Hosting a creative kids party: New trends to try -

This is a collaborative post .

There are some kids party traditions that have stood the test of time, and for good reason. After all, who doesn’t love a game of pass the parcel or taking a party bag with them when they head home? However, once you’re past the post when it comes to party attendance and have graduated to the role of host as the parent of a toddler or tween, parties have the potential to become a slightly more stressful affair. According to SunLife, parents spend around £100 helping kids celebrate their birthday with a party, though research from Vouchercloud (via ) suggests this figure is often much higher. With creative ideas to bring the fun factor to your child’s function, this post explores some of the latest trends in kids’ parties to help you plan a purse-friendly party.

Outdoor Adventures

Noise and mess come with the territory when you’re hosting a party but there is a way to keep your home a little calmer and cleaner and that’s by hosting an outdoor event. We’re not always blessed with the best of weather here in Britain but with a little consideration you can plan an outdoor party with a back up plan B that will allow you to keep the chaos relatively contained in a home environment. Not only does this save the cost of hiring a venue but it should also give you a wider range of activities you can put on without the need to pay for an external entertainer such as a face painter or magician.

If you are concerned that bad weather could call off proceedings, you should consider whether you could clear another room to move the outdoors in. This could also be used as a location for gathering around the birthday cake. The obvious solution would be to have the party area flow from a dining room or kitchen are if it backs on to the garden, which works even better if you have bi-fold doors or similar fitted to allow you to keep a watch of all proceedings at a discreet distance. Nice doors aren’t cheap to install but if you’re considering adding them as a birthday present to yourself at some point they can be a good addition to homes where children are regularly running in and out and you don’t need to stick to a modern finish if you buy something more classically styled from places like Creative Doors Direct.

So, what type of theme could you adopt for your outdoor celebration?

Depending on the age and interests of your child you could plump for a picnic (complete with invitations to bring their own bears, if age appropriate). Glamping parties are also becoming a popular alternative to the traditional sleepover. There’s no need to invest in individual tepees if you don’t have the budget, you can erect the family tent and style it with your own bunting, blankets and LED fairy lights. For a cute personal touch, put together some sleepover goodies for each attendee – glitter gels and glow sticks go down great for a garden festival vibe. Or, what about putting on your own outdoor cinema event? Weather permitting, you can cut the cost of a cinema party massively by setting up a projector in your own garden.

Serving hot dogs and giving each child their own personal popcorn, sweets and juice snack box can really keep catering costs under control too. Take a peek at this post from PopSugar for advice on how to set things up.

Cleaner Kids Catering

Kids parties don’t need to be a total sugar fest for the little ones to enjoy what they eat, though a certain amount of sugar, chocolate or cake has come to be expected. If you’d like to indulge their desires while providing a more balanced offering on the buffet table there are lots of ways to sneak in some seriously tasty and healthy foods that also happen to look great. Chocolate dipped strawberries and banana chunks pack in a few more vitamins than a bowl of Smarties and fruit kebabs or wands can incorporate an exciting rainbow of colours.

When it comes to drinks, you might consider ditching the fizzy pop for more economically efficient jugs of sugar-free squash or even cute bottles of milkshake or homemade smoothies. The latter can be made in advance and frozen so you’re not going crazy with the blender on the big day! Homemade ice lollies can also be made in advance while pitta pizzas make a great alternative to sandwiches. If you do want to offer up some sugary treats, you might consider going for quality over quantity by baking biscuits, cupcakes or cake pops that are personalised in some way for each child. This way you can regulate their sugar intake and your spend. When it comes to party bags, a piece of birthday cake gives kids a slice of tradition, which you could accompany with a small craft project in place of extra sweets.