THE SPECIAL EVENTS PLANNER 
Party Time with Kids
Insider Secrets For Throwing A Successful Kid Friendly Adult Party!
By Marley Majcher 1. Set the Tone Early! Start off with the perfect invitation that tells your guests your party will be entertaining both children and adults. This gets the kids excited and gives the adults a "heads up" on the games and activities ahead. This is also a great place to make notes on anything your guests might have to wear (like sneakers if they'll be playing outside) or bring.
2. Hire an extra hand. Give those parents a break from their kids by hiring a babysitter or "host" to entertain and watch the children during the party. This way, parents can enjoy some time mingling with other adults without worrying about where their children are and what they're doing.
3. Create a "Kids Only" area. This can be a room in the house or a tented area for the kids to play. Make sure you've got lots of toys and activities for the kids to do that will keep them entertained and having fun. This should also be an area that adults can supervise from without being intrusive.
4. Bring out the kid in you! Select games that bring children and adults together. If your party is outdoors, consider team games like softball, kickball, or badminton. If your party is indoors or your yard just isn't big enough, have some interactive videogames (Wii Bowling or Tennis games are super fun!) or board games like Jenga or (my personal favorite) Taboo. handy. Pair up kids and adults so everyone feels involved.
5. Food, glorious food. We all know that given the choice, kids of all ages, which includes most adults will opt for pizza and candy over more nutritious choices. Being that we are all responsible and want our kids and partners in life to eat well, but be healthy while doing so, means that a little thought should go into the menu. Turkey and chicken hotdogs and burgers are always a big hit (think gourmet sliders with fun toppings to make it more stylish) as are desserts of low fat and low sugar frozen yogurts and sorbets, yes they are out there. Obviously the list is quite long, so don't think you don't have much to choose from. Depending on what the theme of the party is, where it is to be held and whether it is formal or not, will be your guide. You can always have a kid's menu as well as more intriguing adult nibbles, but hey, who doesn't love a grill cheese sandwich with four different cheeses on freshly baked bread with vine ripened tomatoes.
By Marley Majcher 1. Set the Tone Early! Start off with the perfect invitation that tells your guests your party will be entertaining both children and adults. This gets the kids excited and gives the adults a "heads up" on the games and activities ahead. This is also a great place to make notes on anything your guests might have to wear (like sneakers if they'll be playing outside) or bring.
2. Hire an extra hand. Give those parents a break from their kids by hiring a babysitter or "host" to entertain and watch the children during the party. This way, parents can enjoy some time mingling with other adults without worrying about where their children are and what they're doing.
3. Create a "Kids Only" area. This can be a room in the house or a tented area for the kids to play. Make sure you've got lots of toys and activities for the kids to do that will keep them entertained and having fun. This should also be an area that adults can supervise from without being intrusive.
4. Bring out the kid in you! Select games that bring children and adults together. If your party is outdoors, consider team games like softball, kickball, or badminton. If your party is indoors or your yard just isn't big enough, have some interactive videogames (Wii Bowling or Tennis games are super fun!) or board games like Jenga or (my personal favorite) Taboo. handy. Pair up kids and adults so everyone feels involved.
5. Food, glorious food. We all know that given the choice, kids of all ages, which includes most adults will opt for pizza and candy over more nutritious choices. Being that we are all responsible and want our kids and partners in life to eat well, but be healthy while doing so, means that a little thought should go into the menu. Turkey and chicken hotdogs and burgers are always a big hit (think gourmet sliders with fun toppings to make it more stylish) as are desserts of low fat and low sugar frozen yogurts and sorbets, yes they are out there. Obviously the list is quite long, so don't think you don't have much to choose from. Depending on what the theme of the party is, where it is to be held and whether it is formal or not, will be your guide. You can always have a kid's menu as well as more intriguing adult nibbles, but hey, who doesn't love a grill cheese sandwich with four different cheeses on freshly baked bread with vine ripened tomatoes.
This article is brought to with permission from the leading Entertainment Expert, Entrepreneur, TV Personality, Coach, Author and Sought After Speaker, Marley Majcher, CEO of The Party Goddess! and publisher of the ezine, "How To Be A Party Goddess". If you are ready to take your career or business to the next level, make more money and just be happier with your work life, then get your free tips on how to be a rockin' event planner at www.howtobeapartygoddess.com
To further add to Marley's article, I attended a wonderful party in the morning called City Breakfast in Waco, TX. Since many of the attendees had young children, it was sometimes hard to go out in the evening and have a night out with music and beverages without getting a babysitter and then worrying about not staying out too late. Ten creative couples came up with this wonderful idea to flip the evening, find a nightclub, hire a band, and have a party. One host happened to be a judge, so he had all of his law interns arrange in part of the downstairs area a kid-friendly party of their own. There were plenty of things for the kids to do, lots of people watching after them, and if they needed mom or dad, they were just a few steps away. It was Fabulous! Everyone had a great time.
Go Party!
HeadsUP
Posted by Heads-UP at 8/13/2009 8:55 AM 
Categories: Birthdays, Weddings, Entertainment, Events and Premieres
Tags: event planning
Categories: Birthdays, Weddings, Entertainment, Events and Premieres
Tags: event planning
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