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Before choosing the date, check if there are any competing attractions that might clash – another party involving some of the planned guest, a local event, or even a national sporting contest on television can lead to a disappointing number of refusals.

Check that your Children’s Entertainer is free on that date first as popular Entertainers get booked weeks / months ahead especially weekends and in the months of July, August, November and December. Try to have a couple of dates and times to hand so you will not be disappointed. Tell the Entertainer to make a couple of temporary bookings for you so you have some leeway to book your venue, if you are not using your home.

Check that your helpers will be available. It is better to get family members as helpers.

Where?

This will depend on how many children you invite. If it’s a large group, and you’re planning to use the garden, decide how you will cope if it suddenly pours with rain. Over 18's parties can occupy several rooms and do not require supervision [in theory], children do, so you must be prepared with extra indoor games. Check with your Entertainer if he does outside shows, there may be some restrictions if a live rabbit is to be produced, an electric supply may be required for special equipment. Also consider heat exhaustion, sunburn if the youngsters have to sit and run around for an hour or more. Heat, wind, and bright sunlight can cause a lot of discomfort for your young guests so some cooling off room would be an asset. You could borrow or hire a village hall, a marquee, theatre, or a large room in your local school, church, or leisure centre where you can control the environment.

Remember you must get back to your Entertainer as soon as you have your venue booked.

Invitations?

Who should I invite? Your child may well want to invite every member of the class, Brownies, Cubs, or neighbourhood. Only invite as many as you can comfortably accommodate. Our advice is to keep the party as small as you can – 15 or 20 is a good number, if you’re having it at home.

Avoid inviting known troublemakers. If you keep the party small it is easier to leave some children off the list without causing offence.

Avoid adding additional time to the party for receiving present, introducing to others, taking coats off, putting them on, and giving out party bags, etc. all these actions will only take a few minutes. The optimum time for a successful, happy, enjoyable party is 2 hours, if you are having it in a hall or similar you can stretch to 3 hours.

Do send written invitations with the place, date, start and finish time also keep a list of invites by the phone. Not all reply by letter.

Parents?

Avoid inviting parents to stay even ones with shy children, they all quickly become part of the party when they have gone.

If parents and guest turn up to early and you are not ready, suggest that they call back at party time.

Never feel obliged to take on extra guest.

Decorations, Balloons and Blowers?

Always hang decorations out of reach of the children.

Never have balloons lying around on the floor, tie all balloons with a separate string and then tie the bunch together before hanging it high up out of reach.

Always have enough balloons for each child to take home.

Never give each child a balloon or blower as they arrive, save these for when they go home.

Remove all toys, breakables, and valuables from the party room.

Presents?

As the children arrive place all the presents to one side, preferably on a table or in a large box. Have a pen handy to write on the present who gave it. Leave the present opening until after the party, have a guessing game just between yourselves of what’s in the presents. This stops other children breaking the toys, saves lots of tears and mess.

Make sure the birthday host understands that you are all going to have a game of opening the presents after the party

Ensure that the birthday host thanks the guest for the presents and welcomes them to the party.

Prizes?

Keep prizes small and simple.

It is not necessary for every child to win a prize. If any children are concerned about not winning a prize, explain that they will be taking something home at the end of the party [i.e. Party Bag]. In the majority of cases it’s the idea of winning that appeals to the children, not what the prize is.

When a child wins a prize get them to place it in their party bag, so it is not broken or lost before the end of the party.

Feeding Time at the PARTY?

Party food boxes may make laying out the table easier but teatime will be over much faster. Also some children might get upset if the box contains foodstuff that they do not like.

Sandwiches are the least popular food item so use sparingly or avoid altogether.

Use cartons of drink with straws, as these are less likely to spill if knocked over.

Begin with savouries and allow a decent amount of time before putting out the sweet items. After another period of time bring on the jelly and ice cream and finally the birthday cake.

Avoid using re-lighting candles on the cake. These are not that easy to put out and many children get upset when they do not go out. Only allow the birthday host to blow the candles out, this stop a lot of spit etc. on the cake.

Offer the children “a small piece of cake now” rather than letting them all take some home because most of the time the cake ends up squashed and usually thrown away.

Avoid a mad dash to the food table, do not say, “Who’s going to be first at the table” for your own safety. To achieve an orderly sit down, choose the children one at a time starting with the birthday host.

Avoid having the children standing and eating.

Avoid a buffet style where the children collect their food, drinks etc. then wander off to find a place to sit.

If you cannot seat all the children around the table, lay some paper/plastic cloths on the floor so they can sit around that.

Remember never give blowers, balloons, party poppers, or things like that out at teatime, save them for home time. Party poppers in young hands can be dangerous.

Beware giving out party hats. Many children do not like wearing them and you could end up spending a great deal of time repairing broken elastic.

Do not let children leave the table until the tea is completely finished, unless it is an urgent call of nature. Even if they tell you they do not want any more, tell them they must stay at the table until they have sung Happy Birthday.

Make sure all go to the loo before you start more games or sit down for a show. Tell them they will not want to miss the next part of the party by going to the loo; they may miss a prize or something more exciting.