All Party Guides

Our Parties In Packages party tips have been provided to help you “create an atmosphere” at your celebration, no matter what the occasion. As the party host, it will be your job to co-ordinate the events leading up to the big day and to also make sure things run smoothly on the day. Your objective or mission is to throw a fun party that holds special memories for all that attend. There are a few important decisions to be made before you send out your invitations. Party Date - It’s a good idea to check the proposed date and time with “key” friends before committing. Party Time - It is important to state a starting time on the invitations. You may also wish to state a finishing time, especially if the event is held at a hired venue. For children generally 2 to 3 hours is ample and you will generally find many younger children tend to get tired in the afternoon/evening so a morning party may be good for the little ones. Lastly, leave plenty of time to send out the invitation. Party Location - You have the basic choices of home or hired venue or outdoor park, with the most popular being “home” where you’ll have plenty of time to set-up and have all your supplies close at hand. The obvious disadvantage is, cleaning the house before and after the party, possible damage and space limitations. Remember to include on the invitation anything you may wish the guest to provide such as alcohol or a themed costume. If you plan on providing alcohol, make sure to add a footnote that guests should arrange alternative transport home, rather than driving. Depending on the size of your party you may also wish to register with your local police station and hire security. You have to enjoy the party! The golden rule for the party host is, don’t try and do everything on your own. Arrange for friends to help with the food and serving at the event. Alternatively you may choose to hire wait staff or have the whole event catered, allowing you to enjoy the celebration as much as everyone else. The best way to get the party started is by decorating the front entrance, immediately creating the atmosphere as your guests arrive. Think doorway curtains, balloon arch garlands and door backdrops The Checklist Tick each of these items off to make sure your party will be a blast! 1. Pick party date & time 2. Choose a theme 3. Purchase or create online Invitations & send 4. Buy decorations 5 Plan a menu & order a cake if necessary 6. Decide on the entertainment 7. Arrange for help on the party day 8. Write out final schedule 9. Finalise an exact guest count 10. Go shopping for party food 11. Charge the camera, get ice & other incidentals 12. Pick up the cake, if necessary Lastly remember that mishaps may occur so keep your sense of humour, even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned. The most important part is to relax, take a breath, and try to enjoy the party as much as your guests. Thank you for including Parties In Packages in your celebration and we wish you the best of luck with your party.

Spook-tacular Haunted House - dress up in a super scary costume and set up a haunted house adjacent to the dance floor. Keep the scary vibe up throughout the entire space by incorporating fog machines, giant spider webs using ropes and a completely blacked out room to heighten the intensity. Halloween themed food ideas Creepy Carnival - put an adult twist on the traditional circus theme where timid souls tremble and evil clowns abound. Check out our Circus and Halloween theme pages for lots of spooky delights.

A popular party trend is Dessert Buffets & Food Stations. Give it a more interactive twist for your guests with D-I-Y Stations Make your own Sundae, DIY Churro Bar, Ice your own cupcake Create your own Cocktail Bar or DIY Mojito Bar or Margarita Station Make your own Ice-Cream Balloons easily with latex balloons, ribbon and brown paper Make Jumbo Lollies using 2 plastic plates taped together then wrapped in clear cellophane Make your own Lollipops Foam Pool Noodles or PVC Pipes Round 60cm or 90cm Latex Balloons Long 260Q Balloons Sheets of Clear Cellophane

Your objective is to throw a fun and exciting party that holds special memories for all that attend. Are you ready to start preparing for your party? Okay, let’s get started with some suggestions to help relieve the stress. Our parties in packages party guide has been provided to help you “create an atmosphere”. As the party host, it will be your job to the invites There are a few important decisions to be made before you send out your invitations. Date - It’s a good idea to check the proposed date and time with “key” friends before committing. Time - It is important to state a starting time on the invitations. You may also wish to state a finishing time, especially if the event is held at a hired venue. Location - You have a couple of basic choices with the most popular being “home” where you’ll have plenty of time to set-up and have all your supplies close at hand. The obvious disadvantage is, cleaning the house before and after the party, possible damage and space limitations. Invitation Details - Remember to include on the invitation anything you may wish the guest to provide such as alcohol or a themed costume. If you plan on providing alcohol, make sure to add a footnote that guests should arrange alternative transport home, rather than driving. When sending out invitations, allow plenty of time. The golden rule for the party host is, don’t try and do everything on your own. Arrange for friends to help with the food and serving at the event. Alternatively you may choose to hire wait staff or have the whole event catered, allowing you to enjoy the celebration as much as everyone else. the ambience Choosing a location where load music can be played is a necessity. Outdoors is best suited so that you can string up lots of colourful lighting and lanterns in traditional style. The cheapest and most effective way to decorate the party area is by hanging up strips of brightly coloured material or old sheets. Also striped beach towels can make great table covers. Decorate the food tables with potted cactus and fresh chilli’s, bags of corn chips and lots of salsa. Another idea is old bottles of Tequila and Tabasco sauce. Then dig through your junk cupboard for old sombreros to hang from the ceiling. If your budget doesn’t allow for poncho’s and hats for each guest, make sure it does cover your wait staff, then ask partygoers to attend in traditional attire. As each guest arrives have the costumed wait staff at the front door offering each guest a welcome cocktail. Idea’s for the Senorita’s include free-flowing skirts with scarves and flowers for hair. And for Senior’s pinstriped suits with Panama hats or bright shirts with white or black suit pants. Top it off with a pair of two-tone winklepickers. the entertainment What’s a Latin Fiesta without loud music and lot’s of colour. You could hire a couple of Latin dancers from your local dance school to provide a demonstration and then even have the guests join in to learn how to tango from the experts. Another option is to hire a Latin band offering great music as well as lively entertainment. it’s party time Party games are a great way for guests to get to know each other better and get everyone into the party spirit. No Latin Fiesta party would be complete without a piñata. In Latin America, piñatas were traditionally used to entertain children at most festive occasions. In Mexico, the word “piñata” actually means party. Piñatas have become a vibrant part of American culture, used as festive decorations or in the traditional party game sense for all ages and add zest to any celebration. To bring out the adventurous side in your guests you could hire a Mechanical Bucking Bull, which is a fantastic simulation of real bull riding. Most companies provide padding and require and area of approx. 5m x 5m x 3.5m high. the eats In Latin America everything is hot & spicy and tapas is the most popular form of serving food. A great alternative to making your cocktails is to hire a Daiquiri machine. Check your Yellow Pages for details of your nearest operator. PICADILLO - (4 servings) 1 medium onion chopped, 1 clove garlic minced, 1 pound ground extra lean beef, 1⁄4 cup sherry (optional), 1⁄2 teaspoon cumin, 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano, 1/8 teaspoon salt, pinch ground red pepper, 1⁄4 cup raisins, 1 cup diced fresh or canned pineapple, 1 medium green bell pepper chopped and 1⁄4 cup chopped red bell pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, onion, garlic until the onion is tender and the meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Drain off all fat. Add all remaining ingredients except the green and red bell peppers. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Add green and red bell peppers and heat through. Serve with rice and bread. TEQUILA SUNSET PUNCH - 1 Qt. Tequila, 2 Qt. Orange Juice, 2 litre lemon-lime soda, 1 Pint Orange Sherbert Sherbert, 1/4 Cup Grenadine. Mix all tequila, orange juice and lemon-lime soda together. Chill. Add Sherbert just before serving and drizzle grenadine over the top. MARGARITA - 11⁄2 oz. Tequila, 3⁄4 oz. Triple Sec (or Cointreau), splash of sour mix and dash of lime juice. Shake with ice, serve on the rocks or strain to serve up in a salt rimmed glass. Add more juice and blend with crushed ice for Frozen variation. Garnish with a lime wedge. The Checklist Tick each of these items off to make sure your party will be a blast! 1. Pick party date & time 2. Plan a menu & go shopping 3. Decide on the entertainment 4. Arrange for help on the party day 5. Write out finale schedule 6. Get an exact guest count 7. Buy remaining party food, charge the camera, get ice and other incidentals Lastly remember that mishaps may occur so keep your sense of humour, even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned. The most important part is to relax, take a breath, and try to enjoy the party as much as your guests. Thank you for including parties in packages in your celebration and we wish you the best of luck with your themed party.

Your party guests will be talking about your fabulous Mickey & Minnie Mouse Cupcakes long after the party is over. Click on this link to see D-I-Y tutorial. Here is the link to the downloadable cupcake wrappers mentioned in the tutorial:- http://digitalcardfun.com/31/rainbo-polka-dot-papers/

Full steam ahead to the best Thomas The Tank Engine party ever with this easy to create party food train. Use a toy train as the lead then add aluminium disposable food trays and waxed mini cheeses for the wheels. Toot Toot! When each child arrives, give them a boarding pass with a unique number on it. Have a hat (a conductor's cap would be great) with all the same numbers in them. Throughout the party, whenever things seem to be getting out of hand or a bit quiet, draw a number from the hat and award the winner a prize to include in their treat bag. Make sure you've drawn all the numbers by the end of the party so no one is left out. Box Car Fun - Go to a local shopping centre loading dock or appliance store and get some really big boxes. Have everybody at the party decorate these boxes and turn them into a train. You need at least three....one for the engine, one for passengers, and one for the caboose.

Parties can sometimes seem overwhelming and, in some cases, have become almost a nuisance as we find ourselves too busy or lacking in the imagination and creativity. As a result most miss out on making the memories we all deserve. Our Parties In Packages party guide has been provided to help you “create an atmosphere”. As the party host, it will be your job to co-ordinate the events leading up to the big day and to also make sure things run smoothly on the day. Your objective / mission is to throw a fun and exciting party that holds special memories for parents, teachers and children alike without it turning into a nightmare for overworked adults. Are you ready to start preparing for your party? Okay, let’s get started with some suggestions to help relieve the stress. Handy Hints There are a few important decisions to be made before you send out your invitations - Date, Time and Location. Date - It’s a good idea to check the proposed date and time with “key” friends before committing. Time - It is important to state starting and finishing times on invitations. Generally 2 to 3 hours is ample. A morning party may be good for little ones as you will generally find younger children tend to get tired in the afternoon/evening. Location - You have a couple of basic choices with the most popular being “home” where you’ll have plenty of time to set-up and have all your supplies close at hand. The obvious disadvantage with this choice is, having to clean the house before and after the party, possible damage to your house and space limitations. Nearby parks are nice because they’re usually free, with plenty of space to run around and usually have a play structure to entertain the kids. The downside is, having to haul the supplies to and from the park plus lack of privacy and overcrowding. Local indoor play centres are becoming more popular for little children and the best part is there’s no cleaning up afterwards. When sending out invitations, allow plenty of time for guest’s parents to change their plans if necessary. The golden rule for the party host is, don’t try and do everything on your own. Many parents invite another parent or relative to help them with the food as well as supervision once the party begins. Once the party begins you will generally find that younger children need constant supervision. Older children usually like to be left in peace at least some of the time during the party, only needing to be checked from time to time to make sure everything is all right. Be vigilant around balloons. If they pop the rubber bits could be a danger to young children. If they put them in their mouth, they could choke. Decorating Tips Seeing as Peter Parker is both a superhero crime fighter and a photographic journalist for one of the city’s biggest newspapers, you could also add props such as cameras, tri-pods, camera bags and rolls of film. Another addition could be to draw up some Newspaper headlines (as shown below) to help decorate the room. Bad guys beware! Spiderman crawls up tall buildings, shoots webbing from his wrists and swings from skyscraper to skyscraper as a crime-fighter with amazing spider powers. Dressing up the party entrance with a doorway curtain is the perfect way to create an immediate impact as the children arrive for the party. Party Games & Activity Idea’s Party games are a great way to teach children about winning, losing, fairness and luck. Keep each game relatively short to keep children interested and if they begin to appear irritable, move on to a new game. You should always be prepared for problems. There may be squabbles about who won or who got what prize so be sure to explain the rules before the games begin. Pin the Spider on Spiderman is an ageless game and lots of fun for party guests. Spiderman “pull” piñata is a popular alternative to the traditional piñata. Pull piñatas do not involve any hitting or breaking of the item. Each child pulls one ribbon from the group of colourful ribbons hanging beneath the piñata. Only one ribbon unlatches the secret trap door allowing the toys and lollies to spill out. Hiring an entertainer is a great way to amuse and entertain the children for a few hours. Another popular option is hiring a playground climber from your local toy library, which is a great way to keep the guests amused for the day. Recipe Suggestions For small children, make sure to remove toothpicks, skewers and any other sharp objects from food before you serve it. Make sure an adult is in the room at all times in case a child chokes. Dip the rim of each glass in lemon juice then add sugar or coconut before filling with sparkling drink however do not overfill the children with fizzy drinks, they have a nasty habit of erupting later leaving you a nasty mess to clear up. A treat for dessert could be that each child guest makes their own sundae but then they give it away to someone else. This is a great way to entertain the children for a little longer. Plan to include food and drinks for grown ups in case anxious parents stay or come to pick their child up early. Try to serve at least a few types of healthy food. Make sure it looks colourful and appetising and you’ll probably find it will disappear in time. Try not to be over adventurous when planning the food, as many children are picky eaters. The party food shouldn’t be too hot as just-cooked food such as cheerio’s or sausage rolls can burn little mouths. Cut the party cake into thin slices, as most children will have had enough to eat by the time the cake comes around. You could wrap up the left over slices for children to take home in their loot bags. Traffic Light Sandwiches (Ingredients make 12) 12 slices of wholemeal bread, 2 tablespoons cheese spread, 6 cherry tomatoes 2 slices processed cheddar cheese, 2 gherkins, sliced Cut crusts from bread then cut bread in half to form 24 rectangles, spread cheese spread over 12 of the rectangles. Using a 2cm round cutter, cut out three rounds, in a straight line, from each of the remaining rectangles to form front of traffic lights. Cut thin slices from each end of the cherry tomatoes then place a tomato end, 2cm squares of cheese and a slice of gherkin on a cheese spread-covered rectangle. Top with a traffic light front, lining tomato, cheese & gherkin up with holes. Repeat with remaining bread and fillings Final Checklist Pick your party date and time Plan a menu and go grocery shopping so that you can make as much food as you can before the day and freeze Write out a final schedule of activities and games Arrange for help on the party day Order the cake Get exact guest numbers Buy remaining party food, film, batteries, candles and matches for cake, plus other incidentals Child proof the party area Take plenty of pictures to commemorate the special day Plan an after party nap for yourself Please remember, if you want the children to have a good party, plan it and keep it short and simple. Mishaps may occur so keep your sense of humour, even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned. The most important part is to enjoy the day as you celebrate the life of your child.

Handy Hints - There are a few important decisions to be made before you send out your invitations - Date, Time and Location. Date - It’s a good idea to check the proposed date and time with “key” friends before committing. Time - It is important to state starting and finishing times on invitations. If it's a children's party then generally 2 to 3 hours is ample. A morning party may be good for littlies as you will generally find younger children tend to get tired in the afternoon/evening. Location - You have a couple of basic choices with the most popular being “home” where you’ll have plenty of time to set-up and have all your supplies close at hand. The obvious disadvantage with this choice is, having to clean the house before and after the party, possible damage to your house and space limitations. Nearby parks are nice because they’re usually free, with plenty of space to run around and usually have a play structure to entertain the kids. The downside is, having to haul the supplies to and from the park plus lack of privacy and overcrowding. Local indoor play centres are becoming more popular for little children and the best part is there’s no cleaning up afterwards. When sending out invitations, allow plenty of time for guest’s to change their plans if necessary. The golden rule for the party host is, don’t try and do everything on your own. Many parents invite another parent or relative to help them with the food as well as supervision once the party begins . Once the party begins you will generally find that younger children need constant supervision. Older children usually like to be left in peace at least some of the time during the party, only needing to be checked from time to time to make sure everything is all right. Be vigilant around balloons. If they pop the rubber bits could be a danger to young children. If they put them in their mouth, they could choke. Party Game & Activity Idea’s - Party games are a great way to teach children about winning, losing, fairness and luck. Keep each game relatively short to keep childr en interested and if they begin to appear irritable, move on to a new game. There may be squabbles about who won or who got what prize so be sure to explain the rules before the games begin. Treasure Hunt - You can buy a treasure hunt game or make your own using the sample map provided below as an example. To make the map you will need a piece of white paper approx. 30 x 20cm. Give it the old look by painting with a simple mix of water and faint touch of yellow food dye or a used tea bag. Wait overnight until the paper is completely dry then draw the shape of your island and detail it with palm trees, rocks, water and the all important X, which marks the spot where the treasure is buried. Next burn the edges with matches, a little at a time, putting out the flame when enough has been burnt. The burning gives a wonderfully authentic appearance. Roll up the map and tie with a ribbon if you wish. Hiring an entertainer who doubles as a face painter or balloon sculptor is a great way to amuse and entertain the children for a few hours whilst remaining in keeping with the Pirates Treasure theme. Another popular option is hiring play equipment such as an alligator ride or waterslide. Decorating Tips - A great way to incorporate the Pirates Treasure theme into your day is by having your party at a nearby beach and or having a barbeque. If that is not possible then creating a pirate ship around the party table is also effective. This effect is easy to achieve using flattened old cardboard boxes. Search through an old Encyclopaedia or similar for a picture of an old Tall Ship or similar and then copy the picture onto the cardboard. Cut around the outline using a stanley knife and then paint the ship using craft paints. Coils of rope and a plank, suspended above the ground on a couple of plastic storage cubes will give an instant pirate atmosphere. A couple of metres of inexpensive striped fabric threaded onto a timber batten for a mainsail and a few bits of rope or thick cord to serve as rigging. To make a treasure chest you’ll need a small sturdy cardboard box from the local supermarket for the lower half of the chest and the side panels of the lid. A sheet of black card makes the lid. The sides of the lid should be matched in length to the side of the box. Draw onto black card and roughly draw in tabs. Glue black card to outside of box, forming the lid. Hold side so lid can be placed over it. Mark centres so correct gluing of sides can be done. Fill most of the box with sponge, cover the sponge with fabric and then jewels, gold chocolate coins or a treasure map. Recipe Suggestions - Treasure Chest Party Cake * Frosting Decoration Quick-mix Rich Chocolate Cake 75g soft butter Assorted lollies and chocolate money 185g butter 1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder Gold or silver cachous 2 teaspoons vanilla essence 3/4 cup (120g) icing sugar mixture 1 3/4 cups (385g) caster sugar 1/4 cup (60ml) milk 3 eggs, lightly beaten 2 cups (300g) self-raising flour 2/3 cup (70g) cocoa powder 1 cup (250ml) water Container of Duncan Hines creamy Home-Style Classic Chocolate premium frosting available from supermarkets Assorted lollies, vanilla buttons, gold or silver balls and gold or silver chocolate money Lightly grease a deep 19cm square cake pan; line base and sides with non-stick baking paper. Combine butter, essence, sugar, eggs, sift flour and cocoa and water in large bowl. Beat on low speed with electric mixer until ingredients are combined. Increase speed to medium, beat for about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and changed in colour. Spread in prepared pan. Bake in a moderate (180 degrees) oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until cooked. Stand cake in pan 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool. Using a sharp knife remove a 13cm square from the centre of the cake. Ice to the outside edges or remaining cake with chocolate frosting, and decorate with vanilla buttons, as illustrated. Fill centre of cake with lollies and chocolate money. Include a scattering of gold coins in your “treasure” and use tiny gold or silver balls to outline the shape of the chest. Suitable to freeze but thaw before icing. Cake can be made 3 days ahead, storing in airtight container. Remember as big a ratio of lollies to cake as possible Pirate Faces * (Ingredients makes around 34) 1 egg white 1 1/2 cups (240g) icing sugar mixture 250g packed un-iced round biscuits hundreds & thousands smarties Beat egg white in a small bowl with electric mixer until just frothy; gradually beat in enough of the icing sugar mixture to form stiff peaks. (Keep icing covered with damp tea-towel to prevent drying out). Spread top of each biscuit with icing (leaving a little leftover for the patch and mouth). Add hundreds & thousands for bandana and 1 coloured smartie for each eye. Then finally, halve remaining icing and add pink food colouring to one portion and black to the other. Wait until white faces are semi-dry before creating patch and mouth. Not suitable to freeze. Biscuits can be assembled 1 day ahead, storing in an airtight container * Recipes as seen in The Australian Women’s Weekly craft library Final Checklist 1. Pick your party date and time 2. Plan a menu and go grocery shopping so that you can make as much food as you can before the day and freeze 3. Write out a final schedule of activities and games 4. Arrange for help on the party day 5. Order the cake 6. Get exact guest numbers 7. Buy remaining party food, film, batteries, candles and matches for cake, plus other incidentals 8. Child proof the party area 9. Take plenty of pictures to commemorate the special day 10. Plan an after party nap for yourself Please remember, if you want the children to have a good party, plan it and keep it short and simple. Mishaps may occur so keep your sense of humour, even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned. The most important part is to enjoy the day as you celebrate the life of your child. Lastly, we’d love to receive a photo of your child’s “themed party” in action, to place on our website. Thank you for including Parties In Packages in your special day and we wish you the best of luck with your themed party pack.

Yum! A piping bag will become your new best friend to create these gorgeous Sesame Street character cupcakes. How cute are Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird and Groucho! Preparing party food for a Sesame Street themed party can be fun, healthy, cheap & colourful with these easy to make Sesame Street character face food platters using basic foods such as tomatoes, olives, baby carrots, strawberries, blueberries, oranges and cheese. Make your own Elmo lanterns starting with our red round paper lanterns and then cutting out ears and noses from white, black & orange coloured cardboard. You can follow the same idea with alll the other Sesame Street characters.

The best way to create a Western theme is by turning your backyard into your very own ranch. Spread some hay bales around to use for seating and you could even build a little haystack and scarecrow. A white picket fence can easily be created using small stakes and white cardboard. Using a large old white sheet you could even paint your own red barn façade to pin up on the side of the house as a feature. Other great props include wagon wheels, ropes, cactus, saddles, Indian rugs, horseshoes and even makeshift forts, tepees and wagons. Don’t forget the country music. In this day and age with many children growing up within a city or metropolitan surrounding, a lot of them haven’t even touched a lot of animals and therefore this activity will be a real treat for all the guests. The Invites There are a few important decisions to be made before you send out your invitations Date - It’s a good idea to check the proposed date and time with “key” friends before committing. Time - It is important to state a starting time on the invitations. You may also wish to state a finishing time, especially if the event is held at a hired venue. Location - You have a couple of basic choices with the most popular being “home” where you’ll have plenty of time to set-up and have all your supplies close at hand. The obvious disadvantage is, cleaning the house before and after the party, possible damage and space limitations. Remember to include on the invitation anything you may wish the guest to provide such as alcohol or a themed costume. If you plan on providing alcohol, make sure to add a footnote that guests should arrange alternative transport home, rather than driving. When sending out invitations, allow plenty of time. The golden rule for the party host is, don’t try and do everything on your own. Arrange for friends to help with the food and service at the event. Alternatively you may choose to hire wait staff or have the whole event catered, allowing you to enjoy the celebration as much as everyone else. The Entertainment These days’ companies hire a wide range of amusements to suit any celebration. Depending on the age of the guests at your western celebration, you have a range of activities to choose from including live ponies, horse and cart rides, merry-go-round or even a mechanical bull. Theme d games can include square dancing competitions, war paint face painting and pie eating contests. Ask all your guests to dress to suit the occasion. There are great costumes to choose from such as Cowboy or girl, Indian, Billy the Kid, Undertaker, Rodeo Rider, Sheriff or even a Horse. Accessories that can be used are cowboy boots, hats leather vests, guns, jeans, bandanas, sheriff badges, chequered shirts, straw hats, beards and moustaches and ropes. The Eats You have a lot of choices for Western themed food such as a full BBQ or snack food like nachos, guacamole, buttered corn cobs, potato wedges, hot dogs, sausage rolls and meat pies. TEQUILA SUNSET PUNCH - 1 Qt. Tequila, 2 Qt. Orange Juice, 2 litre lemon-lime soda, 1 Pint Orange Sherbet, 1/4 Cup Grenadine. Mix all tequila, orange juice and lemon-lime soda together. Chill. Add Sherbet just before serving and drizzle grenadine over the top. MARGARITA - 11⁄2 oz. Tequila, 3⁄4 oz. Triple Sec (or Cointreau), splash of sour mix and dash of lime juice. Shake with ice then serve on the rocks or strain to serve up in a salt rimmed glass. Add more juice and blend with crushed ice for frozen variation. Garnish with a lime wedge. The Checklist 1. Pick party date and time 2. Plan a menu & go grocery shopping then make as much food as you can before the day to freeze 3. Decide on the entertainment 4. Arrange for help on the party day 5. Write out final schedule 6. Get an exact guest count 7. Buy remaining party food, film, batteries, ashtrays, ice and other incidentals Lastly remember that mishaps may occur so keep your sense of humour, even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned. The most important part is to relax, take a breath, and try to enjoy the party as much as your guests.

Okay, let’s get started with some suggestions to help relieve the stress. Handy Hints There are a few important decisions to be made before you send out your invitations - Date, Time and Location. Date - It’s a good idea to check the proposed date and time with “key” friends before committing. Time - It is important to state starting and finishing times on invitations. Generally 2 to 3 hours is ample. A morning party may be good for littlies as you will generally find younger children tend to get tired in the afternoon/evening. Location - You have a couple of basic choices with the most popular being “home” where you’ll have plenty of time to set-up and have all your supplies close at hand. The obvious disadvantage with this choice is, having to clean the house before and after the party, possible damage to your house and space limitations. Nearby parks are nice because they’re usually free, with plenty of space to run around and usually have a play structure to entertain the kids. The downside is, having to haul the supplies to and from the park plus lack of privacy and overcrowding. Local indoor play centres are becoming more popular for little children and the best part is there’s no cleaning up afterwards. When sending out invitations, allow plenty of time for guest’s parents to change their plans if necessary. The golden rule for the party host is, don’t try and do everything on your own. Many parents invite another parent or relative to help them with the food as well as supervision once the party begins. Once the party begins you will generally find that younger children need constant supervision. Older children usually like to be left in peace at least some of the time during the party, only needing to be checked from time to time to make sure everything is all right. Be vigilant around balloons. Young children could choke if they put the popped rubber bits in their mouth. Party Game & Activity Ideas Party games are a great way to teach children about winning, losing, fairness and luck. Keep each game relatively short to keep children interested and if they begin to appear irritable, move on to a new game. You should always be prepared for problems. There may be squabbles about who won or who got what prize so be sure to explain the rules before the games begin. These days’ companies hire a wide range of amusements to suit any celebration. Depending on the age of the children at your western celebration, you have a range of activities to choose from including live ponies, horse and cart rides, merry-go-round or even a mechanical bull. Themed games can include square dancing competitions, war paint face painting and pie eating contests. Ask all your guests to dress to suit the occasion. There are great costumes to choose from such as Cowboy or girl, Indian, Billy the Kid, Undertaker, Rodeo Rider, Sheriff or even a Horse. Accessories that can be used are cowboy boots, hats leather vests, guns, jeans, bandanas, sheriff badges, chequered shirts, straw hats, beards and moustaches and ropes. Decorating Tips The best way to create a Western theme is by turning your backyard into your very own ranch. Spread some hay bales around to use for seating and you could even build a little haystack and scarecrow. A white picket fence can easily be created using small stakes and white cardboard. Using a large old white sheet you could even paint your own red barn façade to pin up on the side of the house as a feature. Other great props include wagon wheels, ropes, cactus, saddles, Indian rugs, horseshoes and even makeshift forts, tepee’s and wagons. Don’t forget the country music. In this day and age with many children growing up within a city or metropolitan surrounding, a lot of them haven’t even touched a lot of animals and therefore this activity will be a real treat for all the guests. Recipe Suggestions For small children, make sure to remove toothpicks, skewers and any other sharp objects from food before you serve it. Make sure an adult is in the room at all times in case a child chokes. Dip the rim of each glass in lemon juice then add sugar or coconut before filling with sparkling drink however do not overfill the children with fizzy drinks, they have a nasty habit of erupting later leaving you a nasty mess to clear up. A treat for dessert could be that each child guest makes their own sundae but then they give it away to someone else. A great way to entertain the children for a little longer. Plan to include food and drinks for grown ups in case anxious parents stay or come to pick their child up early. Try to serve at least a few types of healthy food. Make sure it looks colourful and appetising and you’ll probably find it will disappear in time. Try not to be over adventurous when planning the food as many children are picky eaters. The party food shouldn’t be too hot as just-cooked food such as cheerio’s or sausage rolls can burn little mouths. Cut the party cake into thin slices as most children will have had enough to eat by the time the cake comes around. You could wrap up the left over slices for children to take home in their loot bags. Food - You have a lot of choices for Western themed food such as a full BBQ or snack food like nachos, guacamole, buttered corn cobs, potato wedges, hot dogs, sausage rolls and meat pies. Cactus Juice - Peel and seed half a cucumber and slice finely. Place in a large serving jug or bowl with 2 litres of apple juice and 2 tablespoons of honey. Stir lightly to combine, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving add 750ml chilled lemonade and 750ml soda water. Top with ice cubes. Garnish with mind leaves. *Cake – Cowboy Boot 20 x 30cm rectangular cake, 20cm square cake, 1.5 quantities butter cream, red food colouring, small yellow and orange sweets, liquorice strap, twists & all sorts. Join cakes together at short sides; secure with a little icing. Using baking paper to trace out a boot pattern and place over cakes. Cut around template with a small sharp flat bladed knife. Place cake on a board. Tint the icing bright red. Ice the cake as shown. Cut liquorice for decoration as show. * Recipe as printed in Family Circle Kids Party Book Final Checklist 1. Pick your party date and time 2. Plan a menu and go grocery shopping so that you can make as much food as you can before the day and freeze 3. Write out a final schedule of activities and games 4. Arrange for help on the party day 5. Order the cake 6. Get exact guest numbers 7. Buy remaining party food, film, batteries, candles and matches for cake, plus other incidentals 8. Child proof the party area 9. Take plenty of pictures to commemorate the special day 10. Plan an after party nap for yourself Please remember, if you want the children to have a good party, plan it and keep it short and simple. Mishaps may occur so keep your sense of humour, even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned. The most important part is to enjoy the day as you celebrate the life of your child.

As the party host, it will be your job to co-ordinate the events leading up to the big day and to also make sure things run smoothly on the day. Your objective / mission, is to throw a fun and exciting party that holds special memories for parents, teachers and children alike without it turning into a nightmare for overworked adults. Are you ready to start preparing for your party? Okay, let’s get started with some suggestions to help relieve the stress. the invites When sending out invitations, allow plenty of time for guest’s parents to change their plans if necessary. There are a few important decisions to be made before you send out your invitations - Date, Time and Location. Date – It is a good idea to check the proposed date and time with “key” friends before committing. Time - It is important to state both starting and finishing times on the invitations. Generally 2 to 3 hours for children is ample. You will generally find many younger children tend to get tired in the afternoon/evening so a morning party may be good for the little ones. Location - You have a couple of basic choices with the most popular being “home” where you’ll have plenty of time to set-up and have all your supplies close at hand. The obvious disadvantage with this choice is, having to clean the house before and after the party, possible damage to your house and space limitations. Nearby parks are nice because they’re usually free, with plenty of space to run around and a play structure to entertain the kids. The downside is, having to haul the supplies to and from the park plus lack of privacy and overcrowding. Local indoor play centres are becoming more popular for little children and the best part is there’s no cleaning up afterwards. it’s party time The golden rule for the party host is, don’t try and do everything on your own. Many parents invite another parent or relative to help them with the food as well as supervision once the party begins. Once the party begins you will generally find that younger children need constant supervision. Older children usually like to be left in peace at least some of the time during the party, only needing to be checked from time to time to make sure everything is all right. Party games are a great way to teach children about winning, losing, fairness and luck. Keep each game relatively short to keep children interested and if they begin to appear irritable then move on to a new game. You should always be prepared for problems. There may be squabbles about who won or who got what prize so be sure to explain the rules before the games begin. Go Fish – Tie fishing line, string or rope across the room and lay a sheet over it so that no one can see what is on the other side. Use an old fishing pole or make your own with a stick and string. Attach a clothes peg on the end of the string. Let each guest take turn in “casting” their line over the sheet. Have one of your helpers stand on the other side & attach small gifts or treats to the peg, then give a short tug on the line. The child then reels in the line to see what they’ve caught. Digging for buried treasure - Hide a number of themed toys in your sandbox and let the guests take turns or jointly dig through the sand in search of the fun treasures. Finders’ keepers! A great way to incorporate the Beach Party theme is by having your party at a nearby lake or beach and including fishing in the days’ activities. Hiring an entertainer who doubles as a face painter or balloon sculptor is a great way to amuse and entertain the children for a few hours whilst re maining in keeping with the theme. Another popular option is hiring play equipment such as a waterspout or waterslide. Be vigilant around balloons. If they pop the rubber bits could be a danger to young children. If they put them in their mouth, they could choke. the ambience The cheapest and most effective way to decorate the party area is by using beach towels, umbrellas, old fishing nets, hammocks, a sandpit and buckets & spades. You could use leaves from banana palms to decorate the food tables and place pineapples, coconuts, watermelons and other fruits around the table to create a tropical theme. It is easy to create a lake feature from jelly. Make up a blue jelly packet mix in a large bowl or platter with only a small lip (sides). Once the jelly has set chop/mash it up to create the effect of waves. Then grab some oranges, cut each in half and carefully scoop out all the flesh, using play dough or blue-tac to help keep the halved orange upright on a tray. Mix up a variety of colour jelly packet mix (using not quite as much water as instructed on the pack). Pour the jelly into the orange skins right to the top, let the jellies set and then cut each half orange into 3 segments. To make the sails simply use toothpicks and triangles cut out of paper. Easy to make decorative fish could also double as an activity for all the party guests. All you need is balloons, birdseed, plastic freezer bags, craft glue and joggle eyes Place 100g of birdseed into a plastic freezer bag, secure end with a knot. Cut the neck off a round party balloon, leaving just the round part, and insert the seed bag. Then cut three or 4 small holes in another three different coloured balloons and cut the neck off each. Continue to cover the seed ball with these balloons, firming the ball into a nice round shape as you work. Using craft glue, add joggle eyes and fringed fins and tail cut from the balloon scraps. Add a mouth cut from a circular cross-section of a balloon neck, rolled to the desired thickness. The bouncing chain is made from a number of these circular cross-sections looped together to the desired length, then glue to top of fish. the eats Barbeques are perfect for Beach Parties with hamburgers, hot dogs, kebabs. Spread beach towels over tables as tablecovers. For small children, make sure to remove toothpicks, skewers and any other sharp objects from food before you serve it. Make sure an adult is in the room at all times in case a child chokes. Dip the rim of each glass in lemon juice then add sugar or coconut before filling with sparkling drink however do not overfill the children with fizzy drinks, they have a nasty habit of erupting later leaving you a nasty mess to clear up. A treat for dessert could be that each child guest makes their own sundae but then they give it away to someone else. This is a great way to entertain the children for a little longer. Plan to include food and drinks for grown ups in case anxious parents stay or come to pick their child up early. Try to serve at least a few types of healthy food. Make sure it looks colourful and appetising and you’ll probably find it will disappear in time. Try not to be over adventurous though when planning the food, as many children are picky eaters. The party food shouldn’t be too hot as just- cooked food such as cheerio’s or sausage rolls can burn little mouths. Cut the party cake into thin slices, as most children will have had enough to eat by the time the cake comes around. You could wrap up the left over slices for children to take home in their loot bags. Fruit platter - Ingredients serve 6 200g tub of vanilla yoghurt Small pinch of ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon honey 1 medium banana thickly sliced 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 kiwi fruit, thickly sliced 1 small seedless watermelon cut in half, hollowed out and cut into cubes 1 tub of strawberries, halved Combine yoghurt, cinnamon and honey in medium bowl. Drizzle banana with lemon juice. Display the food in hollowed out watermelon half with yoghurt mixture. Jelly treats Make up a variety of jelly packed mixes using slightly less water than instructed on packet. Then set in shallow plastic trays or ice cube trays without dividers. Cut the jelly into cubes and then thread onto skewers alternating the colours. Another easy treat is layering coloured jellies in glasses, waiting until each colour has set before adding the new coloured layer. checklist 1. Pick party date and time 2. Plan the menu 3. Decide on activities and games 4. Arrange for help on the party day 5. Order the cake 6. Go grocery shopping so that you can make as much food as you can before the day and freeze 7. Write out final schedule of activities 8. Get exact guest count 9. Buy remaining party food, film, batteries, candles and matches for cake, and other incidentals 10. Child proof party area 11. Take plenty of pictures to commemorate the special day 12. Plan an after party nap for yourself Please remember if you want the children to have a good party then plan it and keep it short and simple. Mishaps may occur so keep your sense of humour. Even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned, the most important part is to enjoy the day as you celebrate the life of your child. Lastly, we’d love to receive a photo of your child’s “themed” party in action to place on our website.

Are you ready for some fun in the sun? The Invites There are a few important decisions to be made before you send out your invitations - Date - It’s a good idea to check the proposed date and time with “key” friends before committing. Time - It is important to state a starting time on the invitations. You may also wish to state a finishing time, especially if the event is held at a hired venue. Location - You have a couple of basic choices with the most popular being “home” where you’ll have plenty of time to set-up and have all your supplies close at hand. The obvious disadvantage is, cleaning the house before and after the party, possible damage and space limitations. Remember to include on the invitation anything you may wish the guest to provide such as alcohol or a themed costume. If you plan on providing alcohol, make sure to add a footnote that guests should arrange alternative transport home, rather than driving. When sending out invitations, allow plenty of time. The golden rule for the party host is, don’t try and do everything on your own. Arrange for friends to help with the food and service at the event. Alternatively you may choose to hire wait staff or have the whole event catered, allowing you to enjoy the celebration as much as everyone else. It’s Party Time A great way to incorporate the Beach Party theme is by having your party at a nearby lake or beach and including fishing in the days’ activities. H i r ing play equipment such as a waterspout or waterslide is a great way to entertain children and even the adults. Digging for buried treasure - Hide a number of themed toys in your sandbox and let the guests take turns or jointly dig through the sand in search of the fun treasures. Finders’ keepers! The Ambience The cheapest and most effective way to decorate the party area is by using beach towels, umbrellas, old fishing nets, hammocks, a sandpit and buckets & spades. You could use leaves from banana palms to decorate the food tables and place pineapples, coconuts, watermelons and other fruits around the table to create a tropical theme. It is easy to create a lake feature from jelly. Make up a blue jelly packet mix in a large bowl or platter with only a small lip (sides). Once the jelly has set chop/mash it up to create the effect of waves. Then grab some oranges, cut each in half and carefully scoop out all the flesh, using play dough or blue-tac to help keep the halved orange upright on a tray. Mix up a variety of colour jelly packet mix (using not quite as much water as instructed on the pack). Pour the jelly into the orange skins right to the top, let the jellies set and then cut each half orange into 3 segments. To make the sails simply use toothpicks and triangles cut out of paper. The Eats Barbeques are perfect for Beach Parties with hamburgers, hot dogs, kebabs. Spread beach towels over tables as tablecovers. For small children, make sure to remove toothpicks, skewers and any other sharp objects from food before you serve it. Make sure an adult is in the room at all times in case a child chokes. Dip the rim of each glass in lemon juice then add sugar or coconut before filling. You could also cut the top off a watermelon, hollow it out and fill with punch. Try to serve at least a few types of healthy food. Make sure it looks colourful and appetising and you’ll probably find it will disappear in time Fruit platter - Ingredients serve 6 200g tub of vanilla yoghurt Small pinch of ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon honey 1 medium banana thickly sliced 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 kiwi fruit, thickly sliced 1 small seedless watermelon cut in half, hollowed out and cut into cubes 1 tub of strawberries, halved Combine yoghurt, cinnamon and honey in medium bowl. Drizzle banana with lemon juice. Display the food in hollowed out watermelon half with yoghurt mixture. Jelly treats Make up a variety of jelly packed mixes using slightly less water than instructed on packet. Then set in shallow plastic trays or ice cube trays without dividers. Cut the jelly into cubes and then thread onto skewers alternating the colours. Another easy treat is layering coloured jellies in glasses, waiting until each colour has set before adding the new coloured layer. Check List 1. Pick party date and time 2. Plan the menu 3. Decide on activities and games 4. Arrange for help on the party day 5. Order the cake 6. Go grocery shopping so that you can make as much food as you can before the day and freeze 7. Write out final schedule of activities 8. Get exact guest count 9. Buy remaining party food, film, batteries, candles and matches for cake, and other incidentals 10. Child proof party area. If you are having a large party you will want to consider hiring security for the gate 11. Take plenty of pictures to commemorate the special day 12. Plan an after party nap for yourself Please remember mishaps may occur so keep your sense of humour. Even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned, the most important part is to enjoy the day. Lastly, we’d love to receive a photo of your “themed” party to place on our website.

The invites - There are a few important decisions to be made before you send out your invitations Date - It’s a good idea to check the proposed date and time with “key” friends before committing. Time - It is important to state a starting time on the invitations. You may also wish to state a finishing time, especially if the event is held at a hired venue. Generally 2 to 3 hours is ample for children. You will generally find many younger children tend to get tired in the afternoon/evening so a morning party may be good for the little ones. Location - You have a couple of basic choices with the most popular being “home” where you’ll have plenty of time to set-up and have all your supplies close at hand. The obvious disadvantage is, cleaning the house before and after the party, possible damage and space limitations. For children, nearby parks are nice because they’re usually free, with plenty of space to run around and usually have a play structure to entertain the kids. The downside is, having to haul the supplies to and from the park plus lack of privacy and overcrowding. Local indoor play centres are becoming more popular for little children and the best part is there’s no cleaning up afterwards. Invitation Details - Remember to include on the invitation anything you may wish the guest to provide such as alcohol or a themed costume. If you plan on providing alcohol, make sure to add a footnote that guests should arrange alternative transport home, rather than driving. When sending out invitations, allow plenty of time. If sending out children’s invitations, allow plenty of time for guest’s parents to change their plans if necessary. The golden rule for the party host is, don’t try and do everything on your own. Arrange for friends to help with the food and serving at the event. Alternatively you may choose to hire wait staff or have the whole event catered, allowing you to enjoy the celebration as much as everyone else. The ambience - Before you start decorating the party area go to your local Discount Stores or Dollar Shops as they are affectionately known as and buy any items you can find with a Jungle theme. They can all be used to help decorate the party area. Also look out for tapes or CD’s that have jungle animal sounds. Make ‘Beware’ and ‘Turn Back Now’ signs on old pieces of wood nailed to trees along the drive/entrance. Decorate the party area inside or a porch or backyard to look like a jungle. Wrap crepe paper around wire coat hangers and bend them to create jungle vines in various shades of brown and green hanging from the ceiling. Make large leaves from dark green cardboard and cut- outs of various life-sized jungle animals. If you’ve got some large pot plants bring them into the party area. Purchase a few large inflatable jungle animals along with stuffed animals to hang from the “vines”. You can also use sheer blue curtains or material with fairy lights to create a waterfall and then dark blue crepe paper and green crepe paper to create the water and grass below. For children’s parties take a bunch of huge boxes (ie. refrigerator and TV) and put them together to resemble caves and tunnels, all intersecting with various "exits". Then spray paint jungle vines and leaves all over the boxes and have silk vines/greenery hanging over the exits. Place more inflatable and stuffed jungle animals all around, in, and on the caves. The kids will have a ball pretending to be animals!!! It's party time - Party games are a great way to teach children about winning, losing, fairness and luck. Keep each game relatively short to keep children interested and if they begin to appear irritable, move on to a new game. You should always be prepared for problems such as squabbles about who won or who got what prize, so be sure to explain the rules before games begin. While waiting for all the guests to arrive you could play ‘The Jungle Book’ movie, or similar, in the party room to settle everyone down. Jungle safari hunt – Hide toy animals, animal shaped lollies and blow-up jungle animals throughout the party room and out into the yard for children to find. The children could either keep their find or substitute it for a small stuffed jungle animal to take home. Make the hunt more challenging for older children by making jungle tokens for them to find. Place one cartoon jungle animal sticker on neon cardboard and cut around it, leaving a small area of the neon showing. As each child finds a token, they turn it in and receive the inflatable jungle animal that matches the picture on their token. Hiring themed amusements such as a turtle sandpit or crocodile teeter-totter from your local toy library are great ways to amuse smaller children for hours. For older children you could blow up a crocodile pool float and then take a photo of each child sitting on it pretending to wrestle just like the famous ‘Crocodile Hunter’. Once the party begins you will generally find that younger children need constant supervision. Older children usually like to be left in peace at least some of the time during the party, only needing to be checked from time to time to make sure everything is all right. Remember to be vigilant around balloons. If they pop young children could choke on the rubber bits. The eats - A great idea is to make a selection of jungle themed goodies to snack on. Snacks could include sandwiches cut with animal cookie cutters, spider cookies (using Oreos and chocolate dipped Chinese noodles), and crocodile eyeballs and guts (peeled grapes and pasta noodles cooked with a bit of oil). For animal feed combine 1 cup plain or assorted rice crackers, 1 cup banana crisps, 1 cup shredded or flaked coconut, 1 cup sultanas, 1 cup raisins, 2 cups toasted muesli, 4 cups fresh popcorn, 1 cup sunflower kernels and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl and mix well. Then place in containers for serving. Jungle Juice - In a large serving bowl, combine 850ml unsweetened pineapple juice, 3 cups apple juice and 450g can unsweetened crushed pineapple. Stir lightly to combine; cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and just before serving, add 750ml chilled lemonade or dry ginger ale. Garnish with mint and sherbet around the glass rim. You could substitute orange and mango juice for apple juice. Zebra Sandwiches – Spread 3 slices of white bread with butter and either vegemite or hazelnut spread. Stack slices, spread side up. Top with the unbuttered side. Press down gently. Using a sharp knife, cut crusts neatly from bread. Cut the stack in half to make rectangles, and then slice each rectangle crossways into four fingers. Then if desired, use animal shaped biscuit cutters to cut out sandwiches. Around the food tables you could hang signs saying ‘Please do not feed the animals’. For small children, make sure to remove toothpicks, skewers and any other sharp objects from food before you serve it. Make sure an adult is in the room at all times in case a child chokes. Dip the rim of each glass in lemon juice then add sugar or coconut before filling with sparkling drink however do not overfill the children with fizzy drinks, they have a nasty habit of erupting later leaving you a nasty mess to clear up. Plan to include food and drinks for grown ups in case anxious parents stay or come to pick their child up early. Try to serve at least a few types of healthy food. Make sure it looks colourful and appetising and you’ll probably find it will disappear in time. Try not to be over adventurous when planning the food as many children are picky eaters. The party food shouldn’t be too hot as just-cooked food such as cheerio’s or sausage rolls can burn little mouths. Cut the party cake into thin slices as most children will have had enough to eat by the time the cake comes around. You could wrap up the left over slices for children to take home in their loot bags. The cake - Slithering Snake Ingredients - 250g dark chocolate melts, 250g milk chocolate melts, 250g white chocolate melts, 2 x (20x30cm) rectangular cakes, 2 quantities butter cream, 250g dark chocolate melted, caramel-brown food colouring, large white chocolate buttons, liquorice strap cut into thin strips, for outline & eyelashes, small black jellybean, halved for eyes, orange jube, cut for mouth Follow the same instructions as loopy lion to make and cut out the snake shape. Beat melted dark chocolate into 2/3 of the butter cream. Ice head and body of snake. Reserve 2 tablespoons of any remaining icing; tint caramel-brown. Ice cake as shown and decorate with chocolate buttons and sweets for face. Note – Recipe can be found within Family Circle edition of Kids Party Book Other cake ideas below:- Check List Pick your party date and time Plan a menu and go grocery shopping so that you can make as much food as you can before the day and freeze Write out a final schedule of activities and games Arrange for help on the party day Order the cake Get exact guest numbers Buy remaining party food, film, batteries, candles and matches for cake, plus other incidentals Child proof the party area Take plenty of pictures to commemorate the special day Plan an after party nap for yourself Please remember, if you want the children to have a good party, plan it and keep it short and simple. Mishaps may occur so keep your sense of humour, even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned. The most important part is to enjoy the day as you celebrate the life of your child. Lastly, we’d love to receive a photo of your child’s “themed party” in action, to place on our website. Thank-you for including parties in packages in your special day and we wish you the best of luck with your themed party pack.

In this fast paced world we live, parties can sometimes seem overwhelming and, in some cases, have become almost a nuisance as we find ourselves too busy or lacking in the imagination and creativity. As a result most miss out on making the memories we all deserve. Are you ready to start preparing for your party? Okay, let’s get started with some suggestions to help relieve the stress. Handy Hints There are a few important decisions to be made before you send out your invitations - Date, Time and Location. Date - It’s a good idea to check the proposed date and time with “key” friends before committing. Time - It is important to state starting and finishing times on invitations. Generally 2 to 3 hours is ample. A morning party may be good for littlies as you will generally find younger children tend to get tired in the afternoon/evening. Location - You have a couple of basic choices with the most popular being “home” where you’ll have plenty of time to set-up and have all your supplies close at hand. The obvious disadvantage with this choice is, having to clean the house before and after the party, possible damage to your house and space limitations. Nearby parks are nice because they’re usually free, with plenty of space to run around and usually have a play structure to entertain the kids. The downside is, having to haul the supplies to and from the park plus lack of privacy and overcrowding. Local indoor play centres are becoming more popular for little children and the best part is there’s no cleaning up afterwards. When sending out invitations, allow plenty of time for guest’s parents to change their plans if necessary. The golden rule for the party host is, don’t try and do everything on your own. Many parents invite another parent or relative to help them with the food as well as supervision once the party begins. Once the party begins you will generally find that younger children need constant supervision. Older children usually like to be left in peace at least some of the time during the party, only needing to be checked from time to time to make sure everything is all right. Be vigilant around balloons. If they pop the rubber bits could be a danger to young children. If they put them in their mouth, they could choke. Party Game & Activity Idea’s Party games are a great way to teach children about winning, losing, fairness and luck. Keep each game relatively short to keep the children’s interested and if they begin to appear irritable, move on to a new game. You should always be prepared for problems. There may be squabbles about who won or who got what prize so be sure to explain the rules before the games begin. The best way to create a farmyard theme is to hire Old McDonalds Farm Animals to attend your party. They set everything up, and best of all clean everything up before they leave. In this day and age with many children growing up within a city or metropolitan surrounding, a lot of them haven’t even touched a lot of farm animals and therefore this activity will be a real treat for all the guests. Chook Chook! Great party activity all your guests can participate in. For a crazy novelty at your fair, try these cackling chooks – people find them irresistible. Knot a longish piece of string firmly through the bottom of any disposable cup and tie a small piece of kitchen cleaning sponge to the other end of the string, which should hang down through the cup. When the sponge is dampened, wrapped around the string and jerked downwards, the cup emits a sound that is extraordinarily like a cackling hen. Add joggle eyes and appropriate features cut from thin coloured cardboard and all day your fair will sound like a poultry yard! Decorating Tips The best way to create a farmyard theme is by turning your backyard into your very own little farm. Spread some hay bales around, you could even build a little hay stack. Another great touch would be your very own scarecrow. A white picket fence can easily be created using small stakes and white cardboard. Using a large old white sheet you could even paint your own red barn façade to pin up on the side of the house as a feature. Recipe suggestions For small children, make sure to remove toothpicks, skewers and any other sharp objects from food before you serve it. Make sure an adult is in the room at all times in case a child chokes. Freeze choc drops and then place a few in the bottom of each glass before filling with sparkling drink. Do not overfill the children with fizzy drinks however as they have a nasty habit of erupting later leaving you a nasty mess to clear up. Plan to include food and drinks for grown ups in case anxious parents stay or come to pick their child up early. Try to serve at least a few types of healthy food. Make sure it looks colourful and appetising and you’ll probably find it will disappear in time. Try not to be over adventurous though when planning the food, as many children are picky eaters. The party food shouldn’t be too hot as just- cooked food such as cheerio’s or sausage rolls can burn little mouths. Cut the party cake into thin slices, as most children will have had enough to eat by the time the cake comes around. You could wrap up the left over slices for children to take home in their loot bags. Farm Animal Party Patty Cakes - Ingredients makes 24 Cakes - 125g butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, ¾ cup (165g) caster sugar, 2 eggs, 1½ cup self-raising flour, ½ cup milk, an assortment of lollies, liquorice straps, chocolate sprinkles, desiccated coconut and food colourings for decoration. Vanilla butter frosting – 30g butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 2 cups icing sugar mixture, 2 tablespoons milk, food colouring of your choice Grease two 12-hole deep patty pans; line with paper patty cases. Beat butter, essence and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Transfer mixture to large bowl; stir in flour and milk. Spoon the mixture into patty cases. Bake in moderate oven 15 minutes. Turn onto wire rack to cool. Spread cold cakes with vanilla butter frosting and then decorate with the lollies, liquorice straps, chocolate sprinkles and coloured coconut. Vanilla butter frosting – combine the butter, essence, half the icing sugar and half the milk into a medium bowl with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add remaining icing sugar and milk; beat until smooth. Divide the icing among small bowls and colour each with a few drops of the food colouring of your choice. To make coloured coconut, put some coconut into a small plastic bag then add a few drops of the food colouring of your choice. Seal the bag then shake it and rub the bag in your hands until the coconut is coloured. **Recipe as printed in The Australian Women’s Weekly Kids’ Party Food Final Checklist 1. Plan a menu and go grocery shopping so that you can make as much food as you can before the day and freeze 2. Write out a final schedule of activities and games, then arrange for help on the party day 3. Get exact guest numbers then order the cake 4. Buy remaining party food, film, batteries, candles and matches for cake, plus other incidentals 5. Child proof the party area 6. Take plenty of pictures to commemorate the special day 10. Plan an after party nap for yourself Please remember, if you want the children to have a good party, plan it and keep it short and simple. Mishaps may occur so keep your sense of humour, even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned. The most important part is to enjoy the day as you celebrate the life of your child. Lastly, we’d love to receive a photo of your child’s “themed party” in action, to place on our website. Thank you for including parties in packages in your special day and we wish you the best of luck with your themed party pack.

Decorating tips - A Disney Princess party room is one of the easiest to decorate because you have such a wide variety of licensed products to choose from. Stores are filled with loads of Disney Princess products such as castles, dress up items, costumes, dolls, cake toppers, candles, yoghurts and cup cakes plus so much more. Use many of these items, probably already in your house, and display them around to theme your party room. In addition you could cut-out and paint a cardboard castle with big turrets for the party room. Using pastel coloured organza material on the walls and ceilings will help create a fantasy world. Handy hints - There are a few important decisions to be made before you send out your invitations - Date, Time and Location. Date - It’s a good idea to check the proposed date and time with “key” friends before committing. Time - It is important to state starting and finishing times on the invitations. Generally 2 to 3 hours is ample. You will generally find many younger children tend to get tired in the afternoon/evening so a morning party may be good for the littlies. Location - You have a couple of basic choices with the most popular being “home” where you’ll have plenty of time to set-up and have all your supplies close at hand. The obvious disadvantage with this choice is, having to clean the house before and after the party, possible damage to your house and space limitations. Nearby parks are nice because they’re usually free, with plenty of space to run around and usually have a play structure to entertain the kids. The downside is, having to haul the supplies to and from the park plus lack of privacy and overcrowding. Local indoor play centres are becoming more popular for little children and the best part is there’s no cleaning up afterwards. When sending out invitations, allow plenty of time for guest’s parents to change their plans if necessary. The golden rule for the party host is, don’t try and do everything on your own. Many parents invite another parent or relative to help them with the food as well as supervision once the party begins. Once the party begins you will generally find that younger children need constant supervision. Older children usually like to be left in peace at least some of the time during the party, only needing to be checked from time to time to make sure everything is all right. Be vigilant around balloons. If they pop the rubber bits could be a danger to young children. If they put them in their mouth, they could choke. Party game & activity ideas - Party games are a great way to teach children about winning, losing, fairness and luck. Keep each game relatively short to keep children interested and if they begin to appear irritable, move on to a new game. You should always be prepared for problems such as squabbles over who won or who got what prize so be sure to explain the rules before games begin. Charades - The guests could form groups and create their own Disney fairytale in the form or charades. Each group can act out a few minutes from a fairytale and the first person to guess which story it is receives a prize.Ring game – Arrange children in a circle with one in the middle. The children hold a circle of string, onto which is threaded a ring. The centre child closes his eyes tightly and counts silently up to twenty. While he is doing this, the children in the circle slide the ring from hand to hand around the string, concealing it under their hands. When the child in the middle has reached twenty, he/she opens his/her eyes and tries to spot which player is holding the ring. If he/she guesses correctly, the player holding the ring changes places with him. If not, the child stays in the centre. You could even set a television up in your party room and as the children are arriving, or to quieten them down before they leave, turn on a Disney Princess video/DVD or book and place lots of cushions on the floor for them to sit and lie on. This idea is great because you’ll be able to use the time to finish setting up or start cleaning up. Recipe suggestions - • Include Disney Princess licensed products in your party food choices. A trip to your local supermarket will make it easy. You could make a Princess cake using specially designed cake toppers, cupcake mix or just candles. • For small children, make sure to remove toothpicks, skewers and any other sharp objects from food before you serve it. Make sure an adult is in the room at all times in case a child chokes. • Dip the rim of each glass in lemon juice then add sugar or coconut before filling with sparkling drink however do not overfill the children with fizzy drinks, they have a nasty habit of erupting later leaving you a nasty mess to clear up. • A treat for dessert could be that each child guest makes their own sundae but then they give it away to someone else. A great way to entertain the children for a little longer. • Plan to include food and drinks for grown ups in case anxious parents stay or come to pick their child up early. • Try to serve at least a few types of healthy food. Make sure it looks colourful and appetising and you’ll probably find it will disappear in time. Try not to be over adventurous when planning the food, as many children are picky eaters. • The party food shouldn’t be too hot as just-cooked food such as cheerio’s or sausage rolls can burn little mouths. • Cut the party cake into thin slices, as most children will have had enough to eat by the time the cake comes around. You could wrap up the left over slices for children to take home in their loot bags. • Toadstool treats – Place 2 scoops of ice cream into each cone, packing it down firmly then place in freezer for 10mins. Then carefully dip one cone at a time into melted chocolate and drain off excess. While chocolate is still warm, press the smarties into the chocolate and then allow it to set. Final checklist 1. Pick your party date and time 2. Plan a menu and go grocery shopping so that you can make as much food as you can before the day and freeze 3. Write out a final schedule of activities and games 4. Arrange for help on the party day 5. Order the cake 6. Get exact guest numbers 7. Buy remaining party food, film, batteries, candles and matches for cake, plus other incidentals 8. Child proof the party area 9. Take plenty of pictures to commemorate the special day 10. Plan an after party nap for yourself Please remember, if you want the children to have a good party, plan it and keep it short and simple. Mishaps may occur so keep your sense of humour, even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned. The most important part is to enjoy the day as you celebrate the life of your child. Lastly, we’d love to receive a photo of your child’s “themed party” in action, to place on our website. Thank you for including parties in packages in your special day and we wish you the best of luck with your themed party pack.

It's easy to create an impact with Graduation party food. So many foods can be rolled then tied with a ribbon to look like Diplomas There's so many ways you can play on words to create your own themed Graduation Dessert / Lolly Station. Below are a few examples to get you started.

Are you looking for more than just Hawaiian Shirts and Hula Skirts.. Our Parties In Package party guide is provided to help you "create and atmosphere" at your party. As the party host, it will be your job to co-ordinate the events leading up to the big day, and to also make sure things run smoothly on the day. Your objective or mission is to throw a fun and exciting party that holds special memories for all that attend. There's a few important decisions to be made before inviting guests. Date - It's a good idea to check the proposed date and time with 'key' friends before committin. Time - It is important to state a starting time on the invitations. You may also wish to state a finishing time, especially if the event is held at a hired venue. Location - You have a couple of basic choices with the most popular being 'home' where you'll have plenty of time to set up and have all your supplies close at hand. The obvious disadvantages are cleaning the house before and after the party, possible damage, and space limitations. You have to enjoy the party too! The golden rule for the party host is, don't try and do everything on your own. Arrange for friends to help with the food and serving at the party. Alternatively you may choose to hire wait staff or have the whole event catered, allowing you to enjoy the celebration as much as everyone else. The Invites Whether you're emailing a e-Invite, or hanging out/posting paper Invitations make sure it's designed in the same theme of your party. You could attach your Invitation to a Flower Lei, asking guests to wear it along with their best 'Island Vibes' outfit to start guests talking even before they arrive. If your Invitation has envelopes then sprinkle some silk flower petals or Tropical Scatter into the envelope for a bit of fun. Remember to include on the invitation anything you may wish the guests to provide such as alcohol. If you plan on providing alcohol, make sure to add a footnote that guests should arrange alternative transport home, rather than drive. The Ambience Choosing an outdoor location with a lot of greenery and sand is preferable for a Hawaiian Luau. The most effective economical way to decorate the party area is by using beach towels as table covers, umbrellas, old fishing nets, hammocks. Decorate the food tables with pineapples, coconuts, watermelons and other fruits around the table to create a tropical theme. Then hang hula skirts around the edges of the tables. If your outdoor area is lacking greenery you could hire palm trees or use Inflatable Palm Trees. If your budget allows you could have sand delivered to the location for a great effect. If your budget doesn't allow for Hula Skirts and/or Leis for each guest, then dress up your helper friends or wait staff. Advise partygoers to attend in traditional attire such as Hawaiian shirts and shorts, sarongs & bikini tops and flip flops. As each guest arrives have the costumed staff at the front door with a welcome cocktail. The Entertainment Party games are a great way for guests to get to know each other better and get everyone into the party spirit. Everyone should remember the Limbo , providing loads of laughs for all. Hula Hoops are also entertaining and you could have group competitions to see who can swivel their hoop for the longest. To bring out the adventurous side in your guests you could Hire a Mechanical Surf Rider , which is a fantastic simulation of real surfing. What's a Luau without a Hawaiian music . Make sure your downloaded playlist includes the Hawaii Five-O Theme Song, Aloha Oe by Johnny Cash & Blue Hawaii by Elvis Presley. If you hire a themed band make sure it includes hula dancer/s. Not only will you be supplied with great songs all night but your guests can learn how to hula from the experts, creating it's own entertainment for everyone watching.. Food & Drinks What better way to celebrate a Luau than with a spit roast or Hungi. Search Yellow Pages or Google for companies operating spit roasts in your area. Or you could make your own Hungi at home. The easiest Dessert is fruit. Serve it on platters, as kebabs, in carved out watermelons and pinapples. You can display fruit as Palm Trees on a Beach. For a sweet touch turn donuts into pineapples, using green cardboard and scissors. The most authentic way to serve drinks is in carved out pineapples, coconuts and watermelons. A less time consuming substitute is to purchase plastic coconut cups, palm tree cups, pineapple cups and flamingo cups. Bowls of punch is another option suitable for this party theme. Make sure drinks are decorated with straws, drink umbrellas and cocktail animals, plus lots of fruit. You could set up a DIY section for guests to have fun decorating their own drinks.. The Party Check-List * Pick party date and time * Purchase your Themed Invitations and Decorations * Decide on the entertainment * Plan a menu and go shopping * Arrange for help on the party day * Get an exact guest count * Write out Final Schedule for day of the party * Purchase final party supplies if necessary, party food, ice & other incidentals * Charge the camera or phone Lastly, remember that mishaps may occur so keep your sense of humour, even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned. The most important part is to relax, take a breath and try to enjoy the party as much as your guests.

Decorating can be fun and quick with simple ideas to create a great impact. We also show some amazing balloon creations if you want to go all-out and have plenty of time. Transform your party space into Bikini Bottom Covering walls with re-usable plastic Scene Setters is a great place to start. They also make amazing backdrops for party photos with all the Spongebob fans. Depending on the amount of wall space you have, there's a few options. Ocean & Coral Scene Kit and Ocean Scene Setter and Ocean Floor Border . Use Crepe Streamers , Paper Lanterns and Balloons to create an Under Sea Backdrop, Jellyfish and Bubbles Party Food Ideas Balloon Decorations Party Host Not only can the birthday child dress up as their favourite character, but so can the person hosting the party. We offer SpongeBob and Patrick Costumes for Adults and boys and girls. VIEW all our Spongebob SquarePants decorations, balloons, tableware and games

Guests can embrace their inner flamingo as they Flamingle around your party. How do you party like a Flamingo? Stand tall, darling Admire someone else's beauty without questioning your own Why fit in when you can stand out Life is all about balance Flamingo Decor Inspiration The Flamingo theme is very versatile. You could go for a Vintage Flamingo style Baby Shower with metallic gold and soft pink tones, or you could scream summer fun with "Aloha" island style bright flamingoes and pineapples for a birthday party theme. Make Your Own Flamingo Ring Toss Game Starting with our Flamingo Yard Stakes , you can make your own sand pots, or if your party space is your own backyard then stick the yard stakes in your lawn or throughout your garden.