Ways to Make Your Child's Party Unique

Each child is unique-so it seems reasonable that parents’ should want to make their child’s party a one-off, too! However competitive the parents of your child’s guests (and they are!) don’t lose sight of the fact that the birthday party is for your child and his or her friends...

Where to Start

What interests your child? Do you have access to, or room for, an area that can be decorated and prepared specifically for the birthday party? Consider themes that your child and his or her friendscould really get involved in with a little effort and careful planning.

Examples of Theme Parties

Hold a pirates party! Make your own props out of cardboard boxes or wood; paint the walls to look like sea and sky; suspend paper seagulls from the ceiling; cut out silver foil to look like lightning bolts; use sheets for sails and pirate flags; coloured lighting to create atmosphere and play sea shanties and pirates tales that the kids can relate to. If you have a tree-house, use it as the crows nest and have the party outside.

Re-enact your child’s favourite film! Let them choose their character and ask guests to come dressed as others from the film so they can all be involved-it doesn’t matter if you have 5 Shreks, each one will be unique and have a part to play.

Invite all the children to come dressed as their favourite book or film character then encourage them to use their imagination and create a story that includes them all. Again, if you can transform one room into a ‘film set’, the children will be inspired.

For any themed birthday parties at home, decide on the theme well in advance and do as much as you can yourself-rope in the family’s DIY experts, painters, thespians (or drama queens)and anyone with a sewing machine! Provide a real-life wonderland for the children to enter.

For younger children, a good story-teller can set the scene and encourage them to use their own ideas in play-acting. Write in some lines for them to repeat after you to keep their attention. Split them into teams so everyone has a chance to be on the side of ‘the goodies’ or ‘the baddies’.

Buy face paints and let the children have a go at doing each other’s make-up for different roles andprovide a dressing-up box so they can change character. (Don’t fuss if you can’t see any resemblance to the figure they are supposed to represent-the children can!)

Continue with your chosen theme throughout-use posters, figures, cups, plates, tablecloths and napkins relevant to the characters involved and do the same with goodie bags, if provided.

Outdoor Specials

Organise a nature day for your budding Attenboroughs! Pond-dipping, rock-pools, nature trails and forest fun, run by professionals, can be informative, fun and suitably exhausting. Take a special birthday picnic or book lunch somewhere close-by. (Provide hand wipes, sunscreen, snacks and drinking water and don’t forget the first-aid kit.)

Find out if there is an archaeology group in the area that has special kids’ activity days where they can explore digs, cook medieval dishes, make tiles or go metal-detecting. This is real hands-on stuff and an unusual (but not expensive) treat that encourages interest in what’s on your doorstep.

To make your child’s party as unique as your child, ask them what their perfect day would be anddo as much as you can to make them feel valued. Time is better spent than money when it comes tothe perfect birthday party.