Party Time HOST THE
Perfect Party AT HOME
There are lots of advantages to using a party venue – no clean up, little prep work to do, someone else hosts, and they might provide the food for you – but if booking a party venue isn’t an option for your family, these tips will help you host the perfect party at home.
The perfect party at home is often perfectly… imperfect! The best parties free flow with a mix of fun ideas. Have a few tricks up your sleeve and a basic plan and let the rest fall naturally into place.
Home Entertainment If budget allows, bring the entertainment to you! You can hire a magician, puppeteer, face painter, fairy, pirate, superhero, or even a petting zoo or reptile show to come to your home and keep the kids busy. You can find more party entertainer ideas on our website here: www.familiesmagazine.com.au/brisbane/party-entertainers/all
Pick a Theme Themed parties are great for kids. They set the tone of dress-ups, party games, and gift ideas. Popular theme ideas include: Frozen – Frozen parties can be such fun. Keep the kids entertained making Elsa and Anna crowns and see our Frozen party tips for a tutorial on homemade indoor snowballs for a snowball fight! www.familiesmagazine.com.au/frozen-party-ideas Peppa Pig – Peppa Pig is a sweet choice for younger children. Peppa eats lots of healthy food and plays fun games like musical chairs. Find artificial flowers at a discount store to create an English country garden theme at home. www.familiesmagazine.com.au/peppa-pig-party-ideas Minecraft – keep the kids busy crafting their own Minecraft sword, or mining for treasure in homemade cloud dough. Our Minecraft themed party ideas include tempting party food, games, and décor ideas. www.familiesmagazine.com.au/minecraft-birthday-party-ideas Other themes suggestions include: • Pirates
• Minions
• Fairies
• Harry Potter
• Dinosaurs
• Carnival
Plan Simple Games If the kids are bursting with sugar-high energy, focus their attention on a simple game. Go old-school with a DIY “pin the tail on the donkey”, or musical statues and chairs, or let things get a little crazy with some fun balloon games. Fun with balloons - we tried-and-tested 15 incredibly fun balloon
party games to suit kids of all ages. Have you heard of “Round ‘Em Up” or “Roaches”? Find these and other giggle-inducing balloon games here: www.familiesmagazine.com.au/best-balloon-games-for-kids Traditional party games – some of these classic games require little preparation and can be announced and organised in seconds. Others require planning in advance. We’ve rounded up more than twenty party games for kids of all ages here: www.familiesmagazine.com.au/childrens-party-games
Staying up late Sleepovers – or stay-awake-overs – are great fun for older kids. Host a movie night under the stars with a projector, white bed sheet, beanbags, and popcorn, followed by a camp out in the back garden, or a games tournament or pamper night indoors. Fairy lights around the garden or ceiling will create the perfect sleepover party atmosphere. Find more slumber party ideas here: www.familiesmagazine.com.au/best-slumber-party-ideas
Stress Less The party host is often so busy organising the fun, topping up the food, rounding up kids, and repeating directions to the bathroom that they often don’t get to enjoy any of the party at all. Share the burden and take a little time out. Ask for volunteers – if parents are staying, or if you can snag a couple of trustworthy adults, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’ll find plenty of people are eager to manage a bit of crowd control. Delegate a quiet spot – for you and for any kids that are overwhelmed by the noise and bustle. Before you disappear to catch your breath and gather your thoughts, ask one of your volunteers to take charge for a moment and redirect any kids that might come looking for you! Go with the flow – things might not go as planned, but look around at the happy faces! If everyone is having too much fun to come and play a game or eat the sausage rolls while they are still warm, don’t worry – it means the party is already a huge success! More ideas at www.familiesmagazine.com.au/brisbane/be-yourown-party-planner
Your Local Families Magazine June / July 2022 www.familiesmagazine.com.au
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