Throw a World Cup Football Party

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With the World Cup just around the corner, we’ve all been given the excuse to don our England shirts once again, gather around the TV in the middle of the day and wait with baited breath to see if this could finally be our year?

However, what about the little ones in your life? The World Cup is a great opportunity to throw a fun, football-themed party for your kids and their friends. It’s also a handy opportunity to get them thinking about different cultures, as well as potentially getting them into a new sport.

Here are our tips for throwing a World Cup party this summer.

Setting the Date

It just wouldn’t be right to throw a football party without watching a football game. You can find all of the England team’s upcoming fixtures throughout the Cup on the Web.

Fancy Dress

Get all of the children to come as a famous footballer – past or present – from a different competing country. You can find out all the nation’s taking part and you can buy replica kits from most sports shops or online, or the kids can get crafty and put together their own.

Invitations

Making your own invitations is a great way to put in that little bit of extra effort. You can also use the invites as the big reveal, to let the kids know which nation’s kit they’ll be dressing up in.

Write the names of all of the competing nations onto bits of paper and place them in a hat. Get your child to help you randomly pull out a piece of paper for each guest who will be attending. You can then theme each invite based on which team they will need to be dressed up as – decorating them with the specific nation’s flag is a great idea. 

Decorations

When it comes to decorations, flags are the obvious way to go. In the spirit of embracing different cultures, don’t just stick with the England flag. Cover the children’s party venue in flags from all of the competing nations, for a colourful display.

You can also get themed table-ware such as a goal table setting.

Food

The food is where you can really start to get adventurous – and get the kids to try something new as well! Get busy in the kitchen and make a variety of dishes from competing nations. Here are some great ideas:

England

Fish and chips is the go-to-dish and is guaranteed to go down well with any fussier kids. For an easy option you can try fish fingers.

France

Great French dishes to serve include a yummy Provencal omelette cake (great for vegetarians too!) and French Toast.

Spain

Try serving some tapas dishes to bring some Spanish flavour to your party. Simple dishes such as potato chunks and salsa tortillas are usually safe bets. Italy

If you’re looking for child-friendly party dishes from around the world, you’d be silly to leave Italy off the list. Make some large pasta dishes such as lasagne for everyone to tuck into and try your hand at some home-made pizza.

Children’s Party Activities

Five-a-Side Football

The most obvious activity – if it’s not chucking it down – is five-a-side football. Split the kids into teams, set up two goals and let them burn off some energy!

Football Relay Course

Buy some cones online and set up a relay course. Split the kids into teams – the first team to have every member dribble a ball around the cones and back wins.

Penalty Shoot Out

Split the kids into teams and put an adult in goal. Each child gets two attempts to score a goal – the team that achieves the most goals wins.

Guess the Flag

Turn the decorations into a fun learning activity and get the kids to guess which country each flag represents.

Hand out prizes to the winners.

Party Bags

Handing out themed party bags at the end of the event is a great way to thank everyone for coming and make sure they have a reminder of the day. 

The World Cup is a great excuse to throw your kids and their friends a party they’ll love – plus you can use it as an opportunity to get them learning about different cultures and trying something new!

DIY Monster Party Ideas

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Thanks to hit films such as Monster’s Inc., ‘monsters’ has become one of the most popular children’s party themes.

Aside from being a guaranteed hit with kids, the theme is also one of the easiest to pull off – a dash of colour here and some googly eyes there are often all it takes to give your food or décor a monster makeover!

From multiple-eyed marshmallow pops to Monster’s Inc. inspired balloons, here are some of our favourite ideas.

Monster Marshmallow Pops

Monster marshmallow pops are completely adorable – plus, they’re easy to create, even for young children, making them the perfect pre or during-party activity. Simply dip marshmallows into melted, coloured chocolate, before dipping in sprinkles and adding edible eyeballs.

“Mike” Inspired Monster Balloons

Looking for a simple yet effective decoration idea for your monster party? Inspired by Mike Wazowski from the Monster’s Inc. franchise, these one-eyed balloons are guaranteed to be popular with the kids.

“Sully” Inspired Cupcakes

Mike’s partner in crime, Sully, is also a popular and instantly recognisable character from the Monster’s Inc. franchise. These Sully-inspired cupcakes will be a great addition to any monster themed party, and simply require some creativity with icing and fondant.

Get the Kids Involved in the Décor

Getting the kids involved in the party decorations is a lovely touch. Let them loose on any signs or banners and challenge them to draw the scariest monsters they can. You could also ask all of the guests to bring their best monster drawings to the party and create a ‘Monster Gallery’. Hand out prizes for categories such as “funniest monster”, “most creative monster” and “scariest monster”. 

Gooey Monster Eyeball Cookies

These cookies are another fun and super-simple way to give your party food a monster makeover. To get the ‘look’, you’ll simply need some food colouring and edible eyeballs.

A monster party theme is guaranteed to be popular with the kids – plus, you can create really effective food and décor, without having to spend lots of time or money!

Make sure the kids remember the day with some themed party bags.

Budget Activities for the Kids

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The school summer break can be a logistical nightmare for parents – from juggling child care to trying to book your own holiday, it can be hard to spend as much quality family time as you’d like.

The May bank holiday, therefore, is a great opportunity to get everyone together for some old-fashioned fun – and that doesn’t mean having to spend a fortune on expensive days out. From sensory treasure hunts to making dens, here are are some budget activities the kids will love.

Go On a Sensory Treasure Hunt

Small children love picking things up and touching them, so a sensory treasure hunt is guaranteed to go down well. Plus, it’s a great way to help them learn about the world around them! Draw up a list of things for them to find, such as ‘a tree with shiny leaves’, ‘something that’s been warmed by the sun’ and ‘a brightly coloured flower’.

Make a Den

Every child loves making dens to hide away from the grown-ups in. Provide them with old sheets, blankets and chairs that they can drape over garden furniture (or indoor furniture if the weather takes a turn for the worst!). You could even get creative and help them make a ‘no grown-ups allowed’ sign for the entrance.

Stage a Spring Olympics

If you’ve got a big enough garden or a nearby park, a Spring Olympics can be lots of fun. Split your children’s friends into groups of twos and threes, and ask them to pick a country to represent out of a hat. You can then set up ‘events’ such as a relay race and discus, which would involve throwing a Frisbee as far they can.

Set up an Obstacle Course 

You can easily set up an obstacle course in the garden with items you already own, such as ropes, a wooden ladder (laid flat on the ground) and hoola hoops. Not only will the course test the kid’s agility, it will keep them entertained for hours!

 Set up a Lemonade Stand

Setting up a lemonade stand is a classic summer activity for older children – plus, it will teach them a little bit about business too. Help them make the refreshing drink by following a lemonade recipe and get creative setting up the stall in the back garden. Then all you have to do is invite everyone round to sample their creation!

Christmas Birthday parties

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Christmas is by far one of the most magical experiences of childhood. From being too excited to sleep to peeking out of the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa’s sleigh, the memories of the holiday season become some of our most treasured.

In the run up to the big day, throwing a children’s Christmas party for the kids is a great way to make this year even more memorable. Plus, it’s an opportunity for you to get your creative juices flowing and fill the house with festive joy.

Here are our tips:

Invitations

Snowman Invitations: To make, simply cut out a snowman shape from white card. You can then cut out and stick on a hat made from black card, and stick on a scarf made from felt. Add the face with coloured pens, or use googly eyes for extra impact.

Fancy Dress

When it comes to fancy dress, you’re spoilt for choice. Ask all of the kids to dress as something Christmassy – this can be anything from a penguin to Santa Claus. Provide them with a few ideas on the invitations to get them started.

Decorations

Aside from the essential Christmas tree, you can have lots of fun creating a festive wonderland in your home.

Santa’s Grotto

A great idea is to create a Santa’s grotto – choose a small room, which you don’t need to use and drape the walls and any furnishings with fabric in deep red and purple.

You can then decorate the room with fairy lights, Christmas lights and decorations to make it feel festive. Get one of the adults to dress as Santa Claus and send the children into the ‘grotto’ to collect their party bags and any other treats.

Get Crafty

There are lots of simple Christmas decorations that you can easily make with the kids. Try making garlands from pine tree leaves, pine cones, tinsel and baubles. Other ideas include; painting the tips of pine cones white for a snow-effect, cutting snowflakes out of paper to string around the house.

Activities

Every party needs plenty of fun kids christmas activities to keep everyone entertained. Why not try:

Pass the Parcel

This is a classic game, which can easily be adapted for the festive season. Hide gifts between layers of wrapping paper – the kids pass the parcel round the circle, and if they’re holding it when the music stops, they get to open a layer. 

Gift Wrap Relay

Divide the children into two teams and provide each team with a gift-wrapped box – you should also prepare stations with pre-cut wrapping paper and cello tape. Each child has to run to a station, un-wrap and then re-wrap their box, before running back to their team and passing it on to the next person. The first team in which every child un-wraps and re-wraps the box, wins.

Mystery Stocking

Fill a stocking with a collection of ‘mystery’ party bag fillers, with a distinctive tactile feel. Each child has a chance to feel the fillers inside the stocking – if they can guess what they are without looking, they get to take them home.

Party Games for Children 5+

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Musical Chairs or Cushions (5 upwards).

Set up chairs or cushions in 2 rows back to back. Put out one less chair/cushion than there are children. Start playing the music and ask the children to walk all around the chairs/cushions until the music stops. When the music stops, the children must each sit on a chair/cushion. The child without a chair/cushion is ‘out’. You might like to have a bowl of sweets to offer to each child that is ‘out’ so they don’t feel too humiliated – but don’t make it so tempting that everybody wants to be ‘out’! Then remove another chair/cushion. If there is ever a tie, don’t spend ages making a decision, just replay that round.

Animal Musical Chairs. 

The player left standing must pull the name of an animal, written on a piece of paper, out of a hat. Then, they must act it out while the other guests try to guess what the animal is. Start the music again and repeat the game until there’s only one chair left.

Musical Statues (5 upwards)

Play some music, and watch the children dance and jump about. Without notice, turn off the music and the children need to freeze. If anybody moves, they are ‘out’. As with musical chairs, you might like to have a bowl of sweets to give to this child so they don’t feel too humiliated – but don’t make it so tempting that everybody wants to be ‘out’! Repeat until there is just one person left.

Hot Potato (5 upwards)

Sit the children in a circle and choose one to sit out wearing a blindfold. Begin by passing a potato around the circle, while the ‘blind’ child stands to one side. Everyone must accept the potato, and may not hold it longer than a second. At any point the ‘blind’ child can yell, ‘Hot Potato’, and whoever has the potato is out (Think about using that invaluable bowl of sweets again!) Continue to play until there is only one person left, and they are the winner. A really good variation is to follow the theme of your party. Use an appropriate item to pass around the circle instead of a potato.

Duck, Duck, Goose (5 upwards)

This classic children’s game is perfect for any party. Gather your guests to sit in a circle and let the birthday child begin as the ‘Goose’. They walk around the circle tapping each child on the head, saying ‘duck’ with each tap. When they are ready to choose the next person to be Goose, they say ‘goose’ when tapping that person on the head. That child gets up and chases the birthday child around the circle. If the new Goose does not tag the birthday child before they make it all the way around the circle and sit in the open spot, then the new Goose becomes ‘it’. If the new Goose tags the birthday child, then the birthday child remains ‘it’ for the next round and the game continues.

Decorate a Birthday Banner (5 upwards)

Unroll a roll of unwanted wallpaper and mount it plain side up on a wall within easy reach of your guests. At the top of the ‘banner’, write ‘Happy Birthday (your child’s name)’. You could lay the paper on the floor if you’re worried some of the artists may mistake your wall for their canvas!

Provide a variety of crayons and felt pens and let the children create their own masterpieces. Don’t forget to ask each artist to write their name and age beside their drawing. You can even encourage them to write a special message to the birthday child. After the party, fold it up and save it, or if you’d prefer, take a close-up picture so you can tuck it inside your photo album later.

Chinese Whispers (5 upwards)

Sit the children in a circle on the floor. Sit with them and begin by whispering a phrase into the ear of the person next to you. One by one, each person whispers the sentence (as they hear it) to the person next to them. It makes its way around the circle and when the last person receives the message they repeat it out loud – usually with very amusing consequences! By this time the children will have got the hang of it so you can extricate yourself from the circle and leave the children to take turns starting with their chosen sentence.

Fishing Game (5 upwards) – wonderful for a sea life themed party

You will need a helper for this activity. Tie a string across the room and hang a sheet over it so no-one can see what is on the other side. Use an old fishing pole, or make one using a stick and some string. Attach a clothes peg to the end of the fishing pole’s string. Let each guest take a turn ‘casting’ their line over the sheet. Get your helper to stand on the other side of the sheet and attach small fishy gifts to the clothes peg, giving the line a slight tug on the line when they’re attached. When the children reel in their lines, they’ll be delighted to see what they’ve caught!

Jelly Eating Contest (6 and upwards) (probably a better game for a smallish party!)

Make one bowl of jelly for each child (plus have a few extra on hand). Line the bowls along the ground. It’s a good idea to place a tablecloth or other protective covering on the ground for easy clean up. Each player places their hands on the ground beside their bowl and must keep them there throughout the game. When the command is given to start, all the contestants begin eating their jelly. The first one to clean their bowl completely, wins. Be sure to have a camera ready to capture the memorable moments! Great pictures to attach to your thank you letters after the party!

Freeze Tag (6 and upwards)

For this popular game, guests need to spread out in the party area (or better still, outside where there’s room to run). Let the birthday child be the first ‘tagger’. The ’tagger’ tries to tag all the other guests. If a player is tagged, he or she must freeze. Players who are not frozen can ‘melt’ frozen players by touching them. The first player to be frozen three times becomes the next ‘tagger’. You need to keep a close eye on who’s being ‘frozen’ – with large groups this isn’t so easy.

Edible Jewellery (6 and upwards – any younger and it takes forever!)

You will need at least 60cm of string for each guest, sweets and cereal with holes, and small bowls to put them in. Before the children’s party, fill the small bowls with the sweets and cereal and place them within easy reach of your guests at the party table. Give each child a length of string with the first sweet or piece of cereal tied on the end – otherwise anything the child threads on will fall off! Let them create a necklace, bracelet, anklet, etc. They’ll have lots of fun creating their own yummy, edible jewellery!

Party games for children 2 – 3 years

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Air Balloon (3 upwards)

This is more of a time filler than a game with a winner and is enjoyed by everybody because it doesn’t matter how good or bad you are! It’s a good way to start a party whilst you are waiting for everybody to arrive. Before the kids party, insert a small, light-weight gift such as a Stretchy Smiley Men into the opening of a balloon before inflating it. Then, blow air into the balloon and repeat until you have a balloon for each guest. The children have to try keeping the balloon in the air for as long as they can just be using their head. Once given the go ahead they can enjoy bursting the balloon and retrieving their prize!

Pass the Parcel (3 upwards)

Before the party wrap a gift into a layer of paper. Now wrap it in another layer and repeat until you have the same number of layers as you do guests. (If you have more than about 15 guests it’s more fun for your guests if you play the game with 2 parcels). Seat everyone in a circle and play some music for a short time. When the music stops, the person holding the parcel removes ONE layer of wrapping. (Have a bin bag ready so you can keep tidy from the start!) Repeat until the last layer of wrapping has been removed. The winner keeps the present.  Three variations include:

1. Putting a forfeit in each layer e.g. name 2 animals beginning with p, count from 20 backwards, kiss somebody wearing blue….

2. Putting a gift in each layer. Have a look at our really special made up pass the parcels which save you a huge amount of time and inspiration. If you make up your own, choose fairly small gifts to stop the parcel becoming unmanageable and you might like to follow your party theme if you have one. 

3. Cinderella Pass the Parcel – another special pass the parcel but more of an effort for you. You need a pair of Cinderella type dressing up slippers and as man y girly gifts as you have guests. First, wrap one slipper with a girly gift. Repeat wrapping individual layers and tuck a girly gift in each layer. About halfway through the number of layers you choose to use, insert the other slipper and a girly gift, and keep wrapping. Play the game in the normal way. Continue until the first slipper is unwrapped. Then, reverse the passing order until the second slipper is uncovered. The 2 girls holding the slippers then ball room dance around the circle, wearing one slipper each.

Animals (2 upwards)

This is game is fun for small children who are naturally intrigued by animals and can’t cope with the intricacies of a more complicated game. Have a selection of animal masks or small wild animals– the same number as you have guests. Hold one up, one at a time. Ask all the children to imitate the animal. Continue, changing the animal just as soon as you feel the time is right! At the end of the game, give a mask or animal to each child. This could be a good ‘going’ home game if you’re brave enough not to hand our party bags!

Sleeping Lions (3 and upwards)

Surprisingly loved by a huge age range, this is a great ‘calming down’ game before handing your guests back to their parents. Ask the children to ‘sleep’ on the floor like a sleeping lion. The moment anybody moves they are ‘out’. In reality, you can ignore the odd twitch and your guests can stay ‘sleeping’ until somebody comes to collect them! You will look marvellously in control and the children will have calmed down into a contented and peaceful state.

Children’s Party Etiquette

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Any parent knows that children’s parties can be stressful. From who to invite to chasing RSVPs, planning an event can feel like a minefield of social conundrums.

However, the important thing to remember is that you’re not alone – visit any of the major parenting forums and you’ll find plenty of posts detailing exactly the same concerns. And, as the saying goes, there’s ‘wisdom in crowds’, so what better place to look for advice?

Here are some of the most common concerns;

Should I invite the whole class?

This is a common concern – how do you decide who to invite from your child’s class? Only invite a select few and you run the risk that someone’s feelings will be hurt, invite everyone and your budget can spiral out of control.

The consensus seems to be that only inviting half the class is fine, as long as you make sure you aren’t just leaving out a couple of children. It’s fairly common for parents not to invite the whole class, especially if their child isn’t close to all of its members.

When you consider that all of the children may bring parents or siblings, limiting the number of invites seems perfectly reasonably – as long as you’re not singling anyone out.

Should I invite boys and girls?

The gender divide is a frequent concern, with many parents noticing boys not turning up to their daughter’s parties and vice versa.

An explanation for this could be the children’s party theme. For example, one parent notes that her son was happy to go to a ‘heroes party’ but not a ‘Frozen’ party. Having a unisex theme is a good way to make sure that all of the children feel comfortable attending. 

Another explanation could be age. Younger children tend to have friends of both genders, whilst older children will often have a group of friends who are the same gender as them. However, every child is different, so it’s important to discuss with them who they’d like to invite.

How much should I spend?

Parties can become expensive, so money is always a pressing concern. Once children reach school age, they’re likely to be invited to their classmate’s parties, which can pile the pressure on to compete.

So, how do you ignore the pleas for all the latest bells and whistles, and make sure you don’t spend more than you can afford? As mentioned above, one of the easiest ways is to reduce the number of people you invite.

However, there are lots of other things you can do to cut down on costs. Hiring out a village hall can be a good bet, as they will generally charge an all-in-one fee for a two to three-hour party, unlike other venues, which will often have additional charges for food etc.

If you’ve got the time, making supplies such as the cake and decorations yourself is a great budgeting trick. 

What to do if parents don’t RSVP?

Is there anything more annoying than people who don’t RSVP? Unfortunately, not knowing who’s going to turn up seems to be a common problem

This can be particularly problematic when ordering party bags or food – how do you know how much you’ll need, if you don’t know who’s coming? And the problem is exacerbated if they then turn up with siblings in tow.

A good tactic is to include a politely worded caution in the invitation.  Something along the lines of ‘food and party bags will be ordered on XXX, so could you please RSVP by then to let me know either way’.

If there are still non-responders, it might be worth handing out reminders just before the date stipulated in the invitations.

How much should I put in the party bags?

Handing out party bags has become a staple of children’s parties, but knowing what to put in them is causing some parents a headache. Whilst you don’t want to look like you’ve gone completely over the top (largely due to the impact on your budget!), you don’t want to look like you’ve been too stingy either.

The general consensus is that just a couple of quality items is more than enough, with many parents including a mixture of sweets and small toys, with one or two different items for boys and girls. The focus should be on quality not quantity, as these items will bring more joy for longer.

Throwing a party doesn’t have to be stressful. By following our guide to party etiquette, you can ensure that you sail smoothly through any potential pitfalls. And, if in doubt, talk to other parents – two heads are always better than one.

Teenage Party Ideas

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Ask any parent what the trickiest age for kids is and they’ll often reply ‘teenager’. Not quite grown-up, not quite children, throwing a party for your early teens or tweenagers, (as 10-12 year olds are sometimes known), can be tricky.

The important thing is to get the balance right between a children’s party and something a little more grown-up. Here are our tips to help you get it right.

Themes

Rock Star Party

A rock star themed party is a great way to bridge the gap between child and teenager. Ask the kids to come dressed as their favourite diva or guitar hero, or alternatively, a glam rock theme can be a big hit.

Essential Activities

Air guitar competitions and karaoke, of course.

Party Bags

Any self-respecting rock star has an impressive array of tattoos.

Spa Party

For many (not all) girls, it’s their tweenage or early teenage years when they first develop an interest in fashion and beauty. If this is something your child is interested in, a spa party could be the ideal theme.

Create a calm, clean and relaxing environment, with plenty of towels, seating, easy access to a bathroom and different ‘stations’ for activities. You could also play relaxing music and provide healthy snacks, such as fruit smoothies.

Essential Activities

Facemasks with cucumber slices for the eyes, foot spas, manicures and makeovers.

Party Bags

Fill your spa party pack with lots of girly pampering products, face masks, lip balm or bath bombes.

Cinema Party

What could be better than a party including all of your favourite films? Get all of the children invited to suggest an age-appropriate film, and then vote on the ones they want to watch. All you need to do is provide a comfy seating area and plenty of cinema-themed snacks, such as popcorn, hot dogs, nachos and mixed sweets.

Activities

Film watching! You could also play a movie trivia quiz and movie-themed Pictionary.

Pizza Party

The great thing about teenagers and tweens is that they’ve reached an age where they can do more complex activities – still under supervision, of course. Throwing a pizza party is great fun and it results in lots of yummy home-made snacks.

Get the guests to form teams and design their fantasy pizza, using any toppings they like. Once all the pizzas are cooked, get everyone to try each other’s – whichever team’s pizza is voted the most delicious, wins.

Activities

A pizza making competition! You could also put together a quiz on Italy – the homeland of the pizza, or try blindfold pizza tasting to see who can guess the toppings.

General Tips

– Give them some space – early teens and tweens are at an age where they’re going to want some privacy when they spend time with their friends. Make sure you’re nearby and available if there’s a problem, and pop in every now and again to make sure things are OK.

– Don’t treat them like children – OK, so they’re not grown-ups and still require a certain level of supervision, but suggesting children’s games such as musical statues probably isn’t going to go down well.

– Get an extra pair of eyes – monitoring a teen/tween party without making them feel babied is a balancing act. Make sure you have someone to help you – if you know a trustworthy older teen, they could be a great asset.

With the right theme and some tactful supervision, you can get the balance right at your teen/tween party.

Ideas for a Minions party

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As a parent, it’s unlikely that you haven’t heard of the ‘Minions’. But if they’ve somehow passed you by, they’re essentially small, comical characters with their own language, who’ve been around for thousands of years. All they want is to serve the most despicable villain around but unfortunately, they have a bad habit of getting them killed due to their persistent oafishness.

However, the only thing that you really need to know is that kids love them. And if you’re planning a party, ‘Minions’ is guaranteed to be a popular theme. Here are some great ideas.

Minion Food

When it comes to kids party food, you can really get creative with a Minions theme. Some great ideas include:

Minion Birthday Cake

Simply cover a sponge cake in white icing and then mould the Minion figures and shapes from coloured fondant. 

Single Minion Birthday Cake

If you’re not a confident baker, this single Minion birthday cake is the perfect choice. Simply coat the cake base in coloured frosting before decorating with black piped icing and fondant.

Minion Decorations

Minion decorations are all about the colour scheme. A great example is:

Blue, White and Yellow Table Decorations.

A blue table covering and yellow, white and blue tableware is the easiest way to get the look. On a side note, we also love this blue and yellow popcorn idea! 

Minion Games

No party is complete without some children’s fun games and activities – don’t forget to hand out prizes.

Stick the Goggles on the Minion 

A twist on the classic ‘stick the tail on the donkey’, ‘stick the googles on the Minion’ is guaranteed to be lots of fun. First, draw a Minion on a large piece of paper (minus the goggles, of course!) and then draw some goggles on a piece of card and cut them out. Place some double sided tape on the back of the goggles, blindfold each child in turn and see if they can guess where to stick the goggles on the Minion! 

Minion Fancy Dress

Fancy dress is always a popular party activity and Minion fancy dress is a great opportunity to get creative. The simplest outfits only require a long sleeved yellow top and dungarees. However, if you want to go all out, making goggles and decorating yellow hats will be lots of fun.  

A Minion party theme is guaranteed to be popular with the kids – plus you can have lots of fun creating the food décor and activities.

Throw a festival party

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It’s officially festival season and people all over the country have been enjoying music, camping and spending time with friends. Despite the inevitable downpours of rain and quagmires of mud, thousands of us love every second of festivals like Reading and Glastonbury each year.

So, why should the kids miss out? Throwing a music festival themed children’s party this summer is sure to make you a hit with your child and their friends. Here are some great ideas.

Invitations

You can have lots of fun making your festival themed invitations.

Tickets

A great invitation idea is to base the design on festival tickets. Although this style is commonly used for weddings, it could be easily adapted for a children’s party – all you’ll need is some coloured card and clever usage of Word.

Flyers 

Alternatively, you could go for a flyer-style invitation – this is basically a mini poster advertising the date and time of your ‘festival’. A fun idea is to include a list of the activities you’ll be offering (e.g. bouncy castle, karaoke) under the heading ‘line-up’. 

Fancy Dress 

What music festival would be complete without some attending rock stars? Get all of the kids to dress up in their best rock attire. Alternatively, you can draw up a list of iconic musical decades, such as the 60s, 70s and 80s, and ask the kids to dress in the style of the era – provide them with pictures for inspiration.

Decorations

Creating a music festival in your garden isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Divide the space into signed areas such as ‘campsite’, ‘main stage’, ‘dance tent’, and ‘refreshments’. Borrow some friend’s tents to create the camping area and set up a barbecue in the refreshments area.

String flags and bunting around the garden and hang national flags from a number of countries in front of the ‘main stage’. 

Activities

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to festival themed activities.

Making Flower Crowns

Make sure you supervise this activity – ensuring each child works one-on-one with an adult is a good idea.

Making classic festival flower crowns is a lovely activity for older children, and will provide girls with a memento to take home with them. They are surprisingly easy to make – all you’ll need is floral wire, floral tape, fabric flowers and glue.