Holiday parties are a huge amount of fun for the kids, but you can seriously ruin them, whether you’re hosting them or attending them. But never fear, here we’re going to show you how not to host a kid’s holiday party, as well as how not to attend a kid’s holiday party! There are certain rules and etiquette that are important to take note of so your party will be an amazing success!
Here are the rules that you should abide by, no matter what!
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DON’T Dress your Kids in their most Casual Clothes
It’s a party, not a normal play date, so dressing your kids in their casual clothes designed for play, that are dirty all over is not the thing to do. Dressing them up in style however will have them fitting right in, and looking their best to honour the guests! The young host should also be dressed in their finest attire! Here are some ideas for the perfect party outfits.
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DON’T Forget the Parents
The golden rule of hosting a holiday party is to make sure that you are very clear on whether parents are welcome or not. If you don’t state this you could have parents just dropping off their kids when you actually want them to stay, or staying and you haven’t catered for them. Big mistake! On the invite be clear about this point, so parents know right from the start.
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DON’T Assume that you Should Bring Sweets
If you’re attending a kid’s party you can be pretty much assured that there is going to be a ton of sweet stuff, just to get the kids psyched up and bouncing off the ceilings. Bringing more sweet stuff is not the answer. Try and go for savoury treats that kids will love, or even fruit skewers. Something a bit healthier will have your host thanking you!
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DON’T Serve Fancy Foods
During a holiday party, kids are normally running around and sitting at a small table with fancy and elaborate foods that need knives and forks are not going to do the trick. Finger foods are the way to go.
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DON’T Ever Serve or Arrive with Nuts
Always, always assume that there might be a child with a nut allergy, it’s not uncommon. Don’t ever serve nuts or seeds and if you’re attending the party don’t send them with. You could be heading into disaster.
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DON’T go for Long Parties
For kids 2 hours is enough, otherwise things might be awry. The most important thing to remember is to try and keep the party structured so that there are things for the kids to do and keep them entertained. Kids enjoy a situation where there is a beginning and an end. Plan around this, and they’ll all be happy and content when they leave.
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DON’T Arrange Parties at Odd Times
One thing to bear in mind is that kids get tired and they get hungry. Plan your party around this. Don’t have it at a time when you know they’re going to be tired, like around dinnertime. If you’re hosting your party during lunchtime for example, make sure you’ve got plenty of food. Running out of food is not an option, and during a mealtime event just cookies and cakes won’t be enough.
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DON’T have Messy Drinks
Juice boxes are normally the staple at kids’ parties, but they literally land up going everywhere. Why not try something different and set up a mini cocktail station with various different drinks to tempt their taste buds and they can use plastic cups.
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