Category: Parties

Monsters Inc Party ideas

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Does your child love Monsters Inc? Why not have a fun party based on Mike Wysocki!!

INVITATIONS:
Invitations can be bought as there are lots of shops from the Monsters Inc film, but invitations can be downloaded from the internet of ‘Mike Wysocki’ and stick them onto card. The invitations could say ‘You’re invited to a party for Sam’s 5th birthday’ it also has to have important information like: Date, Time, Place and RSVP info.

DECORATIONS:
You could put a sign outside your front door with a Monster’s Inc poster saying ‘Welcome to the Monster Party’ Inside you can have your table decorated with Monster Inc tablecloth, plates and cups. To add a bit of personalisation you could have a seating plan with guests names and everyone has the surname Wysocki, or their favourite character from the film. And don’t forget the green balloons!!

PARTY BAGS:
Since Mike is the comedian of Monsters Inc. buy joke books to fill the bags. Also bubbles for younger brothers and sisters at the party. To the books & the bubbles, tie suckers and a tag that says thank you for coming to my MONSTER of a party with a Mike clipart. Use round suckers and glue a lime green circle & big wiggly eye to them to look like Mike.

FOOD:
Simple and easy party food for kids, like pizzas, popcorn, jelly and sandwiches, put a little green food dye on to make them more monstrous!! For dessert, served choc chip ice cream with a Mike cake. Use plain lime green plates, napkins, cups, etc. Great fun for all the kids.

Knowing your limits

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Any parent knows that children’s parties can be stressful. From who to invite to chasing RSVPs, Here are some of the most common concerns;

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.

Younger kids 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.

Should I invite the whole class?
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.

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.

How much should I spend?
Children’s 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.

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.

How much should I put in the party bags?
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 fun 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.

The Perfect kids party venue

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There are many reasons why you wouldn’t want to host a children’s party in your own house. Either you don’t have enough room in your house for a whole classroom of children, or you don’t want your house to get damaged. Perhaps you don’t have the time to clean up after a party.

Getting your party organised in the right location is of great importance. Organising a children’s party that is too far from anywhere is not a good idea, as other parents have to consider the cost of transport. Other considerations for your setting may include disabled access, the size of the hall itself and the cost.

Where:
Consider church halls, or community centres that have their own kitchens so you can cater too. Decide how much space you will need. Do you want outside space too? Some of these party venues mentioned are quite reasonably priced.

How much?
If you would like to find out how much a centre costs, you should ask the centre first if they charge by the hour or by child. Some centres do charge per person and this can become very expensive if you are looking to host a large number of friends.

If you have found the best location for your children’s party, then why not look on our blogs for amazing ideas. We’ve plenty of knowledge and experience in giving inspiration to your little one’s party.

Birthday Party Themes

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Themed birthday parties give the kids a chance to dress up whilst also giving you a great topic for which to base your decorations, food and entertainment around.

Circus
Having a circus themed kids party can be a great way to give the children a chance to learn a few new skills whilst they are having fun. They could have a go at learning to juggle, or messing around like their favourite clown. The circus is not just about clowns with their red noses and big shoes though, and so the children have plenty of options when it comes to fancy dress. There’s the ring announcer, the gymnasts, the lion tamer and the strong man; to name just a few.

Wizards and Witches
This theme has always been a firm favourite, particularly at Halloween, but has grown in popularity since the rise of a certain boy wizard. Your little guests can dress as their favourite character from the film franchise or as a wizard or witch from their own imagination. The beauty with this theme is that it doesn’t take much to transform an ordinary child into a wizarding genius; just a hat and wand in most case

Pirates and Princesses;
This has to be one of the most popular children’s party themes and always goes down well with the little ones. It’s so easy to pull off as well and you can make it as minimal or as full on as you like. Pirates can either turn up fully decked out in attire or with a simple eye patch. The girls will also be really excited about being able to don their favourite dresses, adorn themselves with a tiara and greet their royal subjects!

Space
Space is a great theme for both boys and girls as it really allows the children to let their imagination run away with them. Will they come dressed as a strange alien from the planet Zog, or will they arrive in a spacesuit ready for their latest adventure into the unknown voids of the galaxy. You could even ask half of your guests to dress as aliens and the other half as astronauts and then use these teams within your entertainment.

Food could include various twists on party classics, such as ‘asteroids’ instead of meatballs and ‘moon rocks’ in place of chicken nuggets. The venue could also be decorated to look like a strange planet with stars, moons and spaceships on the ceiling.

Superhero Parties

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Superhero Party Invitations

Send a “Top Secret” memo, telling them they have been selected to become a new superhero, and will need to report for training.

If you’re in a hurry, try online invitations.

Kids Birthday Party Decorations

Include decorations on your list for planning your kids party ideas. Decorations can really set the mood and make any a little more festive.

Anything to do with a superhero! Batman, Superman, The Incredible Hulk, Spiderman, Ironman and so on. Mix and match items from each of the great Superheroes.

Print images of well-known villains (find them online) and hang them up as “wanted” posters.

Obstacle Training Course – Some ideas for your obstacle course include:

Crawling through a secret tunnel or cave (use a play tunnel, large cardboard box, or table covered with a sheet, and hang streamers over the entrance and exit)

Paint some cereal boxes grey and set them up to jump over (leaping tall buildings in a single bound). If cereal boxes are too tall, choose something else appropriate in size.

Do a forward roll or other great move to show your agility

Walking on a “tightrope” – actually a line drawn in chalk or done in tape on the ground – to show balance.

Jumping through windows (a hula hoop held up)

At the end have a baby doll or stuffed toy that needs to be picked up and brought back to safety.

A Test of Speed – Divide players into teams for some relay races to show their speed!

Spiderman’s Web – Have pictures of villains posted in an area and give each guest a can of silly string so they cover villains with their “webs”.

Musical Superheros – Play a version of musical chairs, but instead of having chairs, have coloured sheets of paper on the floor. If a person isn’t able to land on a coloured sheet, then they are out that turn – let them control the music for that next round, before returning to the game.

Drench the Villain – Make some drawings of villains using waterproof markers. Have the kids throw water balloons at the villains and eventually the villain drawings will “run.”

Kryptonite Hunt – Before the party spray paint some large rocks in a fluorescent green colour. Just before the hunt have a helper hide the “kryptonite” rocks and announce a hunt for them. Give the players plastic bags to pick up the kryptonite and bring to you (so they don’t have to touch it with their hands, or else their superpowers might be destroyed!)

Superhero Children’s Party Favours a/k/a Superhero Training Graduation;

A superhero cape (presented at the end of training) and a mask
Comic books
Colouring books
Small action figures
Trading Cards

Dinomania

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Here is a list of some great easy party ideas and games for kids to help get you started on your hunt for a fun dinosaur birthday party!

Dinosaur Party Invitations

Send an invitation as a memo – with the objective being “an official dinosaur expedition”.

Make kid party invitations by covering a card with dinosaur tracks (use stamps and let the birthday boy/girl help make them!).

Think jungle – overgrown, greens, browns and the like. For kid party decorations, the more over the top, the better!

Make some dinosaur tracks with chalk or out of cardboard (for an indoor party.)

Dinosaur Party Games

Here are some fun kid party games, adapted for a dinosaur theme:

Dinosaur Egg Crazy Catch – You’ll need a ball for every two kids and a bunch of crazy stuff! Pretend the balls are dinosaur eggs and have the kids divide into pairs (these will be your teams. Have the teams play catch with the ball, but they can’t catch with their hands. Have them use nets, hats, etc.

Parachute – If you have a parachute make use of it . (If you don’t have one, you can always use a bed sheet.) For a dinosaur party, let the kids bounce inflatable balls (dinosaur eggs) or dinosaur stuffed animals on top of parachutes and to make it go up and down.

Dinosaur Dig – If you have a sandpit available, hide “dinosaur bones” related objects in the sand and let the kids hunt for them. For example, at a Princess party, you could hide plastic jewels. Don’t have a sandpit? Fill a tub with sand or rice. You might want to limit the number of items each child can find (such as three). If you have a large number of children let them take turns, just a few at a time, or set up this game as a “station” to be done when other “stations” are being played, such as some Target Games.

Dinosaur Hunt – Hide toy dinosaurs around the garden and go on a dinosaur hunt!

Dinosaur Party Cakes

Often used for kids party cakes, make a basic cake and use toy dinosaurs on top to make a scene.

Hip Hop dance party

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Since the success of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, the streets of the UK have hit fever pitch and now kids want to emulate this at their parties.

Professional Hip-Hop choreographers throw a kids dance party, and the kids get to feel and act like a dancing sensation – this is why a street dance party is one of the leading birthday party ideas.

Lighten up the mood and have a professional choreographer attend your kid’s dance party! Fun is the key, but we also like to give the kids a sense of achievement and reach a certain goal as the party goes on.

WHY THROW A HIP HOPPERS DANCE PARTY

  • To improve fitness
  • Increase self-esteem
  • Enhance your child’s self-development
  • Fun and caters for girls and boys of all ages

During the party, your kids can play a variety of fun dance party games where your children are free to have a funny makeover if they choose. This includes fancy make up, lip-gloss, body gel, hair spray and facial gems. If the boys want, we will spike their hair, spray it or give them mini tattoos.

Each individual Hip Hoppers dance party is choreographed and planned specifically to the age group of the party.

If you want to do a moonwalk like Michael Jackson, body pop it like Justin Bieber or shake it like Beyonce, you can have dance parties for children brimming with energy. It will be a dance party you will never forget!

POPULAR DANCE PARTY IDEAS

  • Street Dance
  • Break Dance
  • Michael Jackson
  • Pop Stars
  • Bollywood
  • Mamma Mia
  • Musical Theatre
  • Disco
  • Strictly Come Dancing

Great family fun for all the family which will get you moving and a twerking!!

Kids Event Entertainment

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Children’s party entertainment is something that many parents lose sleep over. Where do you find something that will keep your kids busy and engaged for the whole duration of the party, and something that they haven’t already seen before?

It’s a challenge most parents would gladly forgo, so Kiddy Zone is here to help. We have some fun ideas for party games, party entertainers and some great ideas of children’s birthday parties that are new and different.

From balloon modellers to magicians, street dancers to caricaturists and even green screen photography entertainments, plus a whole series of indoor and outdoor games which include:

Indoor -Dance Machines, Photo Booths, Table Football, Air Hockey and Skittles.

Outdoor – Funfair Stalls, Connect 4, Kerplunk, Table Football and Giant Scalextrics.

All performers you hire should be CRB checked (a necessary precaution these days), and each should be assessed for the quality of their performance, both by you and by the harshest critics of all, the audience. So, if you’re looking for children’s birthday party entertainment ideas take note of the right things to check for.

Have a Skylanders party

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Get ready to choose your elemental category and become a brand new playable character when you have your Skylanders party!

In order to throw the best children’s party possible, you need to plan appropriately! One of the most important planning decisions to make is where your children’s party venue will be. Your home, your garden, or a hall would all be great places to host your fun Skylanders themed party. No matter where you choose here are some ideas that will go well at your party:

  • Your Playstation, Xbox, or Wii along with your Skylanders figurines so that your guests can play their favourite video game during the party

  • Skylanders plush characters

  • Skylanders masks

  • Printed badges of the eight elements so that your party guests can wear their favourite

  • Skylanders costumes so that your guests can dress up as their favourite character

Skylanders Party Decorating & Food Ideas

  • Decorate your home with Skylanders figures.

  • Bring the Skylanders to you! Create your own using brown string and brow, golden, and green tissue paper that you can cut into leaves. These can be hung anywhere around your party venue.

  • Bake your kids favourite type of cake and put Skylanders figures on top.

  • For the undead among you, create some Skylanders Undead Bone Pretzels! Simple poke a piece of popcorn on each end of a skinny pretzel stick and dip in melted white chocolate until set.

  • For a healthy snack, buy some watermelon–after all, it heals and rejuvenates the Skylanders, so it’s the perfect way to give your kids a boost of energy!

  • Sheep are included in every Skylanders game, so make sure you include them at your party with these Skylanders Sheep Cupcakes! Ice cupcakes with white icing and cover with mini marshmallow use a chocolate donut hole for the head and give it eye with icing.

Make sure you let your guests know how much you appreciate them coming by giving them each a Skylanders goody bag at the end of your party! Things to include are:

  • Skylanders stickers

  • Skylanders 3D rubbers

  • Skylanders character masks

In addition to these items, you can include in your goody bag, such as lollipops, space putty, glow sticks, and bubbles to make your guests feel really special. With all of these options, you can mix and match until you create your perfect and unique goody bag for you guests. The possibilities for your Skylander favours are endless!

Barbie Birthday Party

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Throw your Barbie girl and her friends a dream Barbie birthday party that will have everyone tickled pink. Read on for our suggestions on Barbie party invitations, decorations, favours, games, and more.

Barbie Party Planning

Of course everything needs to be pink, pink balloons, pink invitations, pink tablecloths and a pink cake.  Make sure you have Aqua playing ‘Barbie Girl’ in the background too!!

Barbie means everything girly and fun, Barbie doesn’t have a care in the world all she wants to do is look fabulous!!

In addition to basic Barbie party supplies, like plates, cups, napkins and decorations, you may want to consider purchasing, borrowing or renting the following items for your kids party:

Bouncy castle

Pink feather boas

Weather permitting paddling pool (for a fun barbie bubble bath)

Hair accessories

Bubble bath

Pink bubble gum

Barbie tiaras

Sunglasses

Makeup and nail polish

Barbie clothes and accessories

Another great cheaper idea is to let the kids play dress up (just like Barbie) Get lots of grown up ladies clothes and let the kids have fun being a mini adult.  Scarfs, hats, handbags will be a great addition to a Barbie party. If you are feeling brave why not set up a makeup station where the kids can have fun experimenting with makeup. Make sure you have lots of makeup wipe handy!!  This bit of the party will keep the guests amused for ages!!