by Ellie Evergreen
The Holiday season gives plenty of opportunities to celebrate. The end of the year, the gathering of friends and family from far away, the joy of giving; all of these add up to a lot of special moments, and a lot of reasons to throw some great Christmas parties. While some of your parties will be adult only affairs, the nature of the season insures you'll have plenty of parties that include the whole family. In fact, you'll probably want to throw at least one party just for the kids. A children's Christmas party can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of stress. Here are 6 tips for throwing a bash that won't leave you wringing your hands from stress.
First of all, you want to make sure that you have all your main two bases cover- the food and the venue. You want to always keep in mind the differences between children and adults when you plan your party, and you should decide on your food selections accordingly. You'll probably have a lot more success with fun appetizers, finger foods and desserts than you will with a full sit down meal. Kids like to move around and be actively social at parties- they don't want to sit down at a table for a stuffy meal and pleasant conversation. While you're thinking about food, it's a good idea to decide whether or not you will serve alcohol. Overall, serving alcohol is probably a bad idea at a kids' party. It might be fun for the adults who are present, but it gives you a handful of things to worry about, including kids sneaking some for themselves and adults getting too drunk.
The venue you select is also very important. Most holiday parties take place at someone's house, and that's a great idea for children's parties as well. While you can rent out a space, it doesn't necessarily give the atmosphere you're hoping to cultivate. All the holiday parties I attended as a child took place at friends and family member's houses, and seeing their places decked out was part of the magic of it all. Your house just has the homey feel that any outside venue you find won't have. If your house isn't an option, then try and rent out a space that has a similarly warm vibe. A kids entertainment place like Chuck E Cheese probably isn't going to give off the right vibe, while a more formal space won't let the kids be kids. A family restaurant with a banquet room can be a good idea, as can a local community center.
Wherever you end up, it's important to plan plenty of activities and games that children can enjoy. If you're going to host a lot of children who don't already know each other, it's a good idea to incorporate activities that mingle them and introduce them to each other in a friendly manner. If you're putting on games or other competitive activities, it's important that everyone gets some sort of prize for playing. While kids will always be a little competitive with each other, making sure that everyone has fun and wins at the end is a great way to break the ice in a positive manner.
Planning plenty of non-competitive activities is also a great idea. Whether it's creating decorations for the Christmas tree, baking cookies together, or passing out pre-made letters from Santa to everyone, there are plenty of Holiday appropriate things to do that will bring people together and not pit them against on another. Once again just make sure every kid gets something! Think about it- if you hand out Santa letters, how will a kid feel if you doesn't receive one?
As long as you go into your children's Christmas party with the mindset that you are doing it for the kids, then you're sure to have a great success that everyone will remember fondly for a long time to come. - 39969
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