Managing a rental garden

Kids' Outdoor Parties - How To Survive One!

by Glen Shelton

When it comes to organising and hosting parties, events for kids can be the most challenging and the most enjoyable.  Here are some tips on how to survive an outdoor kids' party from prep to party's end.

Party equipment and planning 

It's important that you plan the day well in advance to avoid stress and to make sure that you can secure any equipment hire that you'll need.  For example, if the weather is likely to be changeable, would it be a good idea to hire a marquee?  Are you going to serve food outside, in which case you may need to hire tables, chairs and cutlery?  Will you be preparing all the party food in your kitchen, or would you prefer to hire a barbecue?

Remember to canvas the parents of all your invitees to make sure that no-one has a food allergy that you need to know about, and make sure that you're serving food the kids will enjoy.

Fun and games

Although kids will happily run around and amuse themselves, it's a good idea to organise some games to focus their energy and prevent the likelihood of mischief.  You don't have to spend a fortune on party equipment; water fights, relay races, French cricket and musical chairs are all great fun and will keep the kids busy for hours.

On the day, be prepared to be flexible within your entertainment planning.  Kids often come up with their own ideas for games, so go with the flow and encourage their creativity.

Supervision

Kids' parties can become unruly, and if the prospect of a hoard of overexcited little ones running riot over your garden fills you with dread, make sure you invite a few parents too.  Ask them for help in supervising the kids during games, or perhaps in serving food.  If you have a pool and the kids will be using it, it's really important that you have a few extra pairs of eyes to keep tabs on what's going on.

Emergency planning

Although it's to be hoped that nothing goes wrong, it's always better to plan for the unexpected, just in case.

Make sure that you have a basic first aid kit on hand to deal with minor bumps and scrapes, and have contact numbers for every child's parents in case of a real emergency. 

Playing by the rules

Although no-one wants to be a party-pooper, you do need to set a few basic rules to keep things in order.  The rules you set will largely depend on the age of the kids you are entertaining, but a couple of good examples would be that everyone stays within your garden, or that no-one is allowed to use the pool unless one of the adults is there to supervise them.

In conclusion

Hosting a kids' party in your garden can be great fun.  Plan the event well, make sure you have all the party equipment you'll need secured well in advance, recruit some helpers and let the fun begin!

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