A Perfectly Piggy Party!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hosting a party for a 3yr old girl who loves Peppa Pig.  As requested by L's mother, and also taking into account the young age of the children attending, the party became more craft and activity focussed.

As those who follow my blog may know, I tend to follow themes loosely rather than going for an all out theme.  This is due to costs, availability of resources and an understanding that not all guests like the same thing.  Many parents choose to use decorations to emphasise a theme, which is great as it brightens up the venue and gives the party child their focus. 

Obviously this is done in consultation with the client, who can request certain activities or games to their child or their vision of the party.  My role is to facilitate this, keep the children entertained and make sure the children enjoy themselves.  I also hope to take the pressure away from the parents.  This was reflected at the party yesterday when the client told me she had never been so relaxed before hosting a party. (Her sister also told me she'd never seen her this relaxed before a party too!)

The activities:

1) Welcome activity.  The children decorated the tablecloth with the crayons and stickers I supplied.

2) Make pig face biscuits.



3) Make pig masks using paper plates.

4) Decorate their party bags.










5) A box of Rainbow Rice (with hidden pigs) to play with.

The Games:

1) Music Muddy Puddles (like Musical Islands)

2) Peppa Pig Treasure Hunt

3) Pass the Parcel

The Story:

10 Green Bottles by Abigail Voss.  (Available here on Amazon.)  (This is a great story by a Portishead Author, and is fab for joining in and learning numbers.)


The 14 children were kept happily occupied, with supportive parents who enjoyed joining in. 

Their party tea was packed in individual coloured paper lunch bags with Peppa Pig detail on them.  I particularly liked the idea of putting individual jellies into plastic shot glasses.  (I'm going to borrow that one for my children's next party!)  

We sang Happy Birthday to L, and she blew out the candles on her beautiful chocolate Peppa Pig cake. 

Packing up was quick and efficient.  (I bring my own bin bags, and was massively helped by the other adults.)

This was a fun party to do.  Craft parties can provide a calm but busy atmosphere, and make sure that everyone has something extra to take home too.

It was a fun afternoon for all.


(Craft Parties are priced the same as regular parties, see my website for package prices.)

You don't want PartyEase? Here's something to remember.

Wouldn't the world be a boring place if everyone wanted the same kind of party? Different types of party are what makes the excitement for the guests.  What games will they play?  Will there be a magician?  Will there be party bags? What will they eat?

My son is in a class with 25 other four and five year olds.  They all share a sense of excitement and enthusiasm, and a growing awareness of the importance of a birthday party at a young age.  Each invite is studied with curiosity and questions about the type of party it's going to be.

Since September, he has attended parties with magicians, a Star Wars themed party, Soft play parties, and traditional parties (one of which, was a PartyEase one...) Each party had a common denominator - SIMPLICITY.

As PARTYEASE grows, I have had some fabulous conversations with parents - those who have chosen to use our service, and those who haven't.  All parents have a common denominator too - they want their children to have a fantastic and memorable party. I'm the same.  I want my child to be smiling, genuinely happy, with a residue of excitement, but slightly tired by the end of his party.  As parents, we seem to have an impression that our children have high expectations of us and their parties, and it is important that we GET IT RIGHT!

I'm going to share a secret with you.

Parties do not need to be elaborate.  Children want to be entertained, they want to be involved, they want the opportunity to be active, but also to have a quiet space to retreat to if they need to. 

This is why PARTYEASE works.  The concept is simple, children are encouraged, but NEVER forced to join in, they are kept active, they have fun, they have a dedicated party host who works hard to build a relationship with them, and continuously interacts with them during the party.  (and keeps going until the child is collected.)

Basically, what I'm saying is that if you choose not to use PARTYEASE, remember to keep it simple, but keep the children occupied with lots of fun.

However, by the time you've thought of the food, prizes, party bags, venue, cake, tea and coffee for the parents who stay, decorating the hall, clearing up afterwards etc, the thought of keeping 30 five year olds interested might be a step too far... don't worry, I'm still here ready to help!

http://partyeaseportishead.weebly.com

rachieparties@gmail.com

A few questions and a few answers

It's been a few months since I set up PartyEase Portishead. I've been so touched by the support I've received from friends, and also from those who think it's important to support new businesses.  My brand is now becoming more known around the area, and I am getting increased traffic to my website, facebook page and to my email account. However, there are a few questions/statements I'd like to answer.

Why don't you include food and cakes in your package?

There are two reasons for this.  

Firstly, I am a mum of a 3 yr old and 5 yr old.  Our house is busy, fun and our home.  If I were to supply party food, I would need to have my premises inspected, and hygiene rated.  Now, my house is clean (most of the time) and hygienic, but we all have moments, and I don't want that responsibility.  

Secondly, party food is quite a personal choice.  I prefer a traditional type tea - sandwiches, crisps, cakes, carrot/cucumber sticks, sausage rolls, cakes, biscuits etc.  That's my choice. (and  my children's - last year, my son sat me down to write a list of what food he wanted at his party, and basically chose all of the above.)
At recent parties we've attended, party food has included a pizza delivery, fishfingers and chips, chicken nuggets and chips, a selection of nibbles including fruit and tubes of fromage frais, bowls of sweets...  People like different things.  I am happy to advise, recommend caterers, etc, but the food is your choice.

Children's parties aren't difficult...

They don't need to be difficult.  Children just want to be entertained, active and able to join in - sometimes with adult support, sometimes independently. 
But you know what?  Some people do find it difficult to be with 30 young children.  I don't find it difficult, but that's because I trained as a teacher, and have spent so much time working in child-based settings.  Put me in a hospital as a nurse, or in a garage as a mechanic - I wouldn't have a clue!  We all have our talents, and they are diverse.  It makes life interesting.
Also, we're all busy people.  I'm very fortunate in that I could choose to be at home with my children, and build my business around them.  Others make the decision to work, or do not have a choice in the matter.  All choices are valid and should be respected.  Planning a party does take time and effort.  Sourcing fun gifts, wrapping the pass the parcel, compiling the gift bags, putting together playlists... I'm here to provide a service to those who want me to.
Lastly, some parents would like to be able to take a step back, join in with their children and enjoy their day with them.  With my entertaining the children, that is possible.  You can join in, but you will be able to take time to savour the party with your child.  That's important.

Children over 8 aren't interested in large parties or party games.

Really?  I run a brownie pack, with girls aged between 7-10yrs old.  We do have the odd party night.  They love the games.  I adapt them for older children - make them a little more grown up, challenging, silly, maybe a touch more responsibility for them...  They always go home with big smiles on their faces.  
Traditional parties don't have to be large.  I can't remember having more than 10 guests at my parties (though my mother may beg to differ...) and we played plenty of games.  Although my packages start with prices for 20 children, I am happy to discuss how I can accommodate smaller parties, and will develop games suited to them, in discussion with you.

What about your prices?

I cover that in another blog post here. However, I suggest you search other entertainers, and see what they include in their packages.  You will find that my prices are very competitive.  You may also find a party package that you prefer.  That's ok.  Again, the world is diverse, what I offer suits many, but not all.  Enjoy your party! :)

I am passionate about providing quality children's parties, with transparent pricing, and a service which children and parents alike will enjoy.  I love parties, and all the reviews I've received are 5* reviews.  You can find them on my FACEBOOK page.

If you would like to find out more, then please visit my website  or feel free to contact me at rachieparties@gmail.com.

I look forward to hearing from you. 

A Frozen Pajama Party

Take 2 children celebrating their 5th birthdays.  One loves Frozen, the other would like a Pajama party.  Can a joint party be possible?

With PartyEase, it is!


So, with the brief in mind, I developed a party for 30 children, based on on the PLATINUM plan which includes a Pass the Parcel and Party Bags.
As well as generic games that all the children knew, I had the challenge of fitting a few games into the theme(s) and keeping the attention of a large number of children aged 5 or below.

Happily, this is where my experience as an infant teacher is really helpful.

The children were greeted by the door, and directed to the table, where they were given named party bags to decorate.  (These were filled later on)  I am a great believer that children need a calming activity when they arrive, as younger ones can feel intimidated by others running around waiting for activities to start.  Decorating the party bags also gives them a personal reminder of the party to take home.

The first games was one to get the party started, and one that all children were familiar with.

It was then time to for a themed game.  This one was aptly called "Do you wanna build a snowman?"  They did!  The following photos show how young children with a little adult support can work together.

Wrapping up the Birthday boy, to build a snowman

Birthday Girl becomes a beautiful Olaf

.

Our next games was also Frozen based, using music and pictures of the main characters placed around the room. It gave the opportunity for the children to move around and use up some of their excited energy.

This was followed with Pass the Parcel.  It's a great way to calm the children down before their party food, and it also gives the adults a chance to put the food out on the tables without being disturbed by hungry children.  My Pass the Parcels have a prize in every layer, and for this number of children, I supplied 2 parcels.  (Many thanks to Catherine, who collected the wrapping into the bin bags, which I also supply.)

We then had a quick game where children had to match pajamas into pairs, which led them to their party tea.  

As some children finished off their tea, I engaged those who had left the table with a story, where they could join in the actions. The children joined in with the story, and it avoided that void which often happens after they eat, where they run around.

We played a couple of games that the children are familiar with from school, and finished off with Musical Bumps.  

I am sure that our Birthday children had a great time, and here are a few comments from the parents, which can be found on my FACEBOOK page.

Our son age 7 had a great time at one of Rachael's parties, he thoroughly enjoyed all the games and different activities she had planned. The music was great and she worked very hard trying to keep all the children happy and involved.
The party bags and prizes were age appropriate, good value and very popular.
If you want a stress free party with someone to run it, entertain the children, and think of little extras then you need to book Rachael.
I would highly recommend PartyEase Portishead. Thank you Rachael for a fantastic party and one happy 7 year old.

Great party today! Can't believe how well you kept so many kids entertained. My daughter said 'I wish every party could be like this!'

If you're looking for a traditional Childrens party but don't want to run the party yourself and get bogged down with all the prep beforehand with pass the parcel wrapping and party bags, I strongly recommend Rachael from PartyEase. She seamlessly ran a joint 5th birthday party for my daughter and her friend. It was a Frozen Pyjama party as both wanted different themes. Rachael specifically tailored some fantastic party games to fit with the themes and the childrens ages. She also managed to keep control of all 32 children throughout the 2 hours, all of who seemed to throughly enjoy themselves! Thank you Rachael!

Aren't you a bit expensive?

It's a great idea, but isn't it all a bit expensive

 for a party? 

 Especially if you have to hire the hall too? 

 And do the food? 

It's a question I have been asked a few times, so thought I would explain how the cost works. It's not jusitifying it, it's explaining.

So... let's take the SILVER package, for 20 children, including a Pass the Parcel. 

This package costs £90 for 2 hours of party time, which includes a party tea provided by you.  (I estimate 30 minutes for this.)  

Let's break down the costs.

This works out at £4.50 per child, meaning £2.25 per child, per hour.

Within this £4.50 per child, you are including, ALL the prizes for the games.  I always make sure I have a selection of prizes which hopefully appeal to all children who may win. 

A Pass the Parcel.  With a treat in every layer and a prize in the middle.  (A 20 layer Pass the Parcel takes about 8 metres of wrapping paper.  I don't use newspaper, but will happily take the paper away to recycle.   It takes about an hour to wrap. An hour of preparation time before the party.

A Welcome Activity.   With the Silver package, there are no party bags, so this would be a decorating tablecloth activity.  It's a great way to keep children calm and help less confident children settle quickly into the party atmosphere.  So, I bring along a tablecloth, which you can then use for your party tea.  I supply crayons and stickers for the children to decorate it with. 

Music and speaker.  I can even make this work without using a plug!  (though obviously I use my own resources to keep this charged.)  I download my music legally, making sure it is suitable for children, in both content and their tastes 

Transport.  I don't charge for transport within a 10 mile radius of Portishead.

Planning Time.  All my parties are planned in consultation with YOU.  Are there any party games that your child particularly likes?  Would you like games with prizes, or team based games?  How old are the children attending?  I can adapt the parties according to age, and whether a theme is involved.  I will also help you with advice about halls in Portishead, their prices and contact details for them. I can even help you with ideas for a simple but fun party tea which doesn't cost the earth...

Me.  I have 18 years experience of working professionally with children, as a Nanny, Nursery Nurse, Teacher (ages 3-11), Brownie Leader and Mother.  On top of this, I am part of the leadership team for a very popular toddler group in Portishead.   When I host your child's party, I am their's totally.  I will interact, join in, look after and include all children.  (I have been to parties where the entertainer doesn't look at the children until he/she does their act, then as soon as it is finished, has sat at the front playing on their mobile and ignoring any attempt of children to communicate with them afterwards. - This person charged £150 for an hour of their time.  For me, this isn't just a business, it's a passion for supply great parties.)

Insurance.  For peace of mind, I have full liability cover for up to £1million. 

Extra supplies - parachutes, game resources, bin bags, extra prizes incase you have unexpected guests...

I love parties.  I don't believe you can do this without a passion and enthusiasm for them. However, as you can see, it does cost.  I have 2 young children of my own, and am currently organising my son's 5th party.  I want to make them as cost-effective as I can, we're all on tight budgets these days and I understand that, and hope that's conveyed in my prices.


(By the way, my party bags are fab too!  Great gifts, and super value at £1.50 each.  You don't have to source the gifts, pack the gifts or even label the bags.  I'll do all that for you!)

Why don't you visit my PARTYEASE PORTISHEAD WEBSITE and find out more?

You can also check out reviews by visiting my FACEBOOK page.

Should you pass on Pass the Parcel?

It's a game that children love to play, but adults hate to prepare... 

Every party I've been to, when Pass the Parcel is announced, there is a cheer from the children.  Is it the anticipation of the prize in the middle?  Is the thought that all you need to do to win a prize is rip of a layer of paper?  Is the attempt to guess when the last layer will appear?  
For the adults, this is a stressful game.  Should you put a prize in every layer?  I asked this on my facebook page a while ago and there were some interesting answers.  

Some, including my sister, though that prizes should be random.  Children need to learn that they can't always win.  It's a life lesson.  Others said that a lollipop kept the children interested and occupied while others were having their turn.  Another suggested stickers.  

In the past I have used sweets and I have also used little party blowers - makes for a noisy 5 minutes, but you can avoid that sugar high...

Another interesting aspect was that of having to wrap up the parcel.  Not many people enjoy doing it... When I wrapped the parcel for our launch party, there were 25 layers.  It took over 8 metres of wrapping paper and nearly an hour to do.  (My helpful husband, who normally has to wrap the Pass the Parcels in our family, took great pleasure in laughing at me.)  
For one parent who attended the Launch party, she said that it was something she HATED, and one of the reasons she would consider booking PartyEase Portishead for her child's party.

A friend talked about a party she had attended with her 4 year old party, where the Pass the Parcel was a wrapped up box.  When the music stopped, the child holding the parcel was given a sweet, and the music started again without any paper being taken off.  Now forgive me if you like this version, but surely half the fun of a Pass the Parcel is to rip the paper off?  I expect it saves on time and mess.

Another suggested that actually, a main prize in the middle isn't needed.  Again, I would consider this part of the anticipation, and find it hard to imagine a child excitedly removing the last layer of paper to find... just another sweet - but we're all different, and that's what makes each party diverse and fun.

For older children, I have another version of Pass the Parcel - no music or wrapping paper is involved, but it's great fun, and keeps the children involved and excited.  I'm not going to share it here... book me for a party and find out! 

If you would like a couple of child-free hours on December 20th, please check out my Facebook event.  2 hours of fun for them, 2 hours of freedom for you to do as you please.  Perfect.  


I would love to hear what you think about Pass the Parcel.  Feel free to leave me a comment. 

The Launch

Well, after 6 weeks of talking about it, planning, gathering supplies and people, PartyEase Portishead has officially launched.

Although I have told you about a party that has already taken place, this was the biggie!  

Twenty One children joined me in the afternoon, to experience a PartyEase party.  It was daunting as their parents were asked to stay and fill in an evaluation form.  But they were all lovely and supportive, which made things easier. 

As the children arrived, I introduced myself and guided them over to the table where there were crayons and stickers, and explained it was their job to decorate the tablecloth.  This helped settle them into the party, and also avoided the running around waiting for the party to start that happens all too often.

Most of them enjoyed themselves, and before long the table was covered with hearts, rainbows, animals and many random shapes!

One parent on their evaluation said of this activity

"Great idea!"

Another commented

"Loved the tablecloth idea, all involved and no children running wild!"

Our first game was Musical Islands.  Lots of fun dancing, and less stress for the parents as I provide a basket of prizes (both edible and non-edible - another job that you don't have to do! 

A quick game of musical statues followed before sitting down to play Pass the Parcel.

Now, there were 25 layers to the Pass the Parcel. It took nearly an hour to wrap, and over 8 metres of wrapping paper. It's one of the jobs that many dislike doing because of it being so time consuming.  As one parent said "I hate wrapping pass the parcel!"

Simon Says proved a popular game.  I chose to play this as a time filler while my wonderful friends set out the party tea (which is not included in the package price - sorry.)  We played for fun, nobody was out, and the children enjoyed following regular actions as well as the more silly ones, while trying not to be caught out.

While a few children finished their tea, I kept the children calm by telling them a familiar story, and encouraging them to join in with actions.   This was mainly aimed at the younger children, but the older ones did listen and mostly join in too. 

"During the story, every eye was on Rachael."

Then it was time for the parachute games.  

I chose a selection of team games using balls, and a game of cat and mouse where the children could chase and let off steam.  This particularly appealed to the older children, and it was good to see that they took care to be gentle with the younger ones. 

We ended with a game of Musical Bumps,

Not quite the musical
bumps we expected...

before handing out the party bags.  Again, the party bag service seems very popular with the parents, who thought the £1.50 charge per bag was good value and meant another thing that parents didn't have to organise!

There were a few brilliant suggestions which I intend to implement to make the booking process smoother, and the pricing structure easier to follow. 

What did the parents conclude?  Here are a few statements from the evaluation forms.

"2 hours of stress-free entertainment!  Parents can provide food and enjoy the party as much as the children!   ...Lovely to see the children enjoying 'proper' party games and not just sat watching an entertainer."

"Rachael engaged with the children really well and kept them interested.  It was very well organised."

"Rachael was very personable and welcoming.  There was a good variety of games for the children... My boys were both entertained and had great fun.  I would recommend to friends."

"Great value - having recently been looking for a party like this, this is a great price.  ...Rachael did an amazing job of entertaining a wide range of children."

"She has the patience of a saint!"

"I would recommend PartyEase to my friends with younger children.  All of the children were kept entertained through the whole party."

"I would def. recommend especially for parents that like a traditional plarty but don't want to do it themselves."

This evening I had a message from the parent of two children who came to the party.

"Thank you for having us.  When we left the party, my two commented on what a great party it had been."

I agree - I had a fab time too!

(a big thank you to Lisa and Emma for helping me with putting out the party tea and clearing it up afterwards.  As this isn't part of the plan, it was great that they could act as party host/client for me in this way. )

What makes a good children's party?

Obviously the answer to this depends on what kind of party you like.

For me, a party is about fun, interaction and making the birthday child feel like they are having the best time - EVER!

Children should be engaged from the moment they arrive, until they are picked up.  They should have the opportunity to take time out from the lively activities if needed, but given every encouragement to join in when they want to, and made to feel welcome.

Party games should offer the safe and familiar, and also the little more challenging and new.  There should be opportunities for winning, and for team games where laughter and working together enhances the fun. 

At the end of the party, if party bags are given, they should provide more fun and excitement, without the dreaded sugar high. (Our party bags include one chocolate bar, toys, balloons and extras - depending on your choice of bag.)

PartyEase Portishead offers all of the above.  Parachute games are becoming a favourite activity after the party tea, and younger children appreciate the chance to sit down, listen and participate in a story telling session, giving them respite from the excitement and activity.

As PartyEase Portishead officially launches on 25th October 2014, I am offering 10% off a party plan. (not including Party Bags.)  

To claim your discount, just visit the PARTYEASE PORTISHEAD, and quote FBPEP01 in your details.

I'm looking forward to meeting you and your birthday child, and planning your party. 

Let's Get This Party Started!

Ellie is now 6, and celebrated with a PartyEase Party.


She was having a party for her whole class - 28 children aged 5 and 6 years old, and a couple of younger siblings. Her parents wanted a mixture of traditional games, but also a couple of inclusive games where nobody was 'out' and there were no winners or losers.

 As an ex- primary school teacher until becoming a mother to my 4yr old and 2 yr old, and also as a Brownie Guide leader, I could draw upon my knowledge of games that children this age enjoy, and incorporate them into the party.  The parents decided that they didn't want a Pass the Parcel, but were pleased that PartyEase supplies the prizes for the games we played.

Knowing that arriving at parties is often the time where children become over-excited, extra noisy and can be chaotic, I had organised a welcome activity where the children sat round the tea table, and with my trusty selection of crayons and stickers, created their own tablecloth for later on. I wish I'd taken a photo of all the Anna, Elsa and Olaf drawings, coupled with trucks, Power Rangers, and birthday messages in all colours of the rainbow.  It was now time for the games.

We played a mixture of dancing games (musical chairs, bumps, statues etc- all favourites), team games with balloons (very tense, and also very noisy when the games included popping the balloons at the end of the games -this was the children's choice, we don't have to pop balloons...) The chocolate cake monkey team were declared the winners, and celebrated by jumping round making monkey noises, before falling to the ground for a relaxing game of Sleeping Lions.  (Who knew that so many children could be so quiet at the same time?)


Party Tea was fantastic, with a wonderful cake based on Frozen, and 6 icy blue candles to blow out. I quickly gained the children's attention, and we sang a lively rendition of Happy Birthday, coupled with THREE CHEERS as Ellie blew all the candles out in one go. 


There was time for another game after tea, before pick-up time, so I pulled out my trusty parachute, and we played Popcorn and Crocodiles. Watching the children slowly disappear under the parachute was very amusing - both for the adults and children.  It also gave the adults a chance to join in the games with their children - something they all really enjoyed, and hadn't experienced at other parties. 


Soon our two hours was up.  The children all went home with their party bags, and smile on their face, chatting about what they had been up to.  I tidied away my bits and pieces, and was handed a piece of cake!


It was a lovely surprise to receive an email just a few days later from Ellie's parents. (written her  with their permission.)


 "Dear Rachael,
Thank you for organising Ellie's party for us.  Knowing that we were your first official clients was a little daunting for us, but your calm manner when discussing our requirements put us at ease.
We loved the quick and professional way you set up, chatting with us, and making us feel relaxed.  The table activity was great!  We didn't have to worry about tablecloths or children running riot. 
The children loved your games, the way you chatted with them, and we still don't know how you managed to remember so many names! It was nice to be able to sit down and watch them have fun, knowing that you had their full attention and control.  We also liked being able to join in with the parachute games - they are fun, and Ellie thought it was great to have us there too.
The best bit for us was your professional manner - the way you stayed focussed all through the party, until the last child had gone home - even helping us serve the party tea.
I would have no hesitation in recommending you to my friends.  Your are amazing value for money, and Ellie has already said she wants you again next year. 
Thank you again for providing a hassle-free party.Alice and John."


If this sounds like a great party for you, why don't you click on the link below to find out more.