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Handy tips for having a sucessful party ?
Party length
If you want a stress free party then we advise booking a 2 hour package. By booking an entertainer for two hours, you are guaranteed happy children throughout the whole party and not just for some of the party . All you need to do is feed the kids and at the end wave bye bye.
Party venue
To make sure your party package goes successfully we recommend finding your entertainer first then finding your venue as some packages need certain amount of space or areas that are not necessarily public places i.e. pubs, you may need a venue more like a village hall or community centre. Make sure your guests (and your entertainer) can find the venue, always put on the name of the building or pub and the postal code. It helps to hang banners or balloons outside the venue, that way your guests can look for the balloons.
Children's safety
We always recommend that parents stay with there children, then you don't have the responsibility of looking after the children, and we also have to point out that the entertainers are never responsible for looking after anyone's children. We understand that not all parents always want to stay so you may also want to take the parents phone numbers if they are not staying. This way you can contact the parents if there are any problems. Its also a good idea to find out from parents before they leave if any children have allergies or special requirements.
Children's food
You can always tackle the buffet for your selves or there are great catering companies out there that provide children's buffets, if you are having a party with in dinner and lunch times we always suggest making the buffet a nice healthy dinner option, but if you are having a party with in the day that isn't timed around normal food times we would suggest having more of a graces buffet with just quick snacks.
Balloons
We suggest not bothering with balloons all over the floor. A lot of parents blow up balloons and throw them all over the floor. This, however, can cause problems. It distracts the children from what the entertainer is doing to start with. However a lot of younger children will start crying when they pop (which they will do). The best bet is to put balloons up on the walls but not the floor.
Venue parking
We always suggest have a parking space near the front door for the entertainer. This helps loading in and out .Not having the right parking at a venue can cause more problems and could cause delays which no one wants that
Birthday presents
We always suggest having a table near the entrance for the birthday presents to be put on, then you are not having to wrestle with mounds of presents are looking for places to keep them. We also think a table near the door is a great trick as those late comers that toddle in when the party has started and want to grab the birthday child because they don't know where to put the presents, it stops the birthday child having to be distracted
Party times
Book the party around lunch or tea times. The traditional 2pm-4pm slot is not the best time to have a party. The children will have already eaten lunch and will probably not eat the food you serve. If you book your party 11am-1pm or even 4pm-6pm, the food you serve becomes the lunch or the tea for the kids. More parents will also bring their kids to a party booked at these times. A lot of parents look at a party in the middle of the day as a hassle as it really does not give them any time to do anything else. However an 11am-1pm (for example) means they can go to the party and then go off for a family outing later on. We always suggest booking your date and times with your entertainer first to guarantee you have them before booking your venue.
Avoid distractions
Beware of distractions. If the venue you have booked has lots of toys out (for example) make sure you put them away or cover them over. The entertainer will need the kids 100% attention and this is difficult to get if there are other things going on that the children are interested in.
Safety first
Children's safety is the first most important priority, and that is why we suggest always asking the parents to stay at the parties then all the responsibility doesn't just fall down to you, if that isn't the case then we suggest roping your friends and family in to help you with guarding the doors and toilet runs. Also watching out for spillages and boys or girls getting a little rough and tumble with each other.
Children's toys
Kids love blowers and noise makers but they can be distracting when trying to organise food or during the entertainment, it not only gives some of the children head ache but also the adults. This can also be a problem for autistic children with loud noises. It is best to hand these out in goody bags at the end of the party. This way you will not get a headache ten minutes into the party!
Joint birthday parties
If you find it hard to afford a party or would like the share the responsibility then why not try to find if your child has any friends that have a birthday at a similar time. If they do you can contact their parents and try to arrange a joint birthday party. This way you get to share the cost and the hassle with someone else. It also means you have more people on hand during the actual party to make sure everything runs smoothly.