Kid's Parties

BB The Clown knows kid's parties, having preformed at over 100 of them in the past five years. So its no wonder that when Raleigh's parents want advice on how to hold the best (and least stressful) party for their children, they turn to the clown with all the answers!

It's tempting to invite a child's entire class to a party but be warned, not all of the kids wil'l like each other and it may be hard to keep them all together. Its best to stick with close friends and family members.

While a lot of parents hold parties for babies and toddlers, these kinds of parties are more for the family then for the child. The best age to start holding parties with guests of a similar age is four. Children have usually started pre-school or play group by this age and have the social skills to be able to handle a party

Children have very short attention spans so two hours is plenty for a children's party. If you are inviting an entertainer like BB The Clown (shameless plug!) you can start the party, have half an hour for unwrapping presents and games, an hour of entertainment from BB and than half an hour for food and cutting the cake.

Try and avoid having "winners" and "losers" as some children take competition very seriously. Hot Potato is a great game as it does not involve too much running around and everybody can win a prize. One of BB's favorite games is to tie a plain donut to a piece of string, hang it off the clothes line and then get the children to try and eat the donut without using their hands. Other great games include treasure hunts, and dancing competitions.

Having performed everywhere from one bedroom apartments to five star restaurants, BB's favorite place for parties is at home. Simply push back the furniture in the lounge room, take down any valuables and fill the room with balloons and streamers. If you have a big backyard then set the children loose and let them play.

A lot of fast food places offer special children's party deals where each child receives a hamburger, a drink and a piece of ice cream cake. The novelty quickly wears off these parties and the children are soon climbing the walls! At home, the environment is more controlled and while there is some cleaning up to do, both adults and children seem to have a better time.

One of the biggest fears of parents having a party is that they won't be able to control the kids. Here are BB's suggestions for keeping a handle on things at children's parties. Invite the parents as well as kids.

· Few children will misbehave if their mom or dad is present at the party as well. Why not invite the parents as well?

· Don't be afraid to discipline other people's children. If you feel a guest needs some time by themselves then you should feel that you can ask them to sit out until they calm down

· Avoiding overly sweet foods. Too much sugar and too much fun is not a good combination.

While it is OK to serve some "junk" foods at a children's party (after all, it is only once a year) try and avoid too many sweet lollypops or creamy desserts because this can lead to upset tummies. Try and serve a wide range of food as a lot of children have fussy eating habits. BB's favorite foods are: sausage rolls, cocktail franks, carrot sticks, fresh fruit, veggie trays and popcorn.

Don't forget the cake! While it's great to go nuts with decorations and theme cakes a lot of kids hate marzipan and other decorating items so go for a plain sponge cake or chocolate cake to keep everyone happy. If a guest decides they don't want any cake, wrap them up a piece for later.

Noisemakers will give you a headache within minutes and children rarely heed the party popper warning of point away from face. BB has had an eye full of streamers on more than one occasion!

It is customary to give each child a party bag to take home. You can buy small bags from the supermarket for next to nothing and fill it with basic lollypops and maybe a small inexpensive toy like a whistle, matchbox car or water pistol. Save these until last of all so that all of the guests have something to go home with.