December 26, 2018 Nicola Monteath

Host A Party For Children

Now that Christmas is over, are you out of ideas for activities? Throw an end-of-year party for the children to keep them occupied

THREE PARTY IDEAS

Gingerbread house making: Stock up on royal icing to use as glue, graham crackers and gingerbread cookie ingredients, candy, shredded coconut and a plastic sandwich bag to fill the icing in. It’s best to bake your gingerbread squares before the children arrive. They can use shredded coconut for snow, candy for the windows and décor, and get as creative as they can. Let them take it home to indulge, as soon as the icing has dried off.
Festive movie afternoon: Lay out bean bags, cushions, and blankets, so that your children and their friends can watch Polar Express, Home Alone, or The Grinch while sipping on hot chocolate and cookies. You could take it up a notch by creating edibles that resemble characters or significant scenes from the movie. For example, train- shaped cookies or brownies while watching Polar Express, or green and red cookies to resemble the Grinch.
Elf themed party: The possibilities are endless with a theme. You could create printable menus and serve angel hair pasta with north pole sauce (passata) and snow (parmesan cheese); fire-roasted winter vegetables; and hot chocolate for “The World’s Best Coffee” as seen in The Elf. Make sure your disposable plates and cutlery are green and red too.

HOW TO GET STARTED?

Prepare the invitations

Once you have picked a theme, it’s time to send out the invites. “If parents are keen on sticking to the traditional paper invites, make it as fun as possible and get the children involved. Personalised invites are easy to create, you can recycle wrapping paper or gift bags, or make your own designs on Canva and print it at home. Another option, which may be slightly less economical than the first, is to buy a set of invitations from Party Centre or Dinodrops. com,” says Mohammed Salem, Chief Operations Officer of Faby Land (part of Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism).

Plan the menu

It’s important to find out beforehand if children have any dietary requirements. Accordingly, plan your menu. If you are serving a themed sit-down menu, it’s always best to cook at home. Prefer a light menu? Have plenty of nutritious snacks for children to munch on during games and activities. The Lime Tree Café, Jones The Grocer, Friend’s Avenue, Pinza and Deliveroo are some of the restaurants and services you could look into for mouthwatering bites.

Shop for décor

Once the invites have been sent out and menu has been confirmed, it’s time to think about the décor. Visit Dragon Mart, Daiso, or Party Centre for colourful accessories, party bags and knick knacks. Stock up on plenty of arts and crafts for any decorating activities and make sure you have enough seating and tables. If you do need more, and prefer not to buy, rent it from Desert River or Party Social.

Organise the entertainment

Festive tunes or soundtracks from the movie theme will liven up the party mood, and you can also have a sing-along session with the children for a barrel of laughs.