Advice On The Ultimate OS Party For DD!!

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi

Im having a Bratz themed party for DD (11) next Saturday and have 7 (inc DD) delightful young girls coming (except one gobby one) and need advice help on planning it. Im not very well ATM and have little or no energy so need to organise with as little effort as possible, but still want it to be fabulous!!!

Party bags are all done and include lovely good quality items I have been given as gifts (body shop or designer-all new though) or freebies, a personalised choccy bratz bar and a Bratz Pez each. I have also bought a Bratz cake, which was £6.99 and looks wonderful.

I have 3 bigger prizes that need wrapping as DD wants pass the parcel. I need some ideas for party games that dont take up alot of room and easy to set up and not cause alot of mess. Can think of Musical statues, wooden spoons, charades, wrap the mummy and pin the bag on the Bratz doll. Do these sound OK and how long do you think each game will last? Are there any others?

Food-OH is making 2 HM pizzas, we will also be having: chicken drumsticks (served cold), cheese and apple sticks, chicken dippers served cold, sarnies (cheese or jam), crisps, sausage rolls and there will be a bowl of salad. Does this sound OK? Its all easy to prepare and can be cooked beforehand. DD wants jelly and ice cream for pudding, but will also be making fairy butterfly cakes, marshmellows and choc dipping sauce and there will be a big bowl of fresh fruit too. Drinks will be orange/apple juice/water/lemonade. Will be buying DD a bottle of Bucks Fizz as she loves this.

How should I organise the 3 hours? Its from 2.30-5.30. I suggested maybe having a muck around with some make up when they turn up for 15 mins-putting on each other etc??? Can anyone suggest a timetable? I want it to go really well as shes had a rough time the last few months with me being so ill.

Thanks in advance.

PP
xx

Queenie

Have you used the search facility to check out older threads in Old Style and even Marriage, Relationships & Families boards?
I know there have been a large number of threads on birthday parties, party games, organising etc., etc.

Have you also checked out the Mega Index and Recipes Index?

With you being so ill, my advice would be to use the advice from the mnemonic: K.I.S.S. when planning your timetable because you never know from day to day what your energy levels are going to be or what sort of night you would have had.

In your position, it might be better for everyone to have the party at a venue where all the catering/timetable/organising is taken care of. As you say, you are ill!!!! You really don't need the extra burden of a party at home when you've only just come out of hospital.

Edinburghlass_2

Stickie thread on the Family Board regarding children's birthday parties.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=57807

MrsMW

I agree with Queenie, and don't think you should be doing this. 8 young girls partying is enough to scare the fittest of mothers. Is it possible to find a church hall or similar where you could take the food and maybe hire an entertainer? Knowing how determined you are, if you must go ahead with the party at home I would suggest some DVDs for them to watch or maybe get some cheap craft kits and let them make jewellery etc.
I don't mean to be unkind PP, I know how hard it is for you but please don't overdo things, your DD loves you just as you are, you don't have to be supermum.
Take care.

Trow

My daughter is 10 and son 8, and the last two parties they have had. they have been really keen to organise games themselves - the first person out in musical statues, bumps etc takes control of the music and suchlike. They also played games such as Simon Says and stuff that hadn't been planned - so I would say don't plan every minute as they will have ideas themselves.

Another game that went down well at our last Halloween party was to tie party rings on a string - like so
_________
0 0 0 0 0 (I hope that comes out ok) (edited to add it missed out the spaces, but you space them further apart), and tie it up to a level where they can just reach it with their mouths, then have them eat them without using their hands. It doesn't last long, but get them to do it one after the other (instead of all at once) and it lasts a bit longer. You could time them to see who is quickest?

We also had a dancing competition - purely subjective, but you could sit down and let the girls dance for ages before eliminating one, then the next, then the next etc. You could do similar with karaoke if you have a mchine or something like singstar for the PS2. Even your own mini X-factor.

Hope it goes ok
x

Faith_2

Hi PP, when my DD had 2 parties last year - one for Halloween, one for turning 13, I made a party plan a bit like a lesson plan (I'm a teacher lol). I allowed 15 minutes from the starting time of the party for everyone to arrive, (for her birthday party one of her friends was 30 minutes late!) then I asked DD the games she wanted to do and we made the plan together. It's was much easier than previous parties because I new exactly what was happening at anytime and the kids were entertainment and therefore much more controllable. It's amazing how much mess girls can make! The mummy game - where you wrap someone in toilet paper - was fantastically popular. And not too messy. I made sure my vaccum cleaner was at hand too! The other games they played were too messy as they involved a hidden sweets and flour!

In the past I'd had another adult with me to help with parties, but these last two parties I didn't and I missed it. It's help with the kids but it's also company in the kitchen!

RacyRed

Wow PP! That sounds like 3 days worth you have planned there!

What does DD say? Letting them have a go with make-up sounds a good idea too. Keep the food going to take care of the gobby one .

One easy thing to do might be to let them have a dance session, make a compilation CD of whatever they are listening to at the time, add some silly oldies to make then laugh and break the pattern, for instance, the birdy song (did I say that :eek: ) and other such ermm, "golden oldies". That way you can nip out of the room for a break when you need one.

Sorry can't think of any other suggestions at the moment, sounds like fun

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi Thanks for the replies and concerns.

My OH is doing it all really. Also a friend is helping and my little 5yr old nephew is helping his Uncle PP:D I have done the party bags with DD, but did these a couple of weeks back. All the girls (7 inc dd) are very good and well behaved (ones a bit loud) and know Im not well-am very good friends with all mums.

DD has just said that Bratz have a movie too-so that me be an alternative, but dont really want them glued to the tv IYSWIM.

I know I must sound totally mad doing this, but I am doing as little as possible...honest!

All the food is minimal effort. The art stuff might be an idea-maybe a drawing competition????

Thanks again

PP
xx

Dumyat

kids that age tend to organise themselves...my daughter and her friends are in to kareoki (spelling bad I know). You get DVD ones that dont need microphone etc...
three hours seems a long time...I used to keep it to two!

Katgoddess

Let them watch a dvd of something? Something short like a tv comedy that will keep them entertained for a while.

Do you know any teenage girls who can help you out?

Opps I typed too slow.

honey28

I agree with the dancing/disco theme. Kids (especially girls) love this.
I was in Asda yesterday and saw some egg painting kids - they were on offer - I can't remember the price but they weren't expensive - it may have been 2 kits of £2/£3 but this gave me an idea. Since the party is close to Easter how about decorating hard boiled eggs - you might pick up some cheap yellow label ones in tesco/asda or else buy the value ones. The girls could draw/paint/stick on stickers/ribbon etc. Another idea - weather permitting - is to have an Easter egg hunt. Buy some small wrapped chocolate eggs - I think Lidl have them in - and hide them in the garden - or if the weather is bad hide them around the house and let the girls hunt for them. I've seen this done at a Sunday School party with wrapped up sweets - chewits/starbursts so you don't necessarily need to buy chocolate eggs!

Good Luck!