Kids’ Party Planning

Planning a kids’ party can be a mammoth operation! There are many checklists out there that run to pages and pages of ‘to-dos’. If you have the time and inclination to do it yourself, that’s great, but lots of us just don’t have this luxury. Here you can find lots of tips on planning your own party with the minimum of fuss, or how you can use Marie Makes and Cha Char Chimps to help take the stress out of your little one’s party in Milton Keynes. 

Using services to make birthday parties simple

Make planning your child’s party easy with a bespoke cake from Marie Makes and musical entertainment from Cha Char Chimps. We can make your children’s party easy so you can relax and enjoy the day with your little one. 

Bespoke birthday cakes for kids’ parties

Ordering a cake should be simple and stress-free from start to finish. I make sure I understand exactly what your little one loves so I can make a unique and beautifully designed cake just for them. Just a few quick details in a phone call or email/text chat and you’ll be all set to have the perfect cake for their day. 

I deliver all cakes for free in and around Milton Keynes, so you don’t have to worry about collection times and how to get the cake there in one piece! Just let me know the venue and the cake will be delivered exactly when you want it.

Lots of little ones have allergies or special dietary requirements and trying to make your own cake while reading the ingredients on everything you bake with can be a real pain! I can cater for all of these by either making the main cake suitable for their needs or providing special cupcakes that compliment the cake and meet all their dietary needs. 

Budgeting for your party can also be difficult as things can easily run away from you. I can work to any budget with either cupcakes, traybakes or full celebration cakes. I’ve worked with hundreds of customers with different budgets and we’ve always found something to suit their needs.

Get in touch about creating the perfect cake for your little one or browse the range of cakes you can order online. 

Professional entertainment for your child’s party

Sasha from Cha Char Chimps runs fun, interactive music sessions with props & puppets for 0-5s in North Milton Keynes. She is now available for your little one’s party!

When you book Sasha you can discuss your plans for the party: agreeing games and a bespoke playlist including all your child’s favourite tracks. She’ll support you with managing the party:- organising singing happy birthday, moving the children between transitions and coordinating a party photograph.

The cost is £90 for an hour, or £140 for 2 hours, plus £5 per child for a Covid-safe Party Prop Bag to use during the entertainment and then take home at the end. The price also includes an additional small gift for the birthday child. 

Kids’ party planning A-Z

If you do decide to do all the kids’ party planning yourself, I’ve pulled together some tips and guides to help. Here are a few things you’ll want to remember when planning your little one’s big day.

Budgeting for your party

Set a budget and stick to it! Don’t feel the pressure to have a big-budget party; decide on what you want to spend and then what portion of that goes to each of the party elements. Be strict with your spending, as what seems like a little extra on each piece of the party adds up to being a lot across the total budget. 

Setting a date

When choosing the date for your kid’s party be sure to check that no other children are planning parties on that day. If they are, perhaps you could have a joint occasion and combine the two? This is also cost-saving! Perhaps avoid holiday times as well, as lots of your little one’s friends might be away. 

Timings on the day

2hrs is usually a good amount of time for the party. This gives enough time for the kids to have fun and enjoy an activity or two without getting over-tired. It also gives you the opportunity to plan the party between meal times. Keep the costs down by providing snacks instead of a lunch or dinner! 

Party Guests

A good tip when planning the guest list is to check with the school whether you are expected to invite the whole class; this is asked by some schools so that no children get left out. It’s also a good idea to check with parents whether they expect to bring siblings along too. It’s always advisable to cater for a few extra just in case a little brother or sister tags along. Something to specify is whether parents are expected to stay with their kids at the party. Do they just drop them off or stay for the fun? 

Entertainment for the children

You can keep it simple by going to a free play-park and letting the kids just spend time together on the equipment there, or go all out and hire entertainers! Whichever part of the spectrum you decide on, try not to plan too many activities; the kids want to have a bit of free-play time together too; be flexible on the entertainment plan! 

Kids’ Party Gifts

Will you be opening gifts at the party or afterwards? If at the party, your child can say thank you in person or if after you’ll need to keep a record for thank-you notes. It’s a lovely touch to get your child to write a note to each guest and a great way of reminding them to be grateful for the gifts received. 

Party Bags

Are totally optional! It’s easy to get caught up in keeping-up-with-the-Jones’ but remember that it’s a nice gesture to give out party bags and not a requirement. If you decide to give party bags out then give whatever you feel like; from a bottle of bubbles to personalised trinkets, it’s the gesture that counts.

Making Party Decorations

Making party decorations with the kids can be a fun activity in advance of the birthday party. Get your little ones involved with home-making bunting and decorations. This keeps them occupied and cuts costs! 

The final checklist

Apart from the above, there are a few things that will come in handy on the day:

• Blu Tack and sticky tape for decorations
• Bin bags for the clear-up
• Party music/ playlist
• Candles for the cake and matches to light them with
• Napkins
• Camera
• Contact numbers of any parents not staying for the fun

Now whether you chose to do the kids’ party planning yourself or use Marie Makes and Cha Char Chimps to help, go and have lots of fun enjoying your little one’s birthday party with them!