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

[PrettyCandles]

Top tip: get someone else to do it. Hire a recommended entertainer, or use a venue with good activities and a leader, and then you can enjoy the party, too.

Favourite tip: ban party bags. I don't want more bags of tat in my house and over-sugared sticky dc throwing up before bedtime, so why should I inflict that on other parents? Give a piece of cake and a little present costing £1 or under when bulk-bought, eg a couple of glittery gel-pens (Costco) or a book (Book People).

[DegreesCelcius]

Teddy Bears Picnic theme.
Make use of the garden .Lots of blankets on the ground. These double up as your tables for the food. When finished you shake them out and the birds get their share!
Each child brings their favourite teddy bear. Lots of interactive play.
Use cushions or pillows as well. Good for musical "chairs"
Form a circle with the cushions for pass the parcel.
Depending on how big your garden is and the amount of children you could make an obstacle course. I borrowed bean bags and hoops for this.

[ilovedjasondonovan]

A balloon filled with dolly mixtures at the end of the party that you hold up in the air and pop creates a mad rush for all the sweets that fall out. Cheap version of a pinata.

[DriverDan]

If you have no garden use your local park.

We had a 'Picnic in the park' party for DD with individual picnic lunch bags and balls,cones for goalposts, frisbees to play with. We all had a great time and you can invite as many people as you want. Best bit was my house was pristine on our return Just don't forget the binbags! It was so easy I threw this party when DD2 was 2 weeks old, everyone was amazed I was able to throw such a fab party when I'd just given birth!

Also, I used a tip I read somewhere (possibly on mn) to take a group picture of all the kids and use pic as a thank you card, went down really well!

[Tommy]

maximum 2 hours over a meal time 11-1, 12-2 or 4-6 etc

craft type activity to start

written time table with games, time for meal etc

2 or 3 other parents who are primed to do specific tasks

when you want everyone to go home, say "We're going to have a gorup photo now and then it will be time to go home" and give each child the photo as a thank you.

many years of practise

[AtYourCrucifix]

Gin

[CheerilyChompingCremeEggs]

We had a party in the park - summer baby so it was appropriate - games of football, pinata hanging from the goal posts, picnic tea, then massive squirty cream fight at the end! It was fantastic, they all loved it!

[chocolatecoveredrationalist]

Don't have it at home - soft play, village hall etc much much better. Keep it short 2 hrs absolute max.
Plan loads of games - more than you think you could possibly get through.
Craft activity decorating biscuits - loads of icing pens, sprinkles etc etc works well as does decorating their own party bag & some time running around like mad things always goes down well.
Keep food simple & provide drinks at least for parents if they are staying.

[flyinstar]

the best tip i can give,is the same as another poster,DON,T BLOODY HAVE ONE!!!!!!

[Cyrli]

Don't do it. Tell your child to pick two friends and take them to the cinema!

[moonbells]

Lots of places you wouldn't expect have children's parties. ask around or google. We will probably be going to a local heritage railway for DS's 4th because he loves steam trains so much - one that does footplate rides for the birthday child too. Works out not too expensive.

[JulesJules]

Do it an an organised place so you don't have to do anything - soft play etc.

One going home pressie instead of a bag of tat - eg colouring book/small pack of crayons or pens, book, packet of seeds (like cress or sunflowers)

Instead of a big cake that you have to cut up, wrap etc, have fairy cakes on a stand.

[KenDoddsDadsDog]

DD was born at Christmas. So her party this year was to see the reindeer and Santa at our local open farm. Lots of nativity animals to see to.
Gave the parents some much needed shopping time !

[strandednomore]

I need to keep some of these tips for upcoming 4th and 6th parties!

Pirate party - end with a treasure hunt, when they find the treasure chest use it as a lucky dip for the going-home present. Everyone also then knows it's time to leave...

[OeufaBrain]

Do HAPPY BIRTHDAY SINGING AND CAKE CUTTING AS THEY ALL SIT DOWN TO PARTY TEA.
a) you have their attention! If you wait until after they have eaten, half of them will do a runner and the other half will want cake NOW!
b) you have time while they are eating to take the cake and slice it for party bags etc, avoiding that awful rush at the end when you are tryiong to talk to parents, distribute party bags (if applicable ) and divide the thomas the tank engine masterpiece into 30 pieces...
c) If you have a special cake, which you actually want to save the share with family, this is an ideal opportnity to slope off and substitute the prime cake for the smartprice sponge you purchased for 99p

[OeufaBrain]

If you hire a bouncy castle, never let them on it for at least half an hour after tea....you do NOT want to spend the next half hour mopping up vomit, especially when they are all rolling around in it.

Make no plans for the evening. You will be knackered. You need a hot bath and a large glass of wine.

[OeufaBrain]

Oh, and NEVER have a baby in December - everything is booked up and there are no nice cheap outside options available. {bitter}

[gillybean2]

Do the party elsewhere!

Best party ds had (according to his friends) was at Stubbers www.stubbers.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=111 where we did the comando party.
I did warn parent to provide extra clothes in case of getting muddy (which they did in the park afterwards as the zipwire had an enormous muddy puddle under it - The best part apparently!)

I took along party boxes (personalised with stickers for names) www.yellowmoon.org.uk/product-Rainbow-Party-Boxes-K931.htm which were food and party bag combined and we had them in the covered picnic area/park afterwards. They were all mad on gogo crazybones at the time so that was easy enough instead of plastic tat along with chocolate, sandwich,crisps,choc roll, more chocolate! (Food boxes are also an easy option if you have any allergies as you can make them individual where necessary).

My tip would be include extra sweets instead of plastic tat in any party bags and if you have to put a 'toy' in choose something in the sale that you would keep for your child (eg pot of playdough, bubbles, notepads/pencil, stickers etc). This site is great for themed party boxes etc www.delights.co.uk/toys/toys.aspx

Have also hired local youth church for a sleepover with lots of games, wii consol and a booked activity (winter survival course). Didn't expect them to sleep but at least I didn't have to worry about the neighbours!

When he was younger we did softplay, village hall disco, cinema (our local one does up to 30 dc and 6 adults for £50! bargain).

[babster]

Have a chocolate fountain for dessert - it has wow factor for kids and they love preparing the skewers. Have a pack of wipes handy for sticky fingers and faces afterwards.

[flamingtoaster]

When you send out the invitations ask for details of any food allergies/current food preferences - you don't want someone turning up and announcing they went vegetarian last week, or have become allergic to something.

If dealing with several different allergies then do decorated food boxes with the children's names on them to avoid any problems.

Always have far more games than you think you need - including a number of "ice breakers" if the children don't all know each other. Islands is useful for this - put a sheet of newspaper on the floor for every five children. When the music stops everyone must stand on the newspaper - anyone not on the paper is out. Remove sheets (or tear them in half) as you go along. They will end up standing on one foot, laughing hysterically and hanging on to each other as the game progresses.

If more people accept your invitation then you had bargained for then have an indoor picnic - spread a large disposable tablecloth on the floor, cushions round it to sit on. If your eco conscience will allow you use disposable plates and cups. When all food is eaten (or left overs removed) very easy to clear up!

[mercibucket]

cake decorating as an activity then stick the cakes in the party bag to take home and eat

[TotorosOcarina]

get the kids to make their own pitta pizzas.

and decorate fairy cakes with icing and sweets.

[prettybird]

Don't get sucked into the "invite the whole class" competition. Invite only those kids that your child wants to come along.

If you do have the party at home (we are fortunate enough to live in a house with big rooms and solid walls and a good sized garden), then invite the parents especially the ones you get on with to stay on and have your own "party" in the kitchen with the door shut.

A magician works well from age 4 to 8 - we had a friend who was a magican and was "booked" from birth for his 4th birthday party (the earliest he would do it) - and did it every year until he was 8 (we came to a compromise and he "allowed" us to pay him every 2nd year). His advice was not to have them last too long - he said 2 hours, but we used to have the closest friends staying in for longer becasue the parents were still nattering in the kitchen while the kids ran amok in the garden.

Party bags are not needed - we happened to have them while we had the magician (he supplied little basic ones - which included a flier for his services) - but at ds' last party all the took away was pieces of birthday cake and ds' friends were happy with that. (If they're not, that's their problem - maybe ds is just fortunate with his friends).

Traffic light jelly goes down well and is cheap to make: clear plastic cups, make some green (lime) jelly and divide it amongst the cups, let it set, and then repeat with some orange jelly and finally with red (strawberry/raspberry) jelly. The plus point is that what doesn't get eaten is a nice low calorie snack for you! :)

[sybilfaulty]

WRap the last layer of pass th parcel in different paper so you know when you need to turn round. Easier than counting, esp if you hvae to have extra layers because of the people who have not RSVPed. And don't have a yoohoo as the prize as it will call much upset among the kids who don't win.

Tattoos are a great alternative to face painting.

Always cook double the amount of sausages as the parents always eat them.

If you have a September party, write the kids' names on labels so you can easily identify who is who. If it is in Jan onwards, don't invite children who you don't know!