Whether it’s birthdays, graduations or just a well-deserved bonanza, throwing events for your children is one of the enduring joys of parenthood. As well as seeing your kids happy and excited, from a parenting perspective events are important for a child’s social development, exposing them to small features of adulthood such as socializing, sharing, and making sure everyone is having fun. Creating these happy memories is easy and enjoyable; read through these tips to ensure that the next party you plan for your young ones is all smiles and laughter, with moments to cherish for the rest of their lives.

Plan in Advance 

Forget what they say about ‘the best laid plans’ - the most enjoyable parties and events are those that have been adequately planned in advance. Think of everything, from selecting a date, location and theme, to creating and sending your child’s personalized birthday party invitations, to what everyone will be eating and drinking. As your plan comes together, you’ll find yourself more excited than anxious about the big day as it draws near - and good planning will free you up to enjoy the party as it happens, instead of fretting about RSVPs, transport, or even gluten-free bread.

Think of Games 

All the way up to adulthood - and beyond, for that matter - games are what makes a great party, and most won’t cost you a dime. Kids adore games of all sorts, though the sillier the better is usually a suitable rule for parties. Think of ways to get everyone involved - games like blind man’s bluff and piñata-smashing are guaranteed to get everybody laughing in a collaborative spirit of having fun. Have a list of games that you’ve got the materials to play, but don’t expect to play all of them - go with the consensus of your children and their friends.

Have a Surprise up Your Sleeve 

Like a children’s magician, you’ll be greeted with cries of happiness if you keep one element of the party a complete secret until the last minute. Maybe you’ve bought a trampoline which you have hidden in the garden, or you booked for everyone to go bowling - whatever it is, a surprise added on top of having all their friends around them will bring wide smiles to your children’s faces. Surprises are something all humans enjoy receiving, so however small, it would be fun to have one to unveil at the right moment.

Record the Event 

There’s nothing like a good old embarrassing home video to remind you of the joys of youth, and you should always have a camcorder, smartphone or camera to record whatever event you’re throwing so that your children will be able to revisit the memories when they are grown up. The unbridled energy of children at parties is sure to guarantee footage that’s endearing, entertaining, and sometimes hilarious!

Children’s parties are great fun to organize and extremely gratifying to watch unfold as your little ones laugh and giggle their way through an afternoon that you’ve worked hard to make happen. These tips should sit you in good stead the next time you throw a bash for your kids.