NOW CLOSED Share your top party tips for children aged 3-6 with My Little Pony, and you could win a £100 Argos voucher.

[KatieBMumsnet]

We've been asked by the team at My Little Pony (www.mumsnet.com/microsites/my-little-pony) to find your top tips for kids' parties - specifically for children aged 3-6.

This could be anything - from using a theme, to party foods, venues, drinks, present etiquette, and cake or the all important (or not-at-all-important) party bags. So, do share your top tips and funny stories on this thread, and everyone who does so will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 Argos voucher.

Please note your tips and stories may appear in an email MNHQ will be sending out in April.

keep it short never more than 90mins

Book people or bananas (their even-cheaper end of line store) for books for party bag. Alternatively £1 bouncy balls, footballs, hoops etc all go down well. I've just spotted some 50p silicon watches on the sportsdirect site which I'm thinking of for ds1's party bag next month (having previously done the books and bouncy balls)

Keeping an eye out for suitable things in the sale - and then putting a note in your diary (for party time rather than when you buy them!) of what you have and where you've hidden them so you don't end up last thing at night tearing the place down looking for them the night before the party.

Activities that can turn into party gifts also work well - fabric paints and cheap cotton book bags or cheap White tshirts.

eBay is often a great source of really cheap party and party bag supplies but don't automatically assume it will be the cheapest.

If you're having problems getting parents to reply, get your dc to tell their child(ren) that you are sorting out party bags and will only make them up for the people that have responded. Amazing how the thought of no party bag seems to concentrate the child's mind and focus the pester power to getting the patent to ring you. Especially if you provide a printed note with your contact details on in case they don't have them to hand or have lost them.

3-4 year olds you're probably going to want the parents to stay (may well be 2 yr olds and several that aren't toilet trained so you're not going to want to start having to start changing somebody else's child just when you are supposed to be doing the games or tea or having a large glass of wine cup of coffee

5-6 yr olds may well want to stay behind without parents - make sure you have a list of children attending, column with their parent's name(s) in and a space for a contact number. Pre-fill if you have one but leave space for another one too. Don't let any child in or parent go without getting their contact details - and any allergies or other comments (eg veggie) in the final column.

If you're doing parties at soft play or other such venues that have multiple groups through for a meal, check that you really do have just your guests there for a meal. Especially in Reception or in a new school - it was only when we looked at the photos afterwards of ds1's party and asked 'who's that?' that we discovered nobody knew who she was. Still not sure if she was in the wrong party or did it regularly for a free meal on a Saturday!

I too always do the Easter egg 'party bag' (advantage of dc's being born march/April!)

Also for pass the parcel I just use a cuddly toy to hand round then when the music stops the 'winner' picks a prize/sweet out of a lucky dip box I've made up. It saves me hours of wrapping & forgetting to put a prize in each layer/ not enough layers.

Also make sure you have an extra party bag or two as there is always someone who turns up that forgot to reply (or siblings that have come along too.)

If hosting the party games just isn't your thing, rope in a friend who is good at it and let them get on with it while you sort out the food or whatever.

I always had the two hours meticulously planned so all that spontaneous fun could happen like clockwork . Seriously though, being well organised with a list of games and props and running order, stops reduces opportunities for boredom and fractious behaviour.

An idea for food: buy mini pizza bases and line up bowls of ingredients for the dc to choose from to construct their own individual pizza.

We always did a fancy homemade cake and it was all part of the thrill of the birthday week to design the fish or the cat or whatever - doesn't have to be professional quality, just lovingly made and lots of fun. We used to buy shop sponge cakes and cut them into the shapes to make the animal or whatever, then apply buttercream icing liberally to cover the joins. Used sweets/biscuits etc for the faces. It's a lot of creative fun to do with the birthday child.

Worst moment: when dd had first go on a pull the thread pinata and got the jackpot! Okay, game over, lets move on.... grrrr

Oh and task an adult friend to take nice pictures of the proceedings so you don't end up missing photos (or missing what you were supposed to be doing)

When you take a picture of your child blowing out their candles, make sure the number is turned around to the person taking the picture rather than the child. Then when you get the pictures back you will hopefully have a nice one of your child and an easily visible, right way around, age reminder that is a good one to send out to grannies etc as a thank you card, especially if you crop in close on the face and the number on the cake.

If you are going to do a thank you card for friends that come to the party, a group shot of everyone (especially if it's a school or nursery group) can be really nice and easyto do

Oh and task an adult friend to take nice pictures of the proceedings so you don't end up missing photos (or missing what you were supposed to be doing)

When you take a picture of your child blowing out their candles, make sure the number is turned around to the person taking the picture rather than the child. Then when you get the pictures back you will hopefully have a nice one of your child and an easily visible, right way around, age reminder that is a good one to send out to grannies etc as a thank you card, especially if you crop in close on the face and the number on the cake.

If you are going to do a thank you card for friends that come to the party, a group shot of everyone (especially if it's a school or nursery group) can be really nice and easyto do

Amazon is a good source of party bag fillers - or for younger kids, buy a 'mini library' set of books and break them up.

Also - when sending invites, say "RSVP by " to try and discourage people leaving it super-late to reply and help with planning.

Make life easy for yourself. Use cherry tomatoes as the veg - saves cutting up.

Last year I made sandwiches with one side brown bread and the other white to entertain the kids - none of them noticed.

have an activity for the start when everyone is arriving - e.g. colouring, make a strawberry lace necklace.

I use the RSVP by XXX date also.

DO NOT PUT PARTY POPPERS IN THE BLINKING PARTY BAGS!

Two years ago now, still cross about that one.

If you have a decent printer - buy a big pack of cheapo frames from IKEA and take photo of each kid, having had their faces painted (or simply making it a costume party so they come ready done) and send them home with their photo in a frame. They ADORE pictures of themselves! These ones www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/30151035/ are 79p each and you can put a picture of the birthday child on one side and the attendee on the other.

For a small child - less is definitely more. My DS' 3rd birthday we invited 2 of his best friends. Had a picnic lunch followed by a fabulous adventure in the woods! The result - a very happy little boy! It was the best party I've ever mastered. Not to mention the cheapest!

Get a teacher to host it DS went to a party where the mum was a teacher and she soooooo had the assorted 3 year olds under control.

If one isn't available, then make sure you just let them play. They seem to have the most fun when they're just running around with some balloons.

Definitely find a venue - our local council rum leisure centre hires out the gym hall plus a room to have food in for £50. Money well spent.

I always go for a themed party and make and decorate a cake to go with it (you can buy some fantastic shaped cake tins which helps!). If I'm having the party at home and doing my own thing then i aim to have 10 children and let them run around, then do party games, then food, then a few more games, then give them party bags to take home. I generally shop on ebay for party bag fillers and include a couple of sweets and a balloon as well as things like stickers, themed pens/pencils, notepads. I did hire an entertainer and a face-painter for one party with about 30 children and just did the food myself plus some great food for the adults which went down really well but I think i prefer doing the small at-home party best. When dd's are a little bit older we're hoping to do a pony day party where they and a couple of friends spend a day at a riding stables with their 'own' pony for the day. I always get so nervous during the party and I am really relieved when it's over but do it all again the following year regardless. I discovered that the food wasnt so important to the kids as it was to me so I've cut down and simplified - they generally stuff their faces for a few minutes then jump up and play again anyway - oh and singing happy birthday around the cake is a must.

Hire a bouncy castle!
Have a quiet table for crafts, colouring in etc, this has been very popular with the quieter children.
Get sets of books from the bookpeople etc for dividing up into party bags.
Put food into paper bags for each guest like a happy meal, less waste and nobody takes all the cakes.

If you are doing pass the parcel, put little party hats between the layers as well as a little sweet. That way, you can easily see that everyone has had a turn at opening a layer.

Party bags are expensive, annoying to put together, and usually just go in the bin. Fill up. Huge box with chocolate and sweets, place by the exit and let kids have a lucky dip on their way out.

Put forfeits in between the layers of pass the parcel.

I managed to eke one game out to about 45 minutes when I was scared and clueless. Sweets in the layers also help.

Don't waste time on elaborate party food, as long as there are a few sandwiches, crisps and buns they are generally happy.

Agree with not spending a fortune on party bags too. Sweets are eaten in the car and the rest usually ends up in the bin quickly. The best one we every got was a little pot, seeds and a tiny bag of compost. We had great free pumpkins for lanterns and soup the following halloween!

Don't waste time on elaborate party food, as long as there are a few sandwiches, crisps and buns they are generally happy.

Agree with not spending a fortune on party bags too. Sweets are eaten in the car and the rest usually ends up in the bin quickly. The best one we every got was a little pot, seeds and a tiny bag of compost. We had great free pumpkins for lanterns and soup the following halloween!

Feed the grownups. If nothing else, at least tell them it is ok for them to help themselves to the same food the children are having if they can stomach it.

Make sure drinks are available during the whole party and not just during the meal as children get thirsty at parties!

If doing party bags include a small toy, small chocolate bar, small chewy sweets and a piece of cake. The venue often does balloons. One great gift DS once had instead of a party bag was a Tesco knockoff aerobie flying disc.

Also, make sure there is water for those DC who don't like the other drinks on offer!

Find a toy hire place and hire a bundle of soft play stuff, scooters, trikes etc. hire a village or community hall that has kitchen facilities. Don't put too much emphasis on food but do make big fuss bringing the cake in and down the lights for the blowing out of candles. First blow and slice to the birthday boy/girl.

Don't stress too much about organising party games - 1 or 2 is enough. Avoid pass-the-parcel at all costs unless you particularly enjoy diffusing tantrums

don't bother with party bags - but a book bundle from somewhere like RedHouse books (you can get 30-odd Mr Men books or similar for about £20 if they're on offer) and give one out with a slice of cake at the end. Works out cheaper (probably) and let's face it, isn't plastic tat that gets left in the car for the following weeks to come

Definitely give out party bags even if they are only cheaply filled. The last thing you want is upset kids at leaving time! Just because mums don't like plastic tat - try to remember that kids love it.