How to Host a BuyMeOnce Kid’s Party

A sturdy, wipe-down-able, table covering is a highly useful addition to a busy household. Ideal for kids’ crafts too, and if you buy a colour or pattern which can be adapted to many themes, it’ll last far longer than a disposable ‘Peppa Pig’ or ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ equivalent! Yellow, baby blue, white and pale green are all very versatile colours. See John Lewis for a range of designs from £12.95 a metre, but it’s worth looking in the sales when the prices drop considerably. Ochre and Ocre do organic cotton oilcloths that are thinner than standard oil cloths and therefore drape better than most and Cath Kidston also do a few patterns like the multicoloured dots below that could be very versatile.  Franclaire Fabric cloths (bottom 4 pictured) are acrylic coated which means they are not only wipeable but can be machine washed too which is super useful.

Invitations

Think about sending email or text invitations instead of paper ones. It can be a timesaver as you can send several at once, and if there is a cost, it often doesn’t work out much more than buying and sending paper equivalents. Companies such as  Redstamp and Paperless Post have dozens of attractive and fun designs available either free or for a minimal fee. You can also send thank you letters/cards this way – some might say less personal, but I’m all for making life a bit easier where possible!

Decorations

Fabric bunting is a fantastic way to add colour and personality, plus it can be folded away for another time or hung in your child’s bedroom between parties. My mum bought my kids a set with each of their names on and we look forward to hanging out ‘their’ birthday bunting year after year, regardless of the party’s theme. Not on the High Street has a number of styles at a variety of price points. 

Colourful paper lanterns can take the place of balloons and can be collapsed to reuse again and again. Hanging Lantern have a wonderfully wide range and their lanterns are made using sustainable materials. Fairy lights are also great at making any space feel special and creating a warm atmosphere. You can even get solar powered ones. Try putting some in a vase on a table to make an inexpensive and pretty decoration.  

If your child has their heart set on a party based on a particular character or film, instead of throwaway paper, why not buy the duvet set and hang it as a banner/ backdrop? It will be high impact and then the duvet set can be kept and used as a longer-lasting present from the day. But this is probably only worth doing if your kid has a deep love affair with said character… otherwise you may end up with a stack of almost new Teletubbies & Minecraft bedlinen.

Have a look at what you could use to create signs etc. at home: Lego number or letter signs look great and can be a fun thing for your child to make the day before.  Or try making a number or letter sign made out of photographs of your child – a very personal decoration which can be kept for posterity!

Use a mini blackboard to write signs/display information. You can use this for other purposes year round too… mine is used to remind me of what stuff the kids need to take to school each day (Yes, yes, I know they should be responsible for their own things, but who am I kidding?!)

• Fancy dress relay – for this you need plant pots and some old clothes/dressing-up box items. Station two lines of pots spread apart outside. At the first pot, place a woolly hat, at the second a pair of wellies, at the third a coat, at the fourth a scarf etc. Line up the two teams – the first competitor for each team, runs to the first pot and dons the hat, runs onto the second pot and puts on the wellies and so on. When they reach the final pot, they turn around and come back, removing the items in reverse order. They then tag the next competitor. The first team to complete the relay wins! Age 5+
   
• The Chocolate Game – an old classic, but be warned, it gets hyper competitive – one friend decided to bring this out at a dinner party! You will need a large bar of chocolate, a hat, scarf, pair of gloves, a dice and a knife and fork. Sit the children around the bar of chocolate in a circle. The children take turns to roll a dice. If someone rolls a six, they have to put on the hat, scarf and gloves and begin to try and cut a piece of chocolate off the bar with the knife and fork. Meanwhile, the dice continues to be rolled by the other children. As soon as the next person rolls a six, it is their turn to try and cut off some chocolate. It is a race against time!! Age 5+
   
• Music based games such as musical chairs, musical bumps and musical statues are huge favourites and don’t add any mess.
   
• Create bags or t-shirts with fabric paints as one of the games. These can then be a keepsake parting gift.
   
• Felt games which can be brought out at every party can become a family tradition/heirloom. If you‘re crafty, here’s how you can make your own. If not, see sprinkleofsparkles on Etsy for an abundance of felt ‘pin the…on the…’ style games (e.g. pin the cherry on the cupcake or pin the flag on the castle).

• Who doesn’t love bubbles?! Make some bubble solution in a big bowl and buy some bubble wands that can be kept for another time – or ask a friend or relative to consider buying a bubble machine as a gift – this can be reused time and again and adds a magical dimension to celebrations. From babies upwards!
   
• Age-appropriate board games such as Twister can be kept for decades. Or create life-size chalk games/activities, particularly good if you have a summer party.
   
•  Use sandpits to create search games. Mine for chocolate money, or shells, or pebbles painted gold!
   
• Sometimes, the old games really are the best. Pass the parcel is a huge favourite of course, so rather than skip it, think about using recycled paper, colourful newspaper pages, or tissue paper saved from other purchases. From 3+

Party bags

These are a personal bugbear -- mindless plastic tat is the bane of my life! Plus, party bag items are often tiny, which is not great if you have a little baby crawling around the floor, hoovering up potential death traps at every turn. So here are a few alternative ideas:

Choose a book for each child that relates to the party theme and is appropriate for the child’s age. Give these as their parting gift – something they can return to again and again and can be passed on to other family members. It often doesn’t work out as more expensive than a bag full of bits and pieces!

Give a one-hit wonder gift, such as a little bucket and spade, a plant pot with a pack of seeds, a puncture-proof ball or a photo frame containing a picture of the guest with your child.

A piece of birthday cake is always great.

Create a sweetshop counter and display candies in glass jars or vases and invite each child to help themselves to some on the way out. This way they only choose sweets they like, you can reuse the glass jars and you can also use paper bags for the sweets.

If a party simply wouldn’t be a party without a ‘classic’ party bag, consider gifts that are more sustainable, such as a wooden yo-yo or spinning top.

Presents