Mip Mops guide to Create the Perfect Party for Kids

By Tinker and Conk.com

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20 Top Tips on Organising a Kids Party by Delphina Daisy

1. I know it’s obvious, but you need to prepare, and prepare some more. If you really want to make an impact start organizing or at least getting ideas months, even a year in advance. Ideas take time, but also leads to other great ideas. Carefully make a list, starting with the theme of the party and beyond is important for a great, stress free and successful party

2. Shop well in advance for the party essentials such as balloons, plates, banners, party entertainers, gift bags, party invitations and party favors

3. Ensure you have plenty of help. Each helper should have a role delegated to one another

4. Visualise the party in your head, i.e. if it’s a 2 hour party, allocate plenty of time for eating, leave 15 minutes for arrivals, then 1 hour for playtime/entertainment (whether it’s a disco or bouncy castle), half hour for food and drinks, break and calm down time, ending with 15 minutes of play.

5. Clear up as the party progresses, which makes the clean up at the end easier

6. Do you know the cost of the party? Preparation should always include a budget, especially if money is tight. Questions to think about are – How many kids and adults are invited? Is it hosted at home or hired venue?

7. Regardless of whether you host the party at a hired venue or home, all parties cost money. If you can afford it, it’s a lot easier to hire a venue where everything is done for you, not to mention a huge time saver and less hassle.

8. Children will feel a lot happier and settled if games and activities are ready for when they arrive.

9. If name labels are used, ensure helpers also use them.10. Plan for an emergency too. Make sure you have all parents contact

details, and it’s a bonus if a helper is a first aider! Have a clipboard, paper and pen handy for these details.

11. Keep the party length to 2.5 hours max, don’t go overboard.

12. Kids are happiest around noon, so hold the party at lunchtime.

13. If the weathers nice, hold the party outdoors, the clear up is easier and the fresh air is good for all!

14. Be discreet sending invitations directly to school unless the majority of the class are attending. But it’s still nice to bring in a cake for the whole class to share.

15. When the kids start arriving, start them on an activity or game to break the ice. Give them each a party hat. For a extra special touch personalise with child’s name

16. Note down the schedule and timetable of the party and keep it on hand, make a copy for other helpers if needed

17. Know exactly where your matches and camera are. Extra long matches are much easier to light lots of candles

18. You could use parents who stay as party assistants, so everyone has fun!

19. Kids always want to open their presents; it is advisable to wait until you get home, things get lost and you will not know who bought what, for your thank you cards. You could let them open one to keep them happy. Have a table ready to put all the presents on when they come in

20. Don’t forget, it’s your child’s party after all. Do what makes them happy, and not yourself

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Kid’s parties start off with a guest list and invitations. The best invitations set a positive mood for your child’s party and your guests will look forward in anticipation

Send the invitations at least two weeks before the party date, or three weeks before for a party that may fall on a major/school holiday

Making your own invites give a lovely

personal feel and makes

them feel extra special

Make sure you state what and who the party is for on your invitations. These include:

DateStart and Finish timesThe VenueAn RSVP Telephone NumberThe Party Theme (If Applicable)Inform the parents if you will/will not provide party food, so everyone is prepared.Sprinkle a little bit of confetti in the envelope, this is a nice touch. But not too much that will cause a mess

Party InvitationsBy Devlin dinosaur

Be discreet sending invitations directly to school unless the majority of the class are attending

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Carminda Chick’s Party Checklist

A checklist is needed to keep things organised for a great successful party

Here are some useful tips for making a party checklist:•Review and update the list on a regular basis•Have multiple copies of your list, one on the fridge, on the bedside table (for reminders and late night inspiration of new ideas). Keep one in your bag/purse for when you go shopping.•Cross out completed tasks, the sense of goal accomplishment is a great feeling Children’s parties are immense fun for the

kids. It’s something they look forward to and plan in their own minds all year round. Make it even better by adding cakes, sweets and presents to the mix for a perfect day

Planning a party is much easier if it has a theme to

it, because it gives it a structure

that you can follow

Don’t forget to pack baby wipes. A must

have tool for any party!

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Candie Cow and her Four Week

Countdown Checklist for the

perfect Party

Four Weeks beforeMake a checklistCalculate your budgetDecide on a theme and decorFigure out the party supplies neededDecide on the food and drinks menu – Do you want a buffet, drinks, finger food, set meals, or other?Create your shopping listGet the party supplies orderedChoose what games and activities will be availableBook in advance any party entertainersResearch, and book the venue in advanceMake a to-do list of everything needing to be done in advanceHave a big box for all your items. This will keep everything together and you will know exactly where you are

One-Two Weeks before•Do the major cleaning (If hosted at your home)•Order the cake•Purchase the non-perishable foods, freezer foods and drinks•Buy the matches and candles, extra long matches are much easier to light multiple candles•If you’re making the cake, bake the base and freeze it•Schedule all activities•Follow up on the non-RSVP guests•Ensure you have plenty of serving/food utensils

Two-Three Weeks before•Purchase all items for the games and activities•Choose and order party favours for the gift bags•Get prizes for games (and have a few spare prizes on hand)•Buy the balloons•Ensure you have plenty of helpers for the day•Decide on the party music and make sure you have access to a stereo to play on•Pick all the party outfits and ensure they are clean•Get together a first aid box, just in case.•Go over the “Four Weeks before” list to check everything is ticked off

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Two-Three Days before•Check to make sure the camera and/or camcorder is in working order, and fully charged•Buy extra batteries for the camera and/or camcorder•Make sure the party area is clean•Ensure plenty of space in the fridge and freezer•Make sure there are plenty of foil, cling film, serviettes and bin bags•Name and organise the party gift bags•Wrap prizes for all games and activities and pack ready•Pack up party music and stereo•Confirm with the venue, entertainers and caterer etc... •Organise the decoration, and even begin the decorations if possible•Do any last minute shopping for food supplies and forgotten items•Get a piece of paper, clipboard and pen ready for the parents contact details, and pack

Day before•If at home, clean the bathroom•Clean outdoor surfaces•Charge all cameras and camcorders•Get the games and activities ready•Gather food utensils•Organise and sort the favours and party gifts (have a few spare just in case)•Prepare any food that can be put in the fridge overnight•Defrost the cake and any other food needing defrosting•Skim the list to make sure everything is covered•Get out party outfits•Pack first aid kit

The Big Day of the Party!•Collect the cake and decorate it•Start blowing up the balloons!•Decorate the party areas•Get the party games ready•Get the place settings ready•Gather all serving/food utensils•Ensure the camera and/or camcorder is ready•Prepare the perishable food•Put the candles in the cake ready to blow out. Matches.•Check any supplies needed for the bathroom (e.g. toilet paper, soap and towels)•Now you can relax and enjoy after carefully organising the party!

After the Party Ends•Send out the “Thank You” cards•Look and enjoy the photos and videos•Make an album for a lifetime of memories

Balloon Decoration Ideas

By Hercules Happy Birthday

Identify the venue with a few balloons tied up

outside. Tie at the entrance so people know where to go. It also sets

excitement for the children that they have arrived

Balloon CentrepiecesAdd some nice flair and a nice touch to the tables by tying some helium filled balloons with some curled ribbon, and use a balloon weight or base to keep steady

Balloon CurtainWhy not have balloons at the entrance so guest can arrive with a nice dramatic entrance. You can simply affix air-filled balloons to ribbons and hang them at the doorway

Other ideasSpread some helium filled balloons around the ground floor space with some balloon weights; it gives a nice vibrant feel to the party areaBalloon arches take a little more work, but look stunning. Try looking online on how to make themIf the party is in the summer and you are outside, consider having a water balloon fight. Kids LOVE water fights (although some parents not so much!)

Balloon AnimalsIt’s a great bit of entertainment for not only the kid’s, but the young at heart! Ensure you buy balloons specific for these purposes which are made for twisting, like the 260s and 360s (you can get 160s for those with smaller hands). You want to learn a few balloon animals before the party so you can demonstrate. You want to also print out instructions or have posters for the balloon animal area

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Don’t forget the drinks, make sure

you have tea, coffee, milk, and

sugar for the grown-ups

Party FoodBy Charman carrot

Serving a variety of tasty foods to cater for everyone is important to add festive flair and a successful party

DecideBefore you plan the food menu for the party, you need to decide what meals will be served (lunch, tea etc), which goes hand-in-hand with the time of the party

Creating a Realistic BudgetCheck over the guest list and do a head count. Based on this, make a realistic food budget for the guests Create the Tone

You want to ensure the food menu is related to and in sync with the theme of the party. For Halloween you could use recipes from the Halloween Mip Mops, or Christmas recipes from the Christmas Mip Mops (www.mipmops.com)You may want to look at the season, and select fruit and vegetables “in-season”. Not only will they look better, they will taste better, not to mention budget friendly

Choose a VarietyEnsure the food menu includes a variety of tasty food that will cater for everyone to enjoy. Whether your rolling up the sleeves yourself and unleashing your inner master chef, or hiring out a catering team to handle to food menu, a well thought out and planned party menu will not only ease the party planning, it will be a hugely successful and delicious celebration

For recipe ideas go to www.mipmops.com

Party Gift Bags & FavorsBy Rad Reindeer

Let the season guide you in choosing the type of party gift bags for the kids. During the summer, add in sunglasses and bubble wands. During the winter, maybe choose some indoor activities like colouring books, stickers, or flavoured lip balms. Christmas time, maybe add a cracker (homemade with a little gift is even better). Halloween has lots of gifts available. Mip mops have their own range of flashing badges, sticker books, and accessories, perfectfor all occasions

Think about the theme of the party, this makes buying favors much easier. Party favour bags with sweets, stickers, badges, temporary tattoos all make lovely gift ideas

For a nice special touch, send the kids home with personalised favours. Key chains can have an engraved party date, or a personalised message on pencils, pens, chocolate or kids magnets. If the guest list is smaller, personalised zip pulls and school bag tags with their names inscribed on the front make a nice impact without blowing your budget

Party favour bags don’t need to be expensive or

extravagant, whatever you choose, the guests are sure

to appreciate your thoughtfulness

Brown paper handled bags are perfect for making your own party bags. Each can be personalised with names and your own pictures added (add a picture of the party host saying thank you for coming to my party and making it a very special day, add the date of the party. Ribbons on the handles is a nice touch, (you could even attach a helium balloon) it’s more stand-out than standard plastic party bags

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Party Games & ActivitiesBy Sauda spider

One of the most important aspects of the party, are the games & activities themselves. While the cake, presents and food are great fun, if the guests are not entertained, the party can turn into a chaos pretty quickly. A child left to their own entertainment after consuming sugary cake and fizzy drink is never a good idea!

You’ll need to tailor the games to the age group of the children attending. Games can normally be adapted to suit depending on the celebration

Parties come to life with kids games! Kids anticipate some games and activities and its central part to their fun on the day. Find some of the Mip Mops favourite games on www.mipmops.com

You want to think about the style of the games carefully. Younger children act differently to older children; for example, musical statues can seem very harsh on a small kid when told “You’re Out!” Prepare for plenty of tears!

For game ideas visit www.mipmops.com