With most births occurring between June and November (count back 9 months and you’ll see that conceptions mostly take place in the cold Winter months! 😜) Summer can be a busy time for parents!
With kids breaking up from school, looming exams and holidays to navigate, the thought of organising a large-scale birthday party for your little ones can often be stressful as well as financially crippling!
Celebrating a special day shouldn’t be a chore so we’ve put together some useful ideas to help with planning your PERFECT PARTY – with everything from food prep, to great games to play and getting your kids involved.
Photo credit: Kids' birthday parties
Birthday party madness!
Welcome to the crazy world of sugar rushes, frantic gift un-wrapping, tears, tantrums and a whole load of FUN. Welcome to the world of kids’ birthday parties!
Celebrating your child’s special day should be fun, adventures and a little bit mad (in a good way!) A themed birthday party with great food, music, colour and exciting games needn’t break the bank and can be held very successfully at home.
Creating memories that will last forever
A themed birthday party always goes down well and will become an important memory in your child’s life. With so many resources available to print from the internet, there’s no need to waste money buying expensive decorations. Flags, bunting, pictures, party hats, even cupcake holders, can all be downloaded and printed fairly cheaply at home (and more importantly, recycled afterwards).
Add in some generic colour-matching balloons, paper plates and cups and you’re ready to party on a budget!
You can find instructions on how to make an Everything’s Rosie Heart Garland and Birthday Card here https://www.everythingsrosie.com/craft along with lots of other ideas for simple crafts you can make at home with your children.
Themed birthday parties
Whether it’s pirates, or fairies, monster trucks, animals, mermaids or their latest favourite kids cartoon on the telly, you can’t go wrong with a themed birthday party.
There are so many inspirational ideas on sites like Pinterest that can be replicated at home. Plan ahead and enjoy scrolling through the birthday themes for ideas and inspiration for boys and girls.
Check out our website for ideas on simple make and do’s for your party such as Will's pirate hat
The Birthday Cake
Some of the loveliest cakes my kids remember are the ones I made myself. It’s lovely to have a cake made by a professional baker, however, it’s really not necessary. With so many ready-make icings, fondants and decorations readily available in supermarkets these days, you don’t need Masterchef skills to create a Masterpiece for your child.
Check out these amazing Everything’s Rosie cakes on our website Everything's Rosie Birthday Cakes sent in by fans of the show!
Birthday Party Venue
In the UK we need to be prepared for all weathers so a party where you can be both outdoors and indoors is a must!
The majority of my kid’s parties when they were little were held at home. As they get older though, they (and their friends) do outgrow your house so you might want to look at hiring a church hall or sports hall for the afternoon. Our local church hall was always available at a nominal fee so it pays to shop around.
If you really want to take the strain out of organising games (and the budget can stretch to it) then leisure centres, swimming pools, inflatable world’s and bouncy castles are all good for an afternoon’s entertainment!
Photo credit: Child's Ball Pit
Party Food
We know that parent’s freak out about too much sugar these days but what’s a birthday party without a little indulgence?! Fear not! There’s always a way of adding in some fruit and veg and making it look so appetising, kids won’t be able to resist!
Cheesy dips and cucumber or carrot sticks always go down well! Chocolate dipped strawberries were always gobbled up first at my kid’s parties and they’re easy to make!
Buy some good quality strawberries (make sure they’re nice and ripe – nothing worse than a crunchy strawberry!) Gently melt milk, dark or white chocolate over a lightly simmering bowl of warm water and have fun dipping the strawberries in so they’re half coated. Get the kids involved too – they love it!
BBC Good Food has an easy recipe here Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Photo credit: Dessert Now Dinner Later
Birthday Party Games
Photo credit: 24 Fun Filled Birthday Party Games Ideas For Kids
Party games have evolved so much since many of us were children, however, traditional games such as PASS THE PARCEL, PIN THE TAIL ON THE DONKEY and MUSICAL CHAIRS are still very much enjoyed!
If the weather permits, a simple obstacle course or treasure hunt set up in the garden with hidden clues can keep even the most curious children entertained for hours!
Games don’t need a lot of organising especially for very small children - they are just as happy doing “keepy uppies” with a balloon 🎈
A Visual Merriment is a fantastic guide full of practical tips for toddler party games at home – including traditional, indoor, outdoor, educational and creative play. There are also FREE DOWNLOADABLE ACTIVITY SHEETS on the site 😊
Friends and Family
At the end of the day, the key to a great birthday party isn’t the theme, the presents or even the cake. It’s the friends and family you share it with, and the memories you make, that are important.
It’s tempting to want to go overboard with food, with decorations, with presents but REMEMBER you don’t have to! Great times can be had on a budget 😄
Hopefully we’ve given you some inspiration for the next party you plan and that tears and tantrums will be kept to a minimum 🥳🎉