Kiddie parties should always be fun because otherwise, what’s the point? But we all know that this process isn’t always easy. More time and effort should be put into planning and preparation to make sure it’s memorable and the best one yet, especially if it’s a special celebration for your little one. But have you given enough thought about what makes a kiddie party fun?
It’s an organized party program.
Kids usually have high expectations when it comes to the word “fun” and most of the time, they’re quite impatient too. One of the ways to meet their expectations is to have an organized program down to its littlest details. Imagine having a child’s birthday party with a disorganized program flow—kids are running all around with food stains on their clothes doing whatever they want to do. It’s chaotic, right? Having an organized program for a kid’s party is important because it keeps everything in order, plain and simple.
A program is the schedule of activities from the beginning until the end of the event. It has to be well-planned, just like having the best strategy for battle. Here’s a quick guide on the essentials of an organized program:
LIST YOUR IDEAL GAMES & ACTIVITIES. List down the activities and games that you want to include in the program especially the important ones like the cake ceremony, the messages for the celebrant, the message from the celebrant or the parents, and eating time, of course! This is essential because throwing a kiddie party doesn’t mean that you have to fill the program with games after games to make it totally fun. Like we Filipinos usually say, “Lahat ng sobra ay masama.” Keep the games and activities in moderation. Five to seven games may be enough, but prepare another two for back up. The games could be composed of individual, by pairs, by groups, or by groups with adults to ensure that everyone can participate and enjoy the party. It’s also a good exercise to build teamwork between the parents and their kids.
The first activity of the program is also an important part because it will set the tone and the mood of the party. You may introduce the celebrant or say something fun about him/her, talk about the theme of the party, get the kids moving for a quick warm-up or dance sessions, or have a little treasure hunt. Either way, the goal is to get the kids pumped up for more excitement.
SET UP TIME AND DURATION. An estimated time for each activity should be included in drafting the program so the guests wouldn’t feel like the party is either dragging or rushing. On the other hand, the length of the program depends on the time slot of the event. If the party is set for a lunch or dinner time, you could set up a one-hour program prior to the meal times. After the meal time would come the minor activities like pabitin, photo booth, giveaways, etc. But if the event is set to afternoon, you could set up a one-hour-and-a-half program so the kids could enjoy more games and activities.
This is how a simple kiddie party program would go: Arrival of Guests/Registration, Opening Remarks/Prayer, Games/Activities, Eating Time, More Entertainment (i.e., song/dance number, mascot appearance, pabitin, picture-taking, etc), Happy Birthday Song and blowing of candle, Giveaways, then Closing Remarks (a “thank you” message from the celebrant or the parents of the celebrant). It is up to you how much time you’d want to give for each activity. Usually, the activities that you should give the longest time for are the Games/Activities and the Eating Time.
Setting up time and duration is also helpful for the caterer so they’ll know when to serve the food for the guests.
TAKE NOTE OF THE PERSON OR SUPPLIER IN CHARGE OF THE MATERIALS. For example: toy horses for the relay c/o the host, prizes c/o the client, background music c/o the sound system, etc.) It’s important to know the people that you could count on just in case something goes wrong.
Remember that every detail is important in a kid’s party; aiming for an unforgettable event means putting one’s attention to every aspect and recognizing its importance to the entirety of the event. Spontaneity could be fun, but having an organized program for a kid’s party is what makes the party really fun. It is essential or else it’ll be a hit-and-miss kind of fun. We wouldn’t want that for the little ones, would we? Have fun planning!
References include an interview with Ms. Erin Valera—a professional events host and coordinator for birthdays, weddings, corporate events, product launch, mall shows, and kiddie events.
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For more than 30 years , we have been blessed to be a part of thousands of weddings, debuts, kids parties, corporate events, and private celebrations. In all these events, we make sure we are not only your caterer but more importantly your partner in every step from conceptualizing, budgeting and planning up to final execution.
