Keeping your own kids entertained is difficult enough at the best of times. But what about when you have to accommodate a couple dozen of their friends and relatives at their birthday party or other celebration?
Here I’ve looked at a few different ideas, some classic, and some trendy. You can try various things including, having a theme party, putting up balloon decorations (for which you can hire a balloon artist), throwing a backyard party with a kids’ pool, and more. The ideas are endless. So, now the question is what on EARTH will our children want in their party?
Pass the Parcel
An age-old classic, clinging on to that wrapped-up package filled with layer upon layer of toys, sweets or a combination of the two. What isn’t there to love about Pass the Parcel? You will always have those kids who cling to it in the hope that Mum or Dad stops the music just in the nick of time. The excitement on a guest’s face as they maul at the wrapping paper is a sight to behold. Definitely a winner in any kid’s book.
Musical Chairs
Nothing brings out the competitive side of a child more than a high energy game of Musical Chairs. A bit of furniture moving, either in your own home or a party venue, and a music playing device is all is required to kill a good half an hour at a party of 30 children. Pushing and shoving aside, it will definitely be a whole lot of fun for the kids.
Bouncy Castles
A sure-fire way of making sure the parents are taking home a kid that will sleep well that night is the classic bouncy castle. If you don’t have one, you could easily find a bouncy castle hire store near you. In addition to that, you might even find some variations – a giant football goal, a slide, basketball hoops, ball pits etc. Of course, the figures are all age dependent. So, it probably wouldn’t be cool for a pack of 11-year boys to be jumping around on a bouncy castle surrounded by clowns. The football option may well be more appropriate. What I’m quite sure about, however, is that there are options for pretty much everyone.
Slip N’ Slide
More of a summer option, this one. If you have a stretch of garden, some plastic sheeting, a hose pipe and washing up liquid, then the world famous Slip N’ Slide is a way of keeping the children laughing, running and hurtling their way to a very enjoyable time. It’s a definite way of keeping them screaming with laughter for an entire afternoon.
Pop-Up Photo Booths
This new craze keeps the kids hands busy, while at the same time taking a giant selfie with their friends; the perfect combination. There is so much variety when it comes to photo booth hire. The beauty of these is that they are very often filled with tons of props – hats, feather boas, swords and shields, over-sized novelty glasses, you name it.
Another great benefit of these things is that you get instant photographs, often with the dates and name of the birthday boy or girl on the picture. In an age where everything is on a digital screen and photos rarely printed out and put into albums, it allows the kids to have a physical memory of their amazing day. It also helps that it is something they will have very rarely seen before, so will keep them entertained for hours!
Just a handful of old and new ideas here if you’re planning a party, and perhaps a nostalgic reminder of some of the fun you might have had yourselves!