You don’t have to spend a small fortune on a kids party to make it a success. But even the most organized parents can start to get unraveled while planning any kid party, big or small. No matter where you live, there are bound to be some good options, so before you get ahead of yourself consider these tips...
Make the Child of Honor a Star
Whether you’re having a small get together with a few of their closest friends or you’ve invited their entire class to the party, do something special that makes them feel special. It could be a crown or magical princess wand. If they love something like, say, Spiderman then let them BE Spiderman for the day.
YOU do the Planning
While it may seem like a good idea to ask your little one what they want to do for their party, that can lead to more drama than you really want. What if they want to have a petting zoo in your tiny apartment? Not going to happen, right? Well don’t open the door to that disappointment. If you want to give them that kind of input, make tight restrictions and offer them specific choices. i.e. Do you want to do a pizza party or mini taco bar? Would you like to have a bouncy house or a magician? I know that around here you can rent a really cool bouncy house for as little as $100. That way you’re still in control, but they know immediately what their options are and you avoid a meltdown.
Fun Entertainment Options
If you want to have a magician or a themed costumed character at your party, make sure you do your research. Also realize that this sounds like a great time, but that one character probably won’t be entertaining everyone at once. So find out if they include other little setups like balloon animals or face painting, so no one feels left out during the party.
You might not think that a DJ is appropriate for a kids party, but you‘d be surprised. There are a lot of DJ’s good at kids party and making it an event they’ll remember for years. Kids love to sing so ask if the DJ is able to provide karaoke. Find out what makes their service special and what kind of games or activities they incorporate to keep kids happy and entertained. I know a DJ for hire in Adelaide that has a whole slew of games that kids love, like “freeze” dance, “bubble pop” dance (you know the big rolls of bubble sheets that are used in packaging? Yep, it’s hilarious to watch), balloon dancing, hokey pokey and more.
*Money saving tip: Plan your party for early afternoon or during the week. DJ’s do most of their big business in the evening time and if you’re cutting into that time you'll be paying premium rates.
Saving Money on Food
If you plan your party for early afternoon for two hours then you won’t have to shell out for an entire meal. Everyone will have had lunch and it’s too early for dinner. In this case, you can just set out a snack table with a variety of kid-friendly finger foods. That and the cake or cupcakes will be more than enough, especially if everyone’s busy having fun.
