It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, you’ll always be faced with a children’s party or two. As they head towards school age, the number of parties that they’ll be invited to will increase massively and, while you won’t be able to make all of them, it’s good practice to ensure your child can attend the parties of their close schoolmates to build on their friendships further.

When it comes to your child’s birthday, they’ll inevitably want a party too, and it’s up to you to try and make this happen without going overboard on budget or numbers. Whether they can invite a few of their closest friends or you hire a hall so that their whole class can come along is up to you. Here are a few tips to ensure that the planning process goes by without a hitch.

Choose a theme

Opting for a theme that will suit both boys and girls will ensure that neither sex will feel segregated. If your son wants a swashbuckling theme, expand it to include girly pirates and mermaids. Alternatively, if your daughter is desperate to be a princess, open the invite to include knights for the lads too.

If you’re planning on a fancy dress aspect, make sure that you specify this on the invitation. You can find plenty of fantastic fancy dress costumes from George that won’t break the bank, too.

You can create invitations that complement the chosen theme, and can plan decorations and party bags to suit, too.

Choose the right venue

This depends on the budget you have and how many guests your child can invite. A local village hall will mean that you have more space to fill so your child won’t be limited to choosing specific friends but the hire will incur an hourly charge.

Alternatively, you could hire the local soft play centre for smaller numbers, or if you’re brave enough, organise the party to be held at home. The number of children you can invite will obviously depend on how much space you have, but this latter option will mean no hire charge!

Party food

You don’t have to spend a fortune on a top notch spread – ask for help from a couple of your close friends or family members and prepare some finger sandwiches as well as some savoury and sweet treats that will appeal to everyone.

Make sure that you provide enough options, just in case there’s a faddy eater in the group, as well as some vegetarian choices. Ham, egg and tuna will always work well, while cheese or jam butties are fabulous alternatives. Sausage rolls, cucumber and carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes and grapes are all easy additions, while plenty of sweet treats will go down a storm.

Provide squash or water as drinks, too.

Entertainment

This will depend on the venue you choose as well as your individual ideas. If the venue doesn’t have its own entertainment, such as a soft play area, there are plenty of options to choose from that will suit your budget. Magicians, clowns and DJs will always be a huge hit, or you could opt for something completely different such as a mobile petting zoo!