Wednesday 2 November 2011

The Best Kids Christmas Party Game Ideas

If you’ve decided to throw a Christmas Party for a group of children this year and you are stuck for great kid’s party game ideas, then here are some fun ideas and suggestions that will keep them well and truly entertained.

Simple, traditional party games can be adapted to suit a particular theme, so as it’s a christmas party you could adapt the following classic games into a christmas theme:
‘Santa Says’ – this is instead of ‘Simple Simon’ played in exactly the same way.
Snowman Freeze – when the music stops, children have to freeze and stand still like a snowman. The child that moves is out until the last remaining child is left.
Pin the Tail on Rudolph – like ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’ but adapted to pinning a big red nose on Rudolph instead.
‘Santa, Santa, Elf’ – Re-named ‘Duck, Duck, Goose’. You can choose other appropriate names too if you prefer.
Pass the Christmas Gift Box – same as ‘Pass the Parcel’ but why not wrap a box in Christmas design wrap and fill with pre-wrapped gifts for each child.
Apart from the traditional style games, here are some other games and activities that are really fun to play:

Fill The Christmas Stocking Relay:
Ideal for a larger group of children, this game involves splitting the kids into two teams. Hang up a couple of christmas stockings and get two large bowls and fill them with sweets. The children have to scoop up sweets with a spoon, walk over to the stocking and fill it, then run back and give the spoon to the next child in the line. The team who fills up the stocking the most sweets are the winners. If you can use anything suitable to fill the stocking with if you don’t wish to use sweets.

Pass the Candy Cane:
Form two groups of children if possible into two lines. The Children have to pass a Candy Cane sweet to each other using one finger only. The first team to pass the Candy Cane up and down the line is the winning team.

Christmas Word Countdown:
Great for smaller groups of older children that can read and write. Write out Christmas related words (e.g Father Christmas) on a piece of paper then cut them out
and place in a bag.
Each child in turn has to pull out a word then see how many smaller words they can create from that word within a set time (e.g Fat, Mister, Sister etc)

Hunt the Star or Bauble:
Ideal for kids of all ages, hide star or bauble decorations around the room and the child that finds the most wins a prize.

Decorate a Cookie:
Kids love a bit of cookie decorating, especially when they get to eat their creations.
Make cookies beforehand into shapes such as snowmen, christmas trees, gingerbread men, round Christmas puddings. Children will have so much fun with icing and adding sweets and sprinkles to them.
Whatever party games you decide to play at your christmas party, remember it should be fun activity rather than too competitive.

For more ideas visit Best Kids Party, for kids party games and lovely Pass the Parcel Games that have a slightly different twist to the usual Pass the Parcel game.


Thursday 27 October 2011

Should Party Bags be given for a 1st Birthday Party?

The answer is YES!
Your child's 1stBirthday is a very special time, whether you decide to have a party for close family only or to invite lots of friends, it's always nice to give your guests a small gift as a token of your affection. If you are inviting friends who have children, then make sure you give them a gift that's relevant to their ages. It's more likely that you will end up with children of various ages, from babies to ten year olds even. Of course you might only invite your babies little friends of the same age, but be prepared for any older siblings too.
Great gifts for babies and toddles are bath toys, soft toys, chunky crayons, story books, teething toys, plastic beakers, puzzles etc. Just make sure they are suitable for that age group. You can make up little gift bags by using themed plastic loot bags, cello bags, gift cups or even little baskets. Another way to give out the gift is to do a pass the parcel box where each gift is wrapped up. Might need a bit of help from parents to sit round in a circle with their little ones, but this is a fun activity that can be played to music too.
Gifts for older children could be small pocket money toys, books, sweets, crafty gifts, stationery and so on.
If you are just having close relatives and friends at your child's first birthday party, then perhaps give them a small momento gift relating to your child. Things like a photo frame with your child's photo, a keyring, book mark, fridge magnet or a personalised photo mug.
I'm sure grand parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends will appreciate this gift as a keepsake of the special day. If you don't want to spend a lot of money on these gifts, then you could do something simple like send them a 'thank you' card with a photo of your child on that special day.
Both children and adults alike love edible gifts. You could make some cupcakes with an edible photo of your child on, or make cookies or cake pops. Edible party favors always goes down a treat regardless of how old you are!
All gifts will be greatly appreciated and at the end of the day, it's to show how grateful you are that your guests have helped you celebrate such a special event in you and your child's life.
If you need lots of 1st birthday party bag inspiration, check out Best Kids Party where you will find a wide range of kids party bags and 1st birthday party supplies, to help you throw the best first birthday party ever!

Tuesday 18 October 2011

The Best 1st Birthday Party Game Ideas

Many parents get stuck for ideas of what to do for their baby’s 1st birthday, especially if it’s their first child and the first ever birthday party they will be throwing. That’s why many parents want it to be a special occasion, one they can remember for many years to come.
A first birthday party usually ends up being a celebration for adults, mainly family and friends and their children, however if you’ve been a very sociable parent and made lots of friends through various mother & baby clubs and play groups, you could end up with a house full of parents and one year olds!
However many people you decide to have, here are 10 great ideas on how to keep  everyone entertained at your baby’s first birthday party and have lots of fun:

1. Guess the Baby Photo Game:
This game involves asking your guests to bring two photos of themselves, one as a baby and a current photo. They can do the same for any older children they bring to the party too.
Make a note of which photos belongs to who then arrange all the baby photos in a line and number them. Then arrange all the current photos and letter them A to Z.
Give each adult/older child a piece of paper and a pen and they have to write down which number and letter corresponds.
The person who gets the most correct wins!

2. Baby Bottle Bowling:
More often than not most parents will have lots of spare baby bottles around the house. Fill as many bottles you have with either water or rice to make them more sturdy and use them as skittles!

3. Baby Messages:
Decorate a small box or buy a special keepsake box and get your guests to write a note to your baby. This is will get everyone thinking!
You can then keep this for your child to open and read when they are older.

4. Baby Obstacle Course:
Set up a mini soft obstacle course using tunnels, pillow, cushions, soft baby blocks etc. The little one’s will have lots of fun crawling through and entertaining themselves.

5. Ball Pool:
Children of this age love colourful plastic balls, which are in expensive to buy by the bucket load. Fill a small paddling pool with them and let them have lots of fun.

6. Sing Song:
Buy a CD with lots of nursery rhymes and get parents to sit around in a circle with their children.  Lay out some musical instruments and have fun making your own little sing song session.

7. Puppet Show:
If you’re brave enough, turn yourself into an entertainer or get one of your family or friends to do it!
Finger or hand puppets and great to entertain small children however be careful with the one’s you choose as some small children can be afraid of them.
8. Toss a Bean Bag:
Line up some plastic buckets and assist your child in throwing a bean bag into a bucket. Great fun and good for their hand co-ordination development.

9. Treasure Hunt Crawl:
Hide some baby friendly wrapped gifts or treats around the house and allow babies to hunt them out!

10. Pass the Parcel:A traditional game that works well no matter what age you are! Perhaps try a lucky dip style box to pass around to music, instead of gifts wrapped in a paper parcel, as it will make it easier for small children to handle.

It can be tricky to play games with a house full of babies and young children, but whatever you decide to play the key is to have lots of fun so that you can capture memories of that special day!
For lots of 1st birthday party inspiration, check out Best Kids Party for a wide range of 1st birthday party supplies, 1st birthday decorations and special 1st birthday gifts.


Thursday 6 October 2011

Great Ideas for Kids Halloween Goodie Bags

If you are planning a Halloween Party this year, whether it’s for a few children or a large group of children, they will still expect to go home with some form of party bag. Here are some great ideas for spooky Halloween party gifts:

Paper & Cellophane Bags
Paper Bags – you can buy plain paper bags with or without handles in great traditional Halloween colours, such as orange, black, white, red and green.
Paper bags are great to decorate too. Children will have lots of fun creating their scary monster party bags.
Fill them with small halloween themed toys and some sweets.
For an extra spooky effect you can wrap the small toys in artificial stretchy cobweb and then place in each paper bag. Or perhaps sprinkle some halloween themed confetti for a great effect.
Cello Bags – Available plain or printed and ideal to fill with small toys and sweets. Most bags come with ties, but you could try & use something a bit more appropriate like black pipe cleaners to give that hairy spider effect.
Scary witch hand shaped cello bags are ideal to fill with popcorn if you think the kid’s have had too many sweets.

Gift Cups
Children can just as easily decorate a plain paper cup, provide lots of craft materials for them to make their own scary creations.
Make a couple of holes on either side of the cup and thread through some ribbon to make a handle so they can carry them easily.

Fabric bags
Cotton bags are a wonderful eco-friendly alternative and can be used over and over again. You can buy tote style bags with handles, or even drawstring bags in lots of designs including halloween themes. They are great to fill with little gifts.

Crafty things to make

A Witch or Wizard’s hat – use craft paper to make a cone shape and then stick it to a round base with a hole big enough to fit the size of a head. The hat can then be decorated. Children can make mini hats too that can be filled with treats ready to take home.

Mini Graves – get a large empty match stick box and paint it with black paint. Then cut out a tomb stone using grey card and stick this to one side of the insert box. You should still be able to push the box open at one end. The box can then be filled with some sweets.

Scary Masks – children can be as creative as they wish! Attach some elastic to fit around the head.

Spooky Lucky DipInstead of making up party bags, do a lucky dip box or bag.
To make up a lucky dip box simply have fun decorating a cardboard box and fill with small gifts for each child. Gifts can range from pocket money toys that fit in with the halloween theme or even small books and stationery items.
Instead of a box try using a black dust bin sack.

Something Sweet
If you are planning on trick or treating before the party, children would have collected enough sweets anyway.
As an alternative you could make ‘Ghost’ cake pops, pumpkin cupcakes, or ghoul looking cookies.


If you don’t have time to make your own party bags, but would like to look like you have, Best Kids Party have a range of fun Handmade Kids Party Bags in Halloween themes, as well as Gift Cups, Paper Party Bags, Cello Bags, Pocket Money Toys and Party Bag Fillers.





Friday 30 September 2011

How to Create a Delicious Party Bag

Party Bags generally contain some pocket money toys, small token gifts and a few sweets, but more often than not it's the sweets that children are attracted to first.
Of course not every parent is happy for their children to munch their way through a whole packet of sweets, so here are some ideas of how to create an edible gift that is not just all about sugary sweets.

Cakes and Cookies
Cakes and biscuits are great for party bags as they are easy to make in larger batches and look great too when decorated with a bit of icing and perhaps some toppings.
A lovely touch is to make either cupcakes or cookies and personalise them with each child's initials. Children love to see things with their names on!
Cupcakes and cookies can also be made by the guests with adult supervision at the party or to save time just get them to decorate ready made ones.
You can then pop them into lovely Cellophane party bags and tie them with ribbon to give a finishing touch.
Another wonderful idea is to give out cupcake or cookie mix party bags. Basically they contain the dry ingredients to make either cupcakes or cookies. They are available to buy in some shops and online or if you are brave enough you can make your own providing you measure out the ingredients correctly. This way the guests can make bake them in their own time at home and it is a fun activity they can do with their parents or carers.
Cake Pops make another great edible gift. Each cake pop is made from cake mix that is combined with frosting, shaped onto lolly pop sticks and coated in candy. You can also buy them from specialist shops and they come in a multitude of styles and themes.

Fruit Creations
Not often does fruit or anything remotely healthy appeal to children, however it really is about they way it is presented.
Try fruit kebabs - this really is something the guests pretty much have to eat straight away, but many children do anyway whether it's sweets or cake.
Cut up fresh fruit into chunks and thread onto a skewer, then place into a cellophane party bag and tie with a ribbon. You can do this using dried fruit too.
This is probably a better idea for slightly older children as you don't want the young one's to poke themselves or anyone else with the skewer!

Popcorn
Popcorn whether it is plain, flavoured or coloured is great to fill into different types of party bags, such as cellophane bags, paper bags, food boxes and containers.
These ideas above just name a few edible treats, but of course there are many nationalities out there that have their own cultural treats. It is always nice to give something more unusual whether children eat it or not and in this way they learn more about different cultures and food.
Whatever you decide to give, just give the presentation some thought.

If you need more ideas of how to present your lovely treats, Best Kids Party have a wide range of  Kids Party Bags, which include cellophane party bags, paper party bags and kids party boxes. We also provide unusual Filled Party Bags which contain edible and non-edible treats.

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Top 10 Gift Ideas for Girls Party Bags

If you're stuck for ideas of party bags for girls, here is our top 10 ideas of things you can give, which they will love:

Here are Top 10 party bag gift ideas for girls:

1. Jewellery and hair accessories - Girls love necklaces, bracelets and hair accessories and there are many different styles available in lovely girly themes.

2. Pretty Lip Gloss - Girls love adding shimmer to their lip and making themselves look pretty.

3. Mini Bags and Purses - Fabric party bags are a gift in itself and you can also add smaller gifts if you wish.

4. Stationery Items- Note books, pens, pencils, novelty erasers

5. Tattoo Transfers - Easy to apply and remove and they available in many themes such as Princess, Butterfly and Fairy.

6. Craft Items - The girls can create something at the party, which they can take home with them afterwards. Popular things to make and decorate are fabric party bags, pencil cases, trinket boxes, picture frames, flower pots to name a few.

7. Small Pocket Money Toys - Small toys are a great size to add to party bags.
Popular girls toys are things like Bubbles, Fairy wands, Bouncy balls, Puzzles.

8. Books - Girls love colouring books, sticker books, activity books & reading books.

9. Sweet Treats - You can make up little bags of sweets, candy cones or simply put a cupcake into a cute little cupcake box.

10. Cake Pops - This is the new alternative to a cupcake. You can buy them in many different themes and they make wonderful going home gifts.

Best Kids Party have lots of wonderful Girls Party Bags in lovely themes, as well as Girls Filled Party Bags and lots of Girls Party Bag Fillers.

Top 10 Gift Ideas for Boys Party Bags

If you're thing about what to give to boys as party bag gifts, here's a few great ideas to help you decide:

Top 10 Ideas for Boys Party Bag Gifts:

1. Toys - Small pocket money toys are great to keep boys entertained, things like wall crawlers, racing cars, puzzles etc.

2. Balls - You can personalise a sports ball, which are fairly inexpensive to buy.

3. Masks - Animal masks are fun especially if you have a jungle theme. For a pirate party, items like eye patches, pirate hats, pirate hooks, fake moustaches are great to use.

4. Stationery - Pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners and note books come in lots of boys themes and designs. A packet of felt tips, crayons and colouring pencils can all be purchased in small sizes ideal to fit into party bags.

5. Cotton Bags - Fabric bags can be filled with some smaller gifts.

6. Craft Items - The boys can make something at the party, perhaps decorate a mug, make a craft object.

7. Books - Any type of book, reading, colouring, sticker, puzzle books all make wonderful party gifts. It is worth buying value packs available from large book retailers as this will work out a lot cheaper.

8. T-shirts - Whether they are plain, personalised or printed, a t-shirt is a great gift that each child can make good use of and they are fairly inexpensive to buy. The children can even decorate their own as part of the party entertainment.

9. Sweetie Bags - A bag off favourite penny sweets will go down a treat!

10. Filled Balloons - Fill a balloon with small toys and sweets and inflate.

For more inspiration and ideas, visit Best Kids Party where you will find a wide range of Boys Party Bags, Boys Filled Party Bags and Boys Party Bag Fillers.

Monday 26 September 2011

Fabric Party Bags - A Great Alternative to the Plastic Party Bag!

The first thought that springs to mind when the word 'party bag' is mentioned is a plastic loot bag filled with pocket money toys and sweets. Whilst these bags are still extremely popular, as they come in a wide choice of themes, there are many parents out there that want to use something a bit different.

A fabric party bag makes a wonderful alternative to using plastic bags. Fabric bags are certainly increasing in popularity and not as expensive to buy or make as you might think.
Fabric bags are ideal as they be used over and over again, unlike plastic bags that usually end up tearing. There are many wonderful styles of fabric party bags available these days or you can make your own if you are good at sewing!
You can buy lovely printed fabrics in great children's designs from floral to animal designs. Another popular fabric to use is unbleached cotton or cotton canvas, ideal to use for an eco-friendly party.

Here are some great ideas of how to create wonderful fabric party bags:
1. Choose a suitable fabric and one that reflects your party theme, so for example if you are having a summer party, go for a bright floral fabric. Plain cotton fabrics are great if you want to decorate them.

2. Decide upon a style for your bag. One of the most popular styles is the Tote shape, which is basically a rectangle or square shape with handles. Drawstring styles are fairly easy to make as well or why not try to make a pencil case or a purse. All of these styles can be filled with party bag toys and treats.

3. You can print on your fabric bags by using transfers which you can buy. It's just a case of simply ironing them on. There are lots of designs and motifs available. Fabric pens or fabric crayons are a great way to create designs on plain fabric bags.

4. Plain bags are great for children to paint and decorate as part of the party entertainment, especially good if you haven't got an entertainer and want to keep them amused for a while. Children will love to be able to take home their creations to show off to their parents.

5. Personalise them. You can write a birthday message or simply personalise with each guests name. This makes a wonderful gift and your guests will be most impressed!

Fabric party bags not only look great when handed out filled with goodies, they can be used for many different purposes after the party. Many children use them to carry their lunch or snacks into school, this is when a personalised bag comes in very handy! Children can store little toys or bits and pieces and girls especially love using them as little shopping bags.
If you are not brave enough to make your own or simply do not have the time then visit Best Kids Party for a wide choice of Kids Party Bags and Personalised Fabric Party Bags in a wonderful range of prints and designs. You will also find a great selection of Party Bag Fillers to put inside the fabric bags.

Interesting Party Bag Ideas on a Tight Budget

Organising a child's party can end up being quite expensive and that's just organising the venue and entertainment. Of course then you have to think about the party bags, more often with very little money left.
Here are some great ideas for interesting party bags on a tight budget:

- Plastic loot bags - these are inexpensive and you can buy them in themes to suit. Just fill them with sweets, bubbles, a balloon and perhaps a small toy.
- Paper bags - you can decorate each bag with each child's name or get them to do it as part of the fun. They will look great and you can fill them with a few inexpensive toys and sweets.
- Buy a book - you can buy packs of books from most major supermarkets or bargain book shops.
- Pop a few sweets into a balloon and blow it up. Kids won't know whether to play with it or pop it to get to the goodies!
- Sweetie bags - fill some penny sweets into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon or put them into little jars.
- Fill a paper cup with some sweets and a toy, cover with a cellophane and tie with ribbon.
- Make up a lucky dip box and fill with cheap toys and sweets. The kids then get to have a dip in the box as they leave the party.
- Get the children to make something at the party, such as decorate a cupcake or cookie or pain a fabric pencil case. They then get to take their creations home with them.

Whatever you decide to buy, it always works out cheaper buying in bulk. For sweets, buy bigger value bags and split them out. The same applies to books or even pocket-money toys.
Party bags really don't have to cost a lot to look great. It's what you make of it. Use your imagination and try and create something unusual or a bit different.
Utilise materials in the house such as jam jars, containers and boxes, which you can collect, ask your neighbours, relatives and friends to help you collect things if you don't have much time before the party.
Whatever you decide to make, remember that most children are easily pleased and it should not be something to get stressed about, but rather a fun and pleasurable experience.
Chances are that kids with love them!
If you really don't have time or much imaginative flair, Best Kids Party have a huge range of interesting Childrens Party Bags that are great on a tight budget along with a great choice of Filled Party Bags & Gifts that are ready to go!

So How Important are Party Bags?

Well believe it or not, a party bag is the most vital part of a party!
The term 'party bag' doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be a bag, but rather a name given to a gift given out to children at the end of a party.
Kids, especially of school age, almost expect a gift of some kind at the end of a party and many children look forward to receiving this well before the party has even begun!
Children love receiving gifts, in fact who doesn't? These days if kids don't receive anything, there are sure to be many unhappy faces!
For the party host, it is a great way to thank everyone for coming and bringing out the party bags is the grand finale and a lovely subtle way of showing that the party is over and it's time to go home!
Gifts given usually reflect the party in some way, especially if there is a particular theme and it almost acts as a summary of the party, after all it's the last thing that kids and their parents remember!
Many parents, especially school parents, try to out do each other and it has almost become a competition of who can come up with the best party bag!
This doesn't necessarily mean that the gift has to be expensive, but rather it's the most unusual that counts. However, most kids are usually happy with simple gifts and it's the sweets they mainly want anyway.
There are also many parents that don't throw parties for their children, but give out party bags gifts to each of their child's friends instead.
Deciding on what type of gift to give to all the party guests can be time consuming and does take some planning out. It all really depends on what your budget is and if you have chosen a particular theme for your party, this certainly helps in deciding what type of party bag to do.
There are no set rules on what a party bag gift should be. It can be something crafty that the kids have made at the party or even a pot plant! Having a party theme does make it much easier though to decide what to give.
Be creative and think about what hasn't been done before, as it can be the simplest of things that can bring a big smile to children's faces.
For more ideas of what you can give to children as great party bag gifts and don't have the time to create your own, Best Kids Party have an exclusive range of unique childrens party bags which are made to order, a wide range of pre-filled party bags and lots of fun party bag fillers. If you don't wish to give a party bag, then our lucky dip party boxes are ideal!

Ideas For Party Bags With a Personal Touch

Personalised Party Bags not only look great, but they are also well received by children. Kids tend to respond very well to things with their name on it, mainly because from a young age they are taught to recognise, read and write their own name in preparation for school.
Here are some great ideas of how to personalise your party bags and make them one to remember:

1. Fabric Party Bags
A fabric bag is great to personalise with the added bonus that it can be used long after the party too and is a gift in itself.
The best type of bag to use is 100% un-dyed natural cotton and you can get them in different styles such as tote, drawstring and zipped bags.
You will need some fabric paints, fabric crayons or fabric pens to write each child's name on and decorate as you wish.
This is fun to do and great to involve the kids in. Perhaps you could get the children to decorate their own bag as part of the party activities.

2. Paper Bags
Get plain paper bags, preferably the Kraft style with handles, lots of art and craft materials and away you go!
You can personalise in lots of creative ways using different materials, such as felts, stickers, pens, paints, glitter, crayons and pencils. Again this is a good thing to get the children at the party involved in.
Try making some personalised name tags that you can attach to each bag. This can easily be made out of card or paper and either stuck to the bag or attached using ribbon.
If you have a photo of each child that is coming to the party, perhaps you could print off a picture of them and stick it to each bag. The kids are sure to be impressed when they see themselves on their party bags!

You don't only have to use fabric or paper bags to personalise.
Try using paper party cups, they are great to fill with little toys and sweets.
If you are having a garden party, how about personalising little ceramic plant pots.

Whatever you decide to personalise, by adding each child's name this not only gives it that extra special touch but it really is easier when you come to give out the party bags too. If you have a name on each bag there is less chance of a child accidentally picking up two bags instead of one or perhaps a child realizing that they do not have one because the bag was given to a sibling instead.

If you simply do not have time to personalise your own party bags, check out our range of Personalised Party Bags and Kids Party Bags, where you will find unusual designs to suit all budgets.

Friday 23 September 2011

Welcome to my Kids Party Ideas Blog!

I thought it was a good idea to set up a blog just for kids party ideas, where you can find out everything you need to know about having a child's party with top party ideas and tips all in one place.
I have more of a general blog about children's parties, which feature my new products along with party ideas, which can be found at: http://www.bestkidsparty.co.uk/blog.html.

This month i'm going to kick start with children's party bag ideas featuring lots of inspiring ideas and party bag tips!

In the meantime if you want to browse through our party bag product range, we have a huge selection of :
Childrens Party Bags, Filled Party Bags, Paper Party Bags, Fabric Party Bags and bespoke Handmade Party Bags.