Remember When Throwing A Children’s Party Was Easy?
Back in the day, your birthday party would always be hosted at your home. You would invite your favourite school friends, mates from your street and a few cousins whilst your parents became party reps for the day. This meant they'd organise all the games, and you always had to play by their rules - the golden rules - they were non negotiable.
My dad would spin me and my friend around at high speeds holding a sharp object of some description whilst our eyes were covered with a tea towel. The thought of course was to pin the tail on the donkey, not into the wall. Rarely did I win. The pin pricks are still visible to this day.
I dredge up requesting all the classics, my favourite being...Pass the Parcel. Squash into a circle, in the front room, shredding newspaper for a excellent half hour, ink staining our hands in the anticipation of un-wrapping a Chic a Boo or Strawberry Shortcake Pencil Case. Every year but it would be some kind of woollen animal my nan had knitted. I was never allowed to win this game because it was my birthday, but was always reassured that my nan would knit me another for the school Tombola, so I had a honest chance of winning then!
Musical Chairs was always a challenge, mainly because a piano stool is hard for a child to get on at the best of times, but when your friends are next to you, pushing and scrabbling to plonk themselves down onto a stripy nylon deckchair (before it collapses and traps their fingers) ... its virtually impracticable! Sorry to say I was always out first at musical chairs ... should have known not to go for the piano stool and gone for the poof instead!
How times have changed...or have they? Thirty years on, children still like playing games and winning prizes, even if it is a Plastic Kazoo and not a D.S. If it's not the kids that have changed, then it must be us and our generation! Unknowingly we have changed the Golden Rules along the way. With Non-elimination games and prizes for all, the expectations are high now that for children parties have become 'Honest for All' . The Distress is this ... the average class size in Britain is 30+ pupils and growing, so no wonder parents are pulling their hair out and wondering how they are going to spin 30+ five year olds in their open plot kitchen/family diner, never mind the sharp object dilemma! How are they possibly going to get their hands on the dozens of newspapers needed to play Pass the Parcel? Raiding the neighbours blue recycling bins in the dead of night is an option, but it's hard enough trying to muffle the noise of the brown ones what with all the wine bottles and beer cans!
These days even the choice of music for musical statues is a long thought out process, what with pop songs occasionally throwing in the odd unsuitable lyric!
Often, the best option is to leave it to a professional and let a party organiser take the strain.
Lucia Davies is a for children entertainer from Stockport, serving Manchester, Cheshire and the North West. She can organise any aspect of your child's party from party bags to lighting.