Planning a party for your kids may be an exciting time for your little one, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a source of stress for you. Whether you’re planning an after-school play date, a neighborhood gathering or a family get-together, get our top tips and tricks for planning a fun — and easy — kids’ party below, brought to you by Evite in partnership with Little Hug® Fruit Barrels.
The Invitations: Paper invitations may get lost in kid’s backpacks. Instead, send an Evite invitation with all the necessary information, like location, time and any special instructions. Plus, sending an Evite invitation will spare you from having to purchase stamps and envelopes. If you’re hosting a more formal event, send the invitation about 3 weeks in advance and don’t forget to include an “RSVP by” date. Decide who you’re going to invite before you send the invitations to avoid any last-minute additions to the party. You can also send an Evite invitation to organize a more impromptu party, including play dates, after-school clubs and activities, neighborhood get-togethers and more.
The Decorations: From balloons to banners, easily spruce up your space with themed decorations to turn an everyday get-together into something more special. Purchase tablecloths, napkins, plates and utensils in fun patterns and coordinating colors. Even practical party supplies can contribute to the decor. Create centerpieces for the food and drinks table by wrapping empty Little Hug® Fruit Barrels with streamers and filling them with candy or flowers.When it comes to set up, use table cloths whenever possible to make post-party clean up easy. Tip: Use a paper tablecloth — that way, kids can draw on it while they eat and it doubles as an activity and decor. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even make your own DIY colorful piñata (which doubles as a party activity) or have the kids decorate these DIY paper crowns! If you’re planning a more casual kids’ get-together, no need to go all out (you can skip the balloons and banners).
The Menu: Between dietary restrictions and allergies, planning a party menu for kids can be hard. But it doesn’t have to be! Set out a simple menu of food and drinks that anyone can eat, like fruit skewers, veggie sticks and dip, pretzels and crackers, mini sandwiches, bagels or muffins. Keep kids hydrated by serving drinks like Little Hug® Fruit Barrels. Dress up the drinks by offering kids crazy straws or garnish the rim of the glass with fresh mint, fruit or sprinkles. Be sure to avoid allergy-inducing food like nuts and dairy and offer healthy options in addition to pizza and cake. Or, avoid the menu headache altogether by planning the party around meals and just serve snacks. If you’re planning a play date or getting the neighborhood kids together, make the party a potluck and ask each parent to bring a different dish. You can even use the “What to Bring” list on your Evite invitation to ask guests to sign up for snacks.
The Activity: Keep kids active and entertained with pre-planned activities during the party. When considering an activity for the party, choose something that requires too much setup or cleanup — and something that won’t get too messy. Start the celebration with a craft project or another relatively quiet activity to keep the children occupied while guests arrive. For example, you might have the kids decorate T-shirts or party hats they can take home as favors. If you’re organizing a family get-together or neighborhood block party, choose games kids can all play together, like charades, treasure hunts, relay races, singalongs or dancing. If the outdoors are an option, plan a backyard game of giant tic-tac-toe by wrapping Little Hug® Fruit Barrels in decorative tape and marking them “X” or “O”. If you’re planning a party indoors, try an interactive game like ping pong toss. Setting up the game is simple. Just cut empty bottles of fruit barrels in half and line them up in a row in an open and empty area of your house. Purchase ping pong balls or pom poms so kids can compete to win fun prizes.
The Favors: Instead of sending kids home with candy and plastic toys, try one of these alternative ideas. For a fun favor, send guests home with personalized bottles of Little Hug® Fruit Barrels by handwriting guests’ names in chalk on chalkboard stickers. If your little one is an aspiring artist, cut bottles of Little Hug® Fruit Barrels in half and fill them with colored crayons. Pair them with pieces of colored construction paper or coloring sheets so kids can get creative. Or, decorate the fruit barrel bottles with google eyes and party hats for kids to take home after the event.
Whether you’re planning a play date for just a few friends or a kids’ party for the whole class, follow our tips and tricks to throw an easy and effortless bash for the books. From sending an Evite invitation to sprucing up your space with DIY decorations to offering an assortment of kid-friendly food and drinks, like Little Hug® Fruit Barrels, plan a party that everyone will be talking about.
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