Children’s birthdays are always anticipated with a great deal of excitement and the planning and preparations for this special day can make all the difference to the enjoyment of the occasion. A well-planned party is also long remembered and much appreciated.
It is with all this in mind that I have endeavoured to provide this second guide for children’s parties and to show you how to enchant the entire family as they witness flour, icing sugar and sweets being transformed before their eyes. My intent is to illustrate just how easy it is to produce a birthday cake in your own kitchen. Plan ahead, shop around, bake in advance and you will wish that birthdays could be more frequent events on the calendar! The confectionery accessories that are currently available make cake decorating a cinch and sweet manufacturers are providing such a variety of shapes that any theme can easily be co-ordinated.
From the time that the theme is chosen and the guest list prepared, the party will be anticipated with tangible excitement. Involve your child in all the preparations and allow and respect his or her opinions and suggestions.
Record the happy event by taking photographs and include a video as well, if possible. These will provide treasured memories that will last forever!
The key to a successful party is to plan ahead and make the cake well in advance, not on the day of the party! Once the cake has been iced it may be covered with a large plastic bag and frozen until the day before the party, when the finishing touches may be added. Cupcakes and biscuits may also be made in advance and frozen, again adding the final decorations on the day before the party.
The themes depicted in this book can be achieved relatively quickly and easily and at a low cost, but they can all be adapted to suit time and budget constraints. Many of the ideas are interchangeable, for example the beading activities will also work very well with the girls’ sleepover party. Babies and toddlers have been included in this book and I trust that the theme ideas will be of assistance, especially to first-time mums!
Setting the scene for the party need not be a formidable chore, especially if planned in advance. Involve the entire family in creating the items that contribute to the enchantment of the chosen theme. Not only is this a good way to spend time together, it will also speed up the preparations if you’re pushed for time.
Streamers (50 mm wide) cut from sheets of crepe paper are easy to make and, when twisted before hanging, create a wonderful canopy above the party table that can reflect the dominant colours of the theme. Use a pair of pinking scissors when cutting the streamers to add to the effect and staple the ends of the streamers together to increase the length if necessary.
Balloons always add extra appeal to any party atmosphere. It has become standard practice to tie a bunch to the garden gate, allowing easy identification of the party venue and letting the neighbourhood know that a very special day is being celebrated. Tie balloons in bunches (the theme will determine the colours) in the corners of the party room and wherever else the children are likely to gather. Add curling ribbons to enhance the festive appearance. Dispose of broken bits of balloon immediately as they may be dangerous if swallowed. Tips for décor have been included with each theme.
Invitations should be distributed about two weeks before the party. Always include an RSVP date to facilitate catering as well as the preparation of the games – contact the mums who haven’t replied to ascertain whether their child will be accepting the invitation. Give the birthday child the guest list so that he or she may tick off the names as the replies are received.
Apart from the starting time, stipulate the time that the party will end so that parents collect the children punctually. Ensure that the duration of the party is not too long – two hours is sufficient for most parties. Parties for babies and toddlers may be restricted to 11⁄2 hours, while those for the older children that involve outings, for example the skateboarding and tenpin bowling, will need to be quite a bit longer. Always ensure that you have a contact number for the parents of each guest.
The invitation provides a foretaste of the party so try to be original and creative and incorporate party favours where possible. I have included invitations to complement each theme with easy step-by-step instructions for how to put them together, plus ideas for the wording of the invitation details. I have tried to keep the invitations simple, yet appealing, so that the birthday child may assist in making them. If time is limited, ready-made or computer generated invitations offer an easy alternative. Encourage the birthday child to add a personal touch to these with a dab or two of glitter glue and a few beads.
These are great as they enable children to take home any party favours that they have accumulated. Instead of setting out all the food on the party table, you may prefer to insert sweets and packets of potato crisps into the bags, to be enjoyed at the children’s leisure. They are also ideal for a slice of birthday cake (wrapped in a serviette). A nice gesture is to exchange them for the gift when the birthday child opens his or her presents near the end of the party. Include a card in the treat bag that says: ‘Thank you so much for making my day special.’ Make the bags in advance and your efforts will be rewarded when you see the delight on the recipients’ faces!
Most children enjoy fancy dress parties, but if you add this stipulation to the invitation keep the expectations simple to ensure that all the children will be able to participate. Keep a few clothing items and accessories on hand for children who fail to arrive in fancy dress.
The techniques that I have used for the cakes and other treats are very simple and require only basic decorating tools. A toothpick and tweezers are invaluable aids. For icing, the star nozzle is a favourite of mine, as I believe that it provides a neater overall appearance. Sugar paste is readily available at baking supply stores and can easily be coloured using powdered food colourings.
I have used a limited range of ingredients (cupcakes, cones and biscuits for example) and adapted them according to the theme. The cones always lend a special charm to the party table display because of their height.
Plan ahead and make the food in advance. Cakes and biscuits can be baked ahead of time and frozen. It is preferable to bake and freeze the cake before cutting out the various shapes, as the frozen cake will be less crumbly. Coat the cut edges with a thin layer of icing whilst still frozen. The larger cakes are easy to assemble but will require more time. Their visual impact is worth the extra effort and I have heard many a delighted squeal from guests when they have been presented.
Quantities for the recipes in the party food section are not provided, as these will vary according to the number of guests. Colour schemes may be altered.
To enhance the visual impact of the party food, I use simple, inexpensive toys and also take advantage of the huge selection of sweets available. When using sweets on the cakes and other treats remember to consider the age of the children and refrain from using for example, hard sweets for the toddlers’ parties. Toys, too, should be age related so that small objects that may be swallowed don’t constitute a danger for the little ones.
I have suggested that the winner receives a prize and the rest receive a small token. These may be in the form of stickers or similar inexpensive items. Discount stores and others offer a variety of packs of erasers, etc. that may be split and used to ensure that none of the children feel excluded. The games have been provided as inspiration and to assist with party planning, but you may prefer to hire entertainment. Consult your local directory and remember to book in advance.
When the party is held at an outside venue, check the facilities ahead of time. Ensure that you have sufficient, secure transport. Enlist the help of friends so that children are supervised throughout the event. Accompany all children to the toilets or other facilities. Before departure, divide children into groups and delegate each to a helper so that there is a clear understanding of who is responsible for each child. For younger children, you may colour code the different groups to avoid confusion.
Children should adopt this courtesy from an early age. Choosing a gift requires time and thought and the guest will be delighted to receive a note of thanks. Keep the note short and, if possible, have the birthday child write it personally. Make a list of the gifts and who gave them while the child unwraps them, otherwise it may be difficult to recall who gave what.