Kids love to play dress-up, it feeds their imagination. They especially love fancy dress parties where they get the chance to act out their favourite characters or disney storylines. A great idea for a fancy dress outfit is a masked party. And a great way to create masks for the kids is to use paper mache balloon masks. How and what are these? Well, I shall explain!

Since the kids are only going to be at the party for a few hours, it’s not practical to get them to make these from scratch during the event, but what you can do is use this as an opportunity for your own kids to get their hands mucky with some gloopy strips of glued-up newspaper. This is guaranteed to raise a smile, and they’ll love knowing that they’ve helped you out in preparing for the party

The younger the participants the less structure you need to worry about. The younger the kids, the more relaxed they will be. Keeping it simple is important. Kids can entertain each other better than adults, so you don’t need to worry about too much structure. Minimal structure does not mean minimal parental supervision. A successful children party’s most important component is responsible adult supervision.

Planning the Party

Before you buy anything, you must set your budget. Don’t spend a dime before you set a budget. Your budget will determine many things such as the food, how many you can invite, entertainment, etc. Set the theme of the party before you go out for shopping for the party. The number and age of kids will determine what kind of games you should consider. Games are no an absolute must, but it may help with some of the older kids. Choosing the proper location is an important success factor. Kids need lots of space; they don’t like to sit around, so you have to give them space. Most importantly the location must be safe, and it must be large enough to accommodate your guests. A party at someone’s house is fine, as long as it meets your requirements.

The cycle then resurfaces for the next toy of the moment your child tells you he or she wants. Playing with toys can not only be fun, but with the right toys play time can also stimulate your child’s imagination and creativity. Although malls have many toy stores and department stores, these stores tend to all carry the same set of toys and products. They follow the tried and true formula for carrying products, allowing for little to no unique products.

Children tend to want the same toys as their friends simply because whoever is first to get it will be the proud owner of a new unique toy. This novelty of having a unique toy soon wears off as each of your children’s friends now has this same toy, all purchased from the same store in the mall. A child’s creativity needs the right creative toys to continue growing.

As a parent you walk a fine line between spoiling a child and rewarding them with new toys. But from experience you know that the euphoria from having a unique toy fades as the toy becomes mainstream. What are you to do so as to not fall in this cycle?

Having the best children’s birthday party shouldn’t be a stressful thing. Follow the timeline below and your child and you will be the hit of the neighborhood.

About a month before your party you’ll want to:

• Talk with your child and choose a party theme and/or decide what your “entertainment” will be for the party. This will help you determine your party budget as well.
• Create the guest list. Don’t forget to include friends from school, the neighborhood as well as relatives and more distant friends.
• Choose a party date and time. Most children’s birthday parties are generally one to two hours long.
• Order the general party supplies: tablecloth, tableware, decorations, etc.
• Think about games. Keep the ages and personalities of the children as you plan your activities. And sometimes shorter and simpler parties with one fun activity are best and least stressful.

Two weeks prior to the party make sure you:

• Decide on your menu. Are you just having cake and ice cream? Is the party at a mealtime and do you need to order pizzas or are you cooking yourself, etc.?
• Mail the invitations. You will probably need to call everyone that doesn’t RSVP. People will forget and will appreciate the reminder call
• Ask for help. If you think you might need some help for party day, ask a couple of the moms of the kids who are invited to stay and help. Most people would love to, you just need to ask.

One week before party day you should:

• Bake your cake and freeze it. Knowing the cake is done will be such a stress reliever on the big day!
• Prepare and freeze any other foods that can be made in advance.
• Get an exact guest count. Call any guests who have not responded.

Two days before the party don’t forget to:

• Get any last minute food items and don’t forget candles, matches and FILM!
• Check your batteries in your camera and video recorder.
• Purchase a small helium tank from your local party or craft store. It’s a great thing to keep your children busy the morning of the party too!
• Make up a party timeline for the party day so you don’t forget anything.

One day before the party remember to:

• Take out food and cake from the freezer.
• Do any decorating that you can do in advance
• Finish any food preparation that can be done ahead of time.

On the morning of the party day make sure to:

• Fill your balloons with helium.
• Prepare any foods and beverages that could not be made ahead of time.
• Write out your timeline for the day so you don’t forget anything.
• You don’t want to miss out on the memories you’ll have with the pictures, so ask a relative or trusted friend to be responsible for the picture taking.
• Relax and enjoy this great day. And then get ready for next year!

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Annette Yen and her family are independent crewmembers with Noah’s Ark Workshops. They provide hands on stuffed animal fun for children of all ages at birthday parties and other events. Enter your children in their birthday club for a free monthly drawing at: www.noahsarkworkshop.com/annetteyen34/?a=kids

Birthday Party Tips for the Young and the Young at Heart
Your child’s birthday party should be a fun and memorable experience for your child and for his or her guests. Here’s how you can pull it off:

• Let your child choose the theme of her birthday party and be actively involved in the planning stages of the event. Have her write the invitations if she are able.
• Have your child greet each guest at the door. This will help her guests feel welcome and will help her learn how to be a great hostess.
• Have a birthday party table or counter space available for the presents. Ideally this place should be a place where all of the guests can sit comfortably and see your child open the presents.
• If you order a pizza or another “hot food item” leave it in the oven before the guests are read to eat.
• Avoid games, which leave some of the guests with nothing to do. A birthday party can be a nightmare if one of the guests is unhappy. If your child insists on playing a game from this genre, provide additional activities which the guests can do while they are waiting for the game to end.
• If you plan on making a birthday party craft with the guests, make sure you create a prototype, for the guests to see and for you to gauge the difficulty level of the craft before the birthday party begins.
• When opening gifts make sure that your child acknowledges who has given her each gift and that she thanks every guest.
• A party favor or a goody bag is a nice way to end birthday parties. Your child can say goodbye to each guest with these items.
• Book special events in advance. (i.e. Children’s museums, Pizza Parlors, Arcades, Fun Houses, Tumble Bus Birthday Parties, etc.

Birthday Party Games and Activities for Children Ages 2-12
Birthday party themes, games and activities are perhaps the most memorable parts of your child’s special day. Here are some ideas that will make your child remember her birthday party for a long time to come:

1. For the scientific child, help her to set up a series of fun science experiments that all of the guests can participate in. For a treat, serve the guests green sherbet with cream soda or ginger ale.
2. For the “fashionista” in your life, divide the guests into two teams and have them race to put on designated outfits and accessories. Once they put the clothes on they must quickly walk or run down a run-way and pose for a picture. (You might need other parents or family members to help with this one). This is a birthday party she will never forget!
3. For older children, play “1-100″. This game requires 2 dice, one piece of paper and a pencil or a pen for each guest. Have each guest write his or her name on the piece of paper leaving space to write 1-100 below the name. Then, the birthday girl gets to choose someone to go first. The chosen individual will role the dice and if he or she does not get doubles then he or she will pass the dice to the next player. If however, the first player does get doubles then he or she will begin to write 1, 2, 3, 4,��.etc. under until another player roles doubles. The dice will continue around the table and when the dice returns to the first player and he or she gets doubles again then that player would begin where he or she left off. Whoever gets to 100 first, wins!

Birthday Party Gifts and Surprises
Birthday gifts and surprises don’t have to include Barbies and Gameboys. They can also include the following:

• Ballet Classes
• Gymnastics Classes
• Sports Equipment
• A Mini-Trip
• A Trip to a Space Museum with Mom or Dad
• Breakfast in Bed
• A New Book on Tape
• Language Lessons
• Puzzles
• A Book of Science Projects+ Materials
• A Trip to their favorite Restaurant
• A Recipe Book for Kids, etc.

Remember parents, what your children want the most is time with YOU! Give your kids the gift of time.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

About the Author: Boyd Norwood is a Web Content Specialist for 10x Marketing in Orem, UT. For more information in regards to creating the perfect birthday party, please feel free to contact Tumblebuskids.com.