS7 9BJ
TIMES: Please arrive promptly for 11am, we will be finished by 12:30pm
WHAT TO EXPECT: We will be playing a mixture of traditional and unique party games, lots of running around and dancing, every child will get a prize, sticker and certificate at the end!
WHY: Because we want to show you what CTP can do, and thank those who have used us in the passed. We will be taking photos during this event, if you do not wish for your child to be photographed then please make an entertainer aware on your arrival, and ensure they are removed from any group photos that might be taken at the end of the party.

Please Note: This event will be guest list only, so please do ensure you have emailed ([email protected]) to be on it, it is first come first served and if you cannot make it for whatever reason please can we ask for you to let us know so we can give your space to someone else!
We will be filming and taking photos at the party, so please be aware of this as you or your child’s photograph may be taken and it may be used on our website/social media platforms in the future.