Us parents aspire for nothing but the best for our children, especially when it comes to important celebrations, such as birthday parties, graduations, Easter and Halloween. We want these to be super fun, truly special and ideally snag free! If you are one who is practical and who would rather do it yourself from planning to clean up, then gatherings involving a bunch of mini-mes most definitely pose an overwhelming challenge. Here are a few pointers and guidelines to organizing such a feat, hopefully – hassle free!
PLAN AHEAD
To get your celebrant excited and ready, a month or two of planning is enough. Have a checklist on the crucial factors involved in the following order: VENUE, GUESTLIST, DATE & TIME, THEME, DÉCOR, MENU, GAMES and LOOTBAG. If you are holding your celebration outside your home, it is important to reserve the venue months ahead.
INVOLVE YOUR CHILD
If your celebrant is old enough, let him/her in on the plans, especially on the party theme. You’ll definitely need that to suit his/her taste. Have a checklist and pin it on your refrigerator magnet. You’ll also need your child to be in line with your budget. Let him/her know how much you’ll be spending for this and that. What you can omit and what you should opt for instead to keep the budget balanced. This will be good training for them to be budget conscious and better organized.
INVITING
Do it yourself personalized invitations are best and another way to get your child involved. Make him/her write a short note or if you are feeling creative you can include your kids drawing too. Send them out 3 weeks ahead. Make sure they RSVP!
SETTING THE MOOD
To set the ultimate party mood, decorate with balloons, ribbons, signs etc. but always keep in mind and go with the particular theme you and your celebrant have chosen. Music is another vital factor. Make sure you have your sound system going and your speakers up and ready.
THE PARTY
Set a positive mood by serving kids welcome treats. In adult-speak they are your canapés and aperitifs. Serve fizzy drinks in a paper cup, a bite-sized cookie or an animal cracker while they start getting engaged in initial playtime with the other kids. You can layout a bright blanket with different toys scattered around or prepare kiddie tables with paper and crayons laid out. These should keep them busy while you play catch up with the adults and prepare for the main course.
Keep in mind that mini-me means mini servings. If not bite sized, foods must be at least half the size of an adult serving. Serve fun on a dish – Kids have short attention spans and are rather visual. Foods you serve must be “fun” to look at and platters should be eye catching. Before finalizing your menu though, ask about any dietary concerns or allergies your special guests may have.
Below are a few simple yet engaging entrées for the little ones.
- Fish and Chips – serve them in cones of the Sunday comic section; stuff them in a tumbler and serve. Or wrap them in newspaper and tie with a string, looking much like a present. And as they carefully undo and open the “present”, the newspaper now serves as a placemat with the fish and chips ready to eat right on the table.
- Drumsticks and Mashed Potatoes – Not many kids are unfamiliar with chicken, making this an ideal bet for an entrée. Kids also find drumsticks fun to eat and mashed potatoes easy to scoop hence less of a mess.
- Pasta with meatballs – Pasta is another safe and hassle free bet with kids. You can opt for the more “fun” shaped variety such as the Penne (tubes), the Farfalle, (bow-tie) or the Fusilli (spiral). Serve in colorful bowls for easier scooping.
GAME TIME
Traditional party games such as Pin the Tail on the Donkey, and Musical Chairs work best with 4 year olds. While more challenging games such as Treasure Hunting and Pinatas work better with the 6 year olds. Simple Crafts such as Mask Painting, Bead Making, Ribbon Wands making works both as an entertaining factor and a birthday souvenir.
DESSERT
The most awaited part and everyone’s fave. Ice cream and cake are usually the easiest to serve. However if you want to take the extra effort here are a few suggestions.
- ICE CREAM SANDWICH – you’ll need 2 malted cookies or 2 squares of graham crackers. Wedge in the ice cream. And there you have it. Serve up in different flavors for a rainbow colored scheme!
- FRUIT FONDUE – go the healthy route by serving a variety of chopped fruit or fruit pieces in a platter. Melt some chocolate. Serve up in a bowl. Give each kid a fork and instruct kids to choose a fruit and dip each one in the “fondue”
THE END
Wind the party down with some feel good music, serve up refresher drinks, some tea in miniature cups, maybe some coffee for the adults. Gather the loot bags and distribute.
Samantha Samonte is a writer for Culinary One, a blog about culinary careers, cuisines and food in all its scrumptious glory. She spends the rest of her time living life to the fullest in the company of her laptop and creative writing prowess.
