NOW CLOSED: Tell Chad Valley your best children's party tips - you could win a £100 Argos voucher!

[NewGirlHelenMumsnet]

What has gone down spectacularly well at a children's party you've organised - and what flopped? What great things have you envied seen at parties you've been to with your child, or that other people have told you about?

So tips on games, party food, birthday cakes, best/worst themes, party bags, presents, places to go/avoid - we want your children's party know-how.

Add your tips to this thread and one winner will get an Argos voucher for £100.

We'll use a selection of your tips on an upcoming Chad Valley hub [technical speak] on Mumsnet.

Many thanks
MNHQ

one year i got 3 for 2 mickey mouse spiral bound notebooks from tesco. i wrapped them up with some pens. total cost = £1 per child.

better than partybag tat! think outside the box...

A soft play party is great for little ones, but a meal afterwards can prove too much for them IMO. I have witnessed many tears fromt too tired toddlers. Instead, make sure there is a juice and something like a flapjack so they can refuel ont he way home.

ALways bring extra party bags. Someone always brings a cousin or a sibling you didn't know about.

Biscuit/cake decorating works wells.

Mummies - wrapping each other up in toilet paper is a great game!

Don't just book the local sticky floored social club for 4 hours and hope for the best - especially not for 4 year olds.

I have one kids who simply can't do parties - they totally overwhelm him, so we end up not hosting them, but the best my other boy has been to have been small and short with plenty to do and simple food.

The worst have had a bar and drunk parents effing and blinding at the top of their voices while the magician tried to do his stuff.

Don't set a party table....get some party food boxes and sit them on the floor...cushions or a couple of picnic blankets on the floor is best. And do hot dogs! Super easy in the microwave and loved by children!

(DS had a football stadium box with a hole for the drinks cup, room for the hot dog and a little scoop box, like those for fast food chips, for the chipstick shaped crisps!)

Everything in the bin/recycled afterwards....no hassle!

easy dont have one at home

nometime that is such a good tip - thank you!

My tips would be to:

• have way more games organised than you will have time to play.
• get guests to decorate name stickers as they arrive if you are going to have family helping out who don't know all the children - it also keeps them occupied while you wait for everyone to arrive
• have lots of balloons in the main party area for the children to play with as they wait for everyone to arrive.

Have someone there to take photos of the party. I am always sorting things out so ask my Mum to be 'photographer'. That way we can see how the children enjoy the day without having to stop and take pictures every few minutes.
And ditto Ilovesprouts :o

Having a professional face painter is always a huge hit, I found. The children can all take it in turns to go and get it done while they're waiting for something else.

We did a craft party for dd1 5th birthday this year - I had lots of little crafts - they started by decorating a plain gift bag (got them cheap in Jan sales ) that became their party bag and then as they did a craft they added it to their bag to take home - we just added the cake!
We also do two cakes - one small highly decorated one for show (and scoffed later) and one simple square one that we cut up before party and then its easy to add to party bag at the end.
Also maybe an obvious one but I always make sure I have a contact number for each child left just in case especially when they're just started being left - reassures pfb mummys :)

A clear space so children can dance, jump, pop balloons etc

A craft which can be easily acheived and fun for all like Cake decorating!

lots of balloons and party music. Nice simple games that dont drag on too much (children learn very early that once you have unwrapped a layer on Pass the parcel you are not going to get another go until the end so they will wanted off until the last layer) Pin the tail on the donkey, stick the nose of the clown goes down well. Pinata's take a surprisingly long time but also seems to keep everyones attention.

Above all do not get stressed if someone cheats always wins, prizes for all and keep it short younger children an hour and a half. Leave them wanting more.

Enjoy and laugh alot!

The most stress-free parties have been the ones at the local soft-play or similar. Team up with a couple of similar-birthday mates to keep costs down (they all invite the same people anyway).

All the mess, food prep etc. is then well away from your house; all you need to worry about is the cake.

If you do have a party at home, have some sort of craft activity that also serves as a "party bag" gift - i.e decorate a t-shirt, or build-a-bear (you can buy the kits online). Works better with girls, though.

Our best parties have been no games but lots of balloons and cheesy pop music, party only an hour long with a buffet out from the beginning. Some kids dance, some skid on their knees, some eat, some hang out in groups. Its also fun if a willing adult me engages some of them in a dance competition or just a group dance routine.
Also go to local shop that has a penny sweet pick'n'mix and get 10x 10p bags of chewy sweets for 'prizes'

My niece who is a bit older (11) has smaller parties where she has about 5 friends to sleep over, my sister buys or makes pizza bases and they all make their own pizza to eat in sleeping bags in front of a film, my sister paints their nails and makes natural face masks (avocados, oats and honey ect) really nice night in.

Dont feel obliged to "keep up with the Jones's" or invite the whole school. Most kids like the idea of everyone being able to come, but actually spend the whole time playing with just 1 or 2 kids. Let them have something simple and little with their favourite people.

The most memorable party we did was for DS when he was 5. We did a treasure hunt around the garden, finds were pooled and divided up into party bags. We also did a timed obstacle course with a prize for the fastest boy and the fastest girl. 12 children, all loved it. They were tired out by the time the food came out which is as it should be, IMO!

I dislike all class psrties, too many children IMO, too noisy, stressful and too many presents. We've always restricted our DC's parties to 12 max. I peronally think about 9 is optimum.

The inexpensive Smarties cake will go down as well as the made-to-order for £££ cake (when they are pre school anyway.)

We arranged for the ice cream man to come round during our daughters party last year. The kids absolutely loved queuing up for their cornets, and it saved a lot of faffing about with pudding. Not expensive either

I was very impressed by the mother of a 4 year old who's party DS went to recently. She had a clipboard with all the kids' names on and as they arrived, was checking them off and writing down a contact number for the parents. Then later on, she used the list to write down which present each child had brought.
Probably everybody does it but I was amazed by her organization!

Keep it simple for age 6 and under.

• 30 mins of arriving and playing.
• 20/30 mins of traditional party games.
• 30 mins of party food.
• 20-ish minutes of play/balloons/bubbles/games.
• Party bags (cake, balloon, bubbles and a piece of tat) handed out as they leave.

Job done .

Favourite has to be roller disco. Ds2 has had two now and all the children really enjoy themselves.

Bloody well say thank you to the host for being invited and thank the little sods for coming even if they vomit on your floor. That is all.

Oh and I did chocolate mice in cheese wedge shaped boxes instead of party bags which went down as well with the adults as the children for DD's fourth birthday.

Teddy's Pants. I always say it, but it is a winner every time.

One (largish) teddy.

Four pairs of (different) coloured pants plus a corresponding coloured drawing of each pair of pants.

Put a pant drawing in each corner of the room

Adult takes teddy and real pants out of the room.

Music plays. Children dance. Groovy groovy groovy.

Music stops.

Which pants will teddy be wearing?

hmm.

Choose a pant corner and go to it.

Teddy comes in wearing.... spotty pants! Hooray! All the kids in the spotty pant corner get a sticker/a sweet/a point (most points won means a prize at the end).

Teddy goes out again. Music starts. Dance. Groovy Groovy groovy. Stops. Which pants this time? Choose a corner! Teddy comes in wearing.......pink pants! Hooray for the pink pant choosers.....!

Repeat.

Lots.

Eventually everyone will want to be the teddy pant chooser.

You can play this game for a very long time.

Definately agree with doing individual food boxes rather than a buffett - tons cheaper and sooo much less effort.

Get someone else to run it all and away from home! So, having at a venue is a must for us. A hall at the very least. this year's was a climbing party and was a huge success.

Food boxes - ask for food preferences on RSVPs. Makes life much easier and you make less food and get less waste.

Bouncing castle - huge hit, almost no need to do anything else!

Party games - if you must make sure you have planned it all and know what you will do and when and for how long. Doing it ah hoc rarely works!

Party agmes again - give the "losers" a sticker as they are out and get them to help you spot. Especialy for little ones this stops tantrums.