Play Centres Many parents go for the soft play / play centre option – especially for younger children – as this is a one stop shop, providing venue, activities and food all under one roof with no clearing up to do afterwards. Play Centre parties can be expensive – especially if it is a larger party, as you often pay per child. Most centres have a budget option or a cheaper after school party slot, and some can be privately hired for a shared party so two or more parents can split the cost. A party at a play centre can be impersonal and feel the same as an ordinary visit rather than a special occasion. The party group is split up playing on equipment in groups or on their own rather than having fun together. Many play centres provide a “party room” for guests to eat, and parents then have the option of hiring an entertainer for some party activities or organizing games such as “Pass the Parcel” or ”Musical Bumps” themselves.
online search at one of the main party suppliers showed that you could easily spend as much as £110 on accessories for a party of 15 children. One way to cut costs and unnecessary spending is decide on a main colour and buy mainly plain items - then accessories with a few themed items to complete the look. Another option is to buy colourful plastic tableware from IKEA or a supermarket that can then be washed and reused, cutting costs and minimizing waste.
Food I could write a whole feature on ideas for children’s party food and this is very much down to personal taste. Personally I think it is best to keep things as simple as possible as often the children are too busy and excited to eat much and then food is wasted. Keep sandwiches to a minimum as most children only eat them to earn the cakes and biscuits and you will end up at Roath Park feeding them to the ducks. If you include bread sticks, crisps, grapes, cucumber, carrots, biscuits and small cakes you won’t go far wrong.
Tableware and Decorations There are a huge variety of party decorations available with many online stores offering hundreds of different themed choices and the option of buying a whole range of matching accessories. A quick
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Whatever you decide to do for your child’s party, try not to get stressed and don’t think everything has to be perfect. Hopefully the birthday child will be exhausted and tucked up in bed nice and early so you can put your feet up with a large glass of wine!
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