*Planning your little one’s birthday celebration can be fun!*
Some parents look forward to and love planning birthday parties, while others dread it and try to get by with the bare minimum! Carly and I are the Party Loving type! We look forward to this special day with great anticipation and almost start thinking of ideas and planning a whole year in advance! (okay, we are not that bad!!! Just a few months before!) There is nothing more rewarding than seeing your little Groovy Adventurer’s face light up when the cake comes out or when he or she rips open a present! Having all his favourite people, both big and small surrounding him and making a fuss of him is simply the best for your little treasure! Here are some of our top tips to having loads of fun on the big day!
*PLAN PLAN PLAN!!!* – being well prepared can alleviate much of the stress of the day and can help you relax and actually enjoy the day with your little person instead of running around like a headless chicken!
*Get help and Delegate* – having some help so that you can focus on your guests will also go a long way to making this day easier. I am so fortunate to have the best husband – who has on occasion dressed up and run around singing “Oh Toodles” for a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse themed party we had… and my girls have the best grannies who help cater and even make birthday cakes super amazing for my two little princesses. Involving others in the day not only helps alleviate some of the workload off your shoulders, but it also makes other important family members feel part and your little one gets to be showered with love from more than just mom/dad!
*Have Groovy Fun!* – kids love to play, so don’t just plan the decor and the food, also think about how you are going to keep little ones entertained (and how you are going to channel the energy release from their sugar rush!). Our Book, Groovy Adventurers has many amazing, cheap, easy to do activities which will keep little ones engaged in stage based sensory play while they are at the party! Don’t be afraid to play with and have fun with your little ones and his friends! There are also many people who can come in and entertain the children while the parents sit back and enjoy a cup of tea! My favourites have been the petting zoo, the ballet teacher, the clamber club instructor, the art jamming and the ice rink! What are some of your favourites?
*To sugar or not to sugar!* – obviously birthday parties are a time when even the strictest parent relaxes the rules a bit regarding their child’s sugar intake. But if your Groovy Adventurers are as popular as mine, then you may be faced with a party every other weekend! In which case you pray for some healthy snack options on the birthday table! Children enjoy popcorn, fruit kebabs, wraps, sausage rolls or hotdogs as much as the sweet treats and many tears can be spared with fewer treats on the table! The party packs also do not need to be filled with more sweets and cooldrinks – forcing parents to fight with their children on leaving the party! Why not try including an activity in the party pack instead of more sweets? I have put a biscuit recipe and ingredients for making biscuits in a party pack to encourage parents to go home and spend more family time making and baking together!
*Be sensitive and in tune with your child* – some children are a bit shy and sensitive and can find parties or large crowds and big events overwhelming. Be in tune to this and think of how your little one would feel doing the tasks expected of him (for instance blowing out the candles or opening presents). If he feels overwhelmed by everyone singing and looking at him position the birthday cake table facing a wall so that all the guests are behind him and so that he can just see his cake and a few familiar people around him. Plan how many children are attending the party and if necessary invite school friends to one event and family and friends to a separate event! Remember this is your little one’s day and he must feel comfortable and loved, even if it means toning down your own enthusiasm for parties!
*Have Fun!* – when things go wrong (it starts raining on the day, the ice melts, the cake flops!) shrug it off and remember the reason you are doing this is to celebrate the gift of your little one’s life, so don’t sweat the small stuff, be adaptable, make changes and sacrifices where necessary and try not to make a big fuss, if you are positive your little one will be too! It’s an important life lesson to model how sometimes we have to roll with the punches!
These are a few of our top tips! What are some of yours? Please share what works for you with us so that we can all have many more fun filled birthday celebrations!
Happy party planning!
Lourdes xoxo
