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20 Top Tips on Organising a Halloween Party for kids by Grady Ghost I know it’s obvious, but you need to prepare, and prepare some more . If you really want to make an impact start organizing or at least getting ideas months, even a year in advance. Ideas take time, but also leads to other great ideas. Carefully make a list, starting with the
theme of the party and beyond is important for a great, stress free and successful party Shop well in advance for the party essentials such as balloons, plates, banners, party entertainers, gift bags, party invitations and party favors Ensure you have plenty of help. Each helper should have a role delegated to one another Visualise the party in your head, i.e. if it’s a 2 hour party, allocate plenty of time for eating, leave 15 minutes for arrivals, then 1 hour for playtime/entertainment (whether it’s a Halloween disco or Halloween games), half hour for food and drinks, break and calm down time, ending with 15 minutes of play. Clear up as the party progresses, which makes the clean up at the end easier Do you know the cost of the party? Preparation should always include a budget, especially if money is tight. Questions to think about are – How many kids and adults are invited? Is it hosted at home or hired venue? Regardless of whether you host the party at a hired venue or home, all parties cost money. If you can afford it, it’s a lot easier to hire a venue where everything is done for you, not to mention a huge time saver and less hassle. Children will feel a lot happier and settled if games and activities are ready for when they arrive. If name labels are used, ensure helpers also use them. Plan for an emergency too. Make sure you have all parents contact details, and it’s a bonus if a helper is a first aider! Have a clipboard, paper and pen handy for these details. Keep the party length to 2.5 hours max, don’t go overboard. Keep a look out for good sized pumpkins, and use them at the party entrance, add a candle to create the perfect Halloween entrance If the weathers nice, have a few fireworks or sparklers, make sure you have enough helpers and someone responsible to light fireworks Be discreet sending invitations directly to school unless the majority of the class are attending. When the kids start arriving, start them on an activity or game to break the ice. Give them each a party hat. For a extra special touch personalise with child’s name Note down the schedule and timetable of the party and keep it on hand, make a copy for other helpers if needed Know exactly where your camera and camcorder are ready to record the event You could use parents who stay as party assistants, so everyone has fun! Kids always want to dress up at Halloween, have a prize for the best costume. Make sure you work out costumes for you and get in plenty of time Don’t forget, it’s your child’s party after all. Do what makes them happy, and not yourself
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Kid’s parties start off with a guest list and invitations. The best invitations set a positive mood for your child’s party and your guests will look forward in anticipation Send the invitations two/three weeks before the party date Making your own invites give a lovely personal feel and makes them feel extra special Make sure you state when the Halloween party is on the invites. These include: Date Start and Finish times The Venue An RSVP Telephone Number Halloween fancy dress Inform the parents if you will/will not provide party food, so everyone is prepared Sprinkle a little bit of Halloween confetti in the envelope, this is a nice touch. But not too much that will cause a mess Halloween Invitations By Sauda Spider Be discreet sending invitations directly to school unless the majority of the class are attending
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Wakanda Witches party checklist A checklist is needed to keep things organised for a great successful party Here are some useful tips for making a party checklist: Review and update the list on a regular basis Have multiple copies of your list, one on the fridge, on the bedside table (for reminders and late night inspiration of new ideas). Keep one in your bag/purse for when you go shopping. Cross out completed tasks, the sense of goal accomplishment is a great feeling Children’s parties are immense fun for the kids. It’s something they look forward to and plan in their own minds all year round. Make it even better by adding cakes, sweets and presents to the mix for a perfect day Because it is a Halloween Party, you already have a theme so should give you some inspiration on what to do Don’t forget to pack baby wipes. A must have tool for any party! Think orange, lime green and black, usually the colours associated with Halloween
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Four Weeks before Make a checklist Calculate your budget Decide on your props and decor to make spooky Figure out the party supplies needed Decide on the food and drinks menu – Do you want a buffet, drinks, finger food, set meals, or other? Create your shopping list Get the party supplies ordered Choose what games and activities will be available Book in advance any party entertainers Research, and book the venue in advance Make a to-do list of everything needing to be done in advance Have a big box for all your items. This will keep everything together and you will know exactly where you are One-Two Weeks before Do the major cleaning (If hosted at your home) Purchase the non-perishable foods, freezer foods and drinks Schedule all activities Follow up on the non-RSVP guests Ensure you have plenty of serving/food utensils Look for some good sized pumpkins Purchase any fireworks and sparklers Make sure you have a
first aid box to hand (especially if dealing with sparklers and fireworks) Two-Three Weeks before Purchase all items for the games and activities Choose and order party favours for the gift bags Get prizes for games (and have a few spare prizes o n hand Buy the balloons Ensure you have plenty of helpers for the day Decide on the party music (you can find Halloween music CD’s which are great for spooky sounds, and make sure you have access to a stereo to play on Buy or make the fancy dress outfits, and gather accessories Send out all invitations If you are having fireworks, do a little research into the types of fireworks available; it will make easier when choosing at the shop. Not all little ones like very loud fireworks Go over the “Four Weeks before” list to check everything is ticked off More on the next page... Bedir Bat and his four week Party countdown
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Two-Three Days before Check to make sure the camera and/or camcorder is in working order, and fully charged Buy extra batteries for the camera and/or camcorder Make sure the party area is clean Ensure plenty of space in the fridge and freezer Make sure there are plenty of foil, cling film, serviettes and bin bags Name and organise the party gift bags Wrap prizes for all games and activities and pack ready Pack up party music and stereo Confirm with the venue, entertainers and caterer etc... Organise the decoration, and even begin the decorations if possible Do any last minute shopping for food supplies and forgotten items Get a piece of paper, clipboard and pen ready for the parents contact details, and pack Have you bought your pumpkins? Make sure the person responsible for any fireworks has read all instructions and is clear on where to put them. Make sure you have a light ready. Day before If at home, clean the bathroom Clean outdoor surfaces Charge all cameras and camcorders Get the games and activities ready Gather food utensils Organise and sort the favours and party gifts ( have a few spare just in case) Carve the pumpkins out into face of your choice Prepare any food that can be put in the fridge overnight Skim the list to make sure everything is covered Get out fancy dress outfits The Big Day of the Party! Start blowing up the balloons! Decorate the party areas Get the party games ready Gather all serving/food utensils Ensure the camera and/or camcorder is ready Prepare the perishable food Check any supplies needed for the bathroom (e.g. toilet paper, soap and towels) Set the fireworks (if possible) in place whilst it is daylight Make sure you have your first aid kit to hand Now you can relax and enjoy after carefully organising the party! After the Party Ends Send out the “Thank You” cards Look and enjoy the photos and videos Make an album for a lifetime of memories
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Balloon and Decoration Ideas By Grady Ghost Identify the venue with a few balloons tied up outside and some lit carved pumpkins. It sets excitement for the children that they have arrived Balloon Centrepieces Add some nice flair and a nice touch to the tables by tying some helium filled balloons with some curled ribbon, and use a balloon weight or base to keep steady . Orange and black balloons look best for setting a Halloween theme Balloon Curtain Why not have balloons at the entrance so guest can arrive with a nice dramatic entrance. You can simply affix air-filled balloons to ribbons and hang them at the doorway. Black, green and orange balloons will work great. Other ideas Spread some helium filled balloons around the ground floor space with some balloon weights; it gives a nice feel to the party area Balloon arches take a little more work, but look stunning. Try looking online on how to make them If you have enough helpers and a competent adult, why not have a few fireworks and sparklers outside. Have a smoke machine, this is a great effect, and kids love it! String Decorations You can buy all sorts of Halloween string decorations and look great hanging from doors, ceiling, and walls. Spiders webs are always effective Fill the ceiling with bats, and add a full moon Get a neon ultraviolet light, all your decorations will look stunning under this light Prop ideas: Broom Stick Cauldron (add a mist maker for a fantastic effect) Black Cat Spiders Bats Pumpkins
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Don’t forget the drinks, make sure you have tea, coffee, milk, and sugar for the grown-ups or perhaps some Halloween punch Party Food By Sani Skull Serving a variety of tasty foods to cater for everyone is important to add festive flair and a successful party Decide Before you plan the food menu for the party, you need to decide what meals will be served (lunch, tea etc), which goes hand-in-hand with the time of the party Creating a Realistic Budget Check over the guest list and do a head count. Based on this, make a realistic food budget for the guests Create the Tone You want to ensure the food menu is related to and in sync with the theme of the party. For Halloween you could use recipes from the Halloween Mip Mops, or
Christmas recipes from the Christmas Mip Mops (www.mipmops.com) You may want to look at the season, and select fruit and vegetables “in-season”. Not only will they look better, they will taste better, not to mention budget friendly Choose a Variety Ensure the food menu includes a variety of tasty food that will cater for everyone to enjoy. Whether your rolling up the sleeves yourself and unleashing your inner master chef, or hiring out a catering team to handle to food menu, a well thought out and planned party menu will not only ease the party planning, it will be a hugely successful and delicious celebration For lots of Halloween recipe ideas go to www.mipmops.com and click on Halloween Mip Mops Food ideas: Bat or spider cakes, ghost sandwiches, ghost marshmallows, witches fingers, sparklers and much more...
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Party Gift Bags & Favors By Burt Bonfire Let Halloween guide you in choosing the type of party gift bags for the kids. Halloween has lots of gifts available. Mip mops have their own range of flashing badges, sticker books, and accessories, perfect for Halloween Party favour bags don’t need to be expensive or extravagant, whatever you choose, the guests are sure to appreciate your thoughtfulness Brown paper handled bags are perfect for making your own party bags. Each can be personalised with names and your own pictures added (add a picture of the party host saying thank you for coming to my party and making it a very special day, add the date of the party. Ribbons on the handles is a nice touch, (you could even attach a helium balloon) it’s more stand-out than standard plastic party bags
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Party Games & Activities By Phineaus Pumpkin One of the most important aspects of the party, are the games & activities themselves. If the guests are not entertained, the party can turn into a chaos pretty quickly. A child left to their own entertainment after consuming sugary cake and fizzy drink is never a good idea! You’ll need to tailor the games to the age group of the children attending. Games can normally be adapted to suit depending on the celebration Parties come to life with kids games! Kids anticipate some games and activities and its central part to their fun on the day. Find some of the Mip Mops favourite games on www.mipmops.com You want to think about the style of the games carefully. Younger children act differently to older children; for example, musical statues can seem very harsh on a small kid when told “You’re Out!” Prepare for plenty of tears! For more Halloween game ideas visit www.mipmops.com and click on Halloween mip mops Please like us on facebook/mipmops for a FREE downloadable PDF of this presentation Look out for lots of other stuff coming your way Game ideas: Bedir’s spooky walk Wakanda’s Witchy Goo Puppet Corners Saudas Wacky Web See our website for more information
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Please leave your comments and feedback – what else would you like to here about? For a FREE downloadable PDF of this presentation Please like us on Facebook/mipmops and request a Free copy Mip Mops will be adding new stuff all the time and look forward to hearing from you all Visit us on www.mipmops.com for lots more exciting stuff Follow us on twitter @tinkerandconk