So it’s time for little Jimmy’s party and you are scrambling for things to do. Rosie O has tips and tricks to help you have the very best kids birthday party in Perth.
I went to a kids birthday party once where the birthday mum had enough food and drinks for 20 children. Things came undone for her when the number of children attending the party went from 20 to 37. 20 cupcakes divided by 37 is…..well my math is terrible but even I know that that is a problem. Many parents brought siblings and while that is okay if the birthday hostess knows they are coming, if she doesn’t it’s not good.
The best solution for this is to be very clear when you are sending out your invitations. Please drop your child off at 10 am. Don’t be late as we have Rosie O painting faces for the invited guests. Pick up time is 12:15. This makes it very clear its a kiss and drop party.
The Date
Choosing the date of the party is one of the most important things. Now many of you try to appease everyone when really the only people you really need to consider are me, myself and I. You cannot please everyone so just make sure it’s a date that suits you.
A good tip though, there are sports on a Saturday morning and you do want Jimmy to have a couple of people at his party.
After school parties are a great idea because it gives you the day to get it sorted and the weekend is kept free. Rosie O does great deals for weekday kids birthday parties.
Invitations
Make sure when you give the invitations out, that you actually give the invitations out. We get lots of phone calls from mums who forgot to give them out and it’s the last minute rush to try to get guests to come. Don’t do it too far in advance, mums and dads forget. Don’t do it the week before, its sometimes too late and other plans have been made.
And whatever you do, don’t let Jimmy do it. The invitations will end up being thrown out of the bag with a lunchbox full of old vegemite and jam sandwiches at the end of the term. If your child is one of those kids whose birthday is in the school holidays make sure you hand the invitations out yourself and get phone numbers of the invited children. Nothing worse than a pot full of little boys and no guests knocking on your door to come to the party.
I know everyone should be invited but let’s face it, if you invite the whole class, the soccer club, the church group, the cousins and his brothers and sisters, you will need a small mortgage to make this party happen. Remember, it’s a kids birthday party.
15 to 20 of his nearest and dearest is the perfect number. And it’s not your fault if someone is disappointed. By the way, don’t be bullied by that woman at the school who thinks that the whole school should be included.
If you don’t want siblings coming uninvited to the party make sure your invitation states, “Please drop Rosie off to the party at 10 am and pick her up at 12”. This lets the parents know in a nice way that its only for the invited.
Food
It is so much fun thinking about the food. Seriously, its more fun thinking about the food than actually making it. If this is your first party I totally understand and sympathise. Try not to get carried away making teacups out of marshmallows and Marie biscuits, chocolate crackle hedgehogs and teddy bears in Tim Tam cars. Time spent using tweezers, like George from Masterchef, to put hundreds and thousands on cupcakes is time away from doing the real work of a kids birthday party. Resting and getting the cups of tea for the parents ready. Or wine and beer depending on your guests.
Over the years I have seen so much food left over. There are only so many little party pies and sausage rolls that you can eat in the week after the party. I know, you think the kids will eat it all, but they won’t.
While you are shopping take that packet of sausage rolls and place it on your hips because that’s where it will end up if you over cater.
I personally can’t think of anything worse than fairy bread, fat with little bits of crunchy sugar on bread, but the kids love it and its not expensive. Little red sausages are great, especially if you are vegetarian because I don’t think they contain any meat and what kids don’t love good old fish and chips. Keep your sanity and keep it simple. The kids are usually too excited to eat and will only graze.
Cake
I want to say here to keep it simple but I know lots of cake makers who do incredible cakes. I will list them for you later when I find their websites, so you can choose one. If you want to have a crack yourself I have one word for you… Youtube
And make sure you have a Woolies mud cake in the fridge and a packet of rainbow sprinkles just in case.
The cake is such an important part of a kids birthday party and everyone loves to try to blow the candles out. I always tell the children that only the birthday child gets to spit on the cake. IF you have concerns about germs and those over-excited guests, a piece of glad wrap covering the cake before you put the candles on will sort it.
Once the cake is done most mums and dads are only to happy to vacate the party, unless your wine is really good. And then it’s time for the…….
Party bags
The idea of a favour to take home has been around forever and there are so many things to choose from.
Birthday bonbons, themed lolly bags, Giant lollipops, the list goes on.
Rosie O does fairy floss on sticks for the children to take home and that is very handy when the parents come with the siblings. Fairy floss for everyone to take into the car and eat on the way home.
I’ve been at parties where every child was given a thank you gift for coming and I’ve been at parties where there were no party bags.
It’s entirely up to you. Just be prepared for that very loud child who will make you feel like you have let the side down by not supplying that expected finale to a great kids birthday party.
Presents, To open or not to open, that is the question.
Many people choose to have the gift opening when everyone has gone home. It does prolong the excitement of the day for the birthday child and gives them more time to appreciate each gift. There’s time for writing on the cards so that next time you see someone you can thank them for the gift and actually know what was given.
It is fun for the guests to watch the gift opening during the party. A child opening presents is like watching someone do skip diving. Whole body in and wrapping flying everywhere. Slightly frenzied but so much fun. A box to put the opened gifts in is a good idea as it keeps them out of reach of the giver, who probably wants to take it back home with him. But something for you to consider, a child has gone to a lot of trouble to choose the perfect gift for their friend. They may like to share in the excitement too. There is no right or wrong, no etiquette for this. Just do what feels right for you.
Entertainment
To hire or not to hire.
It’s not the easiest thing in the world to get excitable little people sitting in a circle to play pass the parcel. It can be like herding sheep, without the sheepdog. And we all know the saying, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”
If you plan on doing the food, the drinks, the entertaining, the photos, it might be worth considering a party host. The millennium mum and dad are superheroes but on this special day, the day when you remember the 24 hours of pain to get that baby out, you should relax.
Don’t worry about how many sheets of newspaper are on the pass the parcel, how many guests have come and are there enough prizes to go around.
Don’t worry that you don’t really know all the words to the Hokey Pokey and you can’t sing. Don’t worry that you don’t have a play list.
Because…if you hire Rosie O for your kids birthday party in Perth, we will have it all covered.
You will be able to sit and relax. You can welcome the guests, pour the drinks and enjoy the day that wouldn’t be possible if you didn’t spend those hours in the labour ward.
Go on Book us. You deserve us.
Rosie O for the best, the very best kids birthday parties in Perth.