Your kid is turning an entire year older, and we say go all out to celebrate! If you’re looking to throw a bash to celebrate this milestone, bookmark these tried-and-tested tips and tricks shared by fellow parents.
Whenever our kids’ birthdays roll around, we snap into full-on party planning mode. Kids’ parties are so much fun and, to make things easier, we asked around for some great tried and tested kids party hacks. Here are some of our favourite tips and tricks!
Tip #1: Pick a theme!
What’s your child’s current favourite toy or interest? Use this theme to align all the elements of your party — from a backdrop and balloons to tableware. It just makes everything so cohesive and super, super cute.
You can extend this theme to the goodie bags too, and just have fun with them! For a more practical idea, you can fill small backpacks (which kids can use on a daily basis) with items like bubble wands.
Amanda’s tip: I like to tie helium balloons to each goodie bag, and use them as decorations at the party. You can also follow the colour theme to make it cohesive!
Tip #2: Pick a venue that appeals not only to kids, but adults too
We gotta admit, kids’ parties can be a tad overstimulating. We love all those unadulterated squeals of laughter but, take it from a parent, sometimes we just need a break too. We recommend going for a venue that oozes calm vibes. Even better if it’s decked out in soothing colours and wooden tones for that aesthetic factor. The cherry on top would be high ceilings, which make the space look a lot bigger!
We’ve looked around and East Coast Commune checks all the above boxes, more on it later!
Tip #3: Make entertainment a priority
It’s a kids’ party after all, and what do kids like? Fun and games. Keep the laughs coming with acts like a balloon or bubble artist, or a magician. Face painting and temporary tattoos are always a hit too! For even more fun, choose a venue like East Coast Commune which has indoor play facilities and a nearby playground.
E-lyn’s tip: I’ll never forget the look on my daughter’s face when a magician we hired walked through the door. Everyone had so much fun, it was one of the best decisions we’ve made for her party!
Tip #4: Keep everyone’s tummies happy with quality food
It’s important to keep everyone, even the parents, happy. And our surefire way of doing so? Making sure you have good food. Book a caterer that comes highly recommended by friends or family who have tried them, and check out online reviews before making your decision. Or even better: settle the party venue and bites by having your kid’s birthday bash at a restaurant.
Esther’s tip: I usually go for familiar food (eg. cheese toasties, meatball pasta, etc.) that are usually a hit with kids. It’s also a good idea to have them in sizes suitable for little hands, or in a portion that’s easy for grab-and-go.
P.S. For the cake, go for something that’s refreshing, yummy, and eye-catching all at the same time!
Syaz’s tip: One great option is making a birthday cake entirely from fruit. It’d not only look amazing, it’d also cost a fraction of a normal birthday cake. You won’t even have to worry about most allergies either. I think this idea will be especially good for a milestone one-year-old birthday!
Tip #5: Give yourself as little stress as possible
All things considered, planning a party is undeniably hard work. There are countless things to juggle — from getting the food and entertainment sorted to making sure the kids are entertained, you’ve definitely got your work cut out for you. Hence, this is our most treasured tip: why not outsource as many things as possible?
Take the load off your chest by entrusting the party to the hands of professionals, you’ll be able to fully focus on your kids. Your presence as a parent matters too, and might be the one most crucial thing that your child remembers about the day!
Esther’s tip: You can cook the best dishes, do the best decor yourselves, and maybe even put up a whole song and dance performance — but I’d rather save that time and energy to have a fantastic time with my kids at their party.
Get your whole party settled with East Coast Commune’s all-inclusive party package
We stan party packages that are all-inclusive so you can settle all the important things at one go. East Coast Commune offers exactly this, covering location and food, and even entertainment to sweeten the deal. Adding on the part that every parent loves: absolutely no clean-up is required!
East Coast Commune is located in the lush East Coast Park Marine Cove enclave, right next to the fun Marine Cove playground (which helps with the entertainment portion). And if that’s not enough, the restaurant has a small indoor play area too.
So what exactly does East Coast Commune’s party package include? From $2,800, it gives you exclusive use of its indoor or alfresco areas from 3-6pm; a delectable buffet spread for 50 pax with complimentary non-alcoholic beverages; a personalised poster, plus your choice of entertainment (one-hour face painting or balloon sculpting) or a nine-inch cake.
Besides, trust us when we say that you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to the food. Take your pick from savoury bites like housemade beef sliders, cauliflower pops, cheese toasties, mini hash potatoes, and mozzarella cheese sticks. Sweet tooths will love the chocolate feuilletine cake and lemon tartlets. Wash it all down with drinks like iced chocolate, Marrakesh mint tea and, the kids’ favourite, babyccinos.
With space, activities for kids, and even a nursing room (fellow mamas, here’s looking at you) — everyone is covered. Sounds like a dream, huh? So, the next time your kids’ birthday rolls around, save yourself all that research and hassle — and actually enjoy the party!
This post is in partnership with East Coast Commune.
