How to arrange a children's table

Children's holiday is a special event for every family. And for a child this is an opportunity not only to receive a gift, but also to feel the love and care of loved ones. How to make this day memorable for a long time?

Main criteria

There are several aspects that should be discussed in advance.

Budget

First of all, decide on a budget: how much are you willing to spend on an event. If there is no such limit, then, in the end, you will lose much more money than you bargained for.

Then, break down the amount by category, and clearly mark how much you will spend on food, music, souvenirs, contests, and other items of expenditure. If your child is old enough, plan a budget with him - it will be a good preparation for him for an adult independent life.

Choosing a theme

Today, costume evenings in the style of Marvel superheroes or Disney cartoon characters are very popular. It turns out very bright and spectacular. But try to look at such an event, throwing away your emotions.

The costs are serious. Just imagine how much money you have to spend on themed plates and glasses, tablecloths and napkins. Balloons with the right images are a separate expense item.

But all these amounts are incomparable with the cost of costumes, jewelry and themed sweets. Therefore, before you light up one of the newfangled ideas, calculate the costs.

Remember that the most important thing at any children's party is a warm atmosphere, the opportunity to chat with friends, and participate in interesting contests. And the design is, of course, a very interesting thing, but secondary. If there is no way to pay for the superhero party, skip this topic.

Is it possible without a treat?

At first glance, this seems strange. But it's actually worth considering a party that won't serve the treat. Or, as a last resort, limit yourself to cake and tea. It is the festive table that "eats up" the lion's share of the budget intended for the event. This part is especially noticeable when not only children are having fun, but also their parents.

Little secret: so that the lack of refreshments is not very noticeable, arrange an event in the afternoon.

Where to spend?

Another question that will either save you money, or, conversely, make you fork out. If you gather guests for a celebration outside the home, it will always cost more. Of course, a visit to a cafe will save you from having to stand at the stove before the holiday, and fiddle with the dishwasher after it, but it will cost much more.

If your child insists on going to a cafe, ask what exactly attracts him. More often than not, it is about a festive atmosphere and a beautifully decorated room.If you firmly decided that the celebration will take place at home, do not give your child an ultimatum, such as: "Or at home, or anywhere else!"

Moreover, offer to come up with the design of the room with your child, do it the way the hero of the occasion wants, and not the way it is convenient or practical. Moreover, today there is a sufficient selection of all kinds of garlands, balloons with logos and pictures, bright caps and whistles. Of course, all this costs money, but in any case it will cost less than a group visit to a cafe or an amusement park.

Save on packaging

They are greeted by their clothes ... This old wisdom is also true for gift wrapping. The first thing that catches your eye is bright brown paper, irregularly shaped boxes and the like.

Creative design in specialized salons is not a cheap pleasure. Of course, as a result you will get a super package, but what if there is no money for this in the budget ?!

Feel free to experiment. Holidays and gifts are the very area in which one should not be afraid to be different from everyone else. What if you wrap the box in comic pages? Or is it unusual to pack with a T-shirt? Finally, bubble wrap, which is used when shipping fragile goods, will look good as a packaging material, ensuring their safety.

How many people to invite

Believe me, the quality of the holiday does not in any way depend on the number of guests. In the company of 50 people you can feel lonely and useless, or you can spend an evening with three or five friends that will be remembered for a long time.

Moreover, if the family has a warm and sincere atmosphere, the best event will be an evening with the family. So, in solving this issue, a lot depends personally on you and your household.

Let's play naughty!

Of course, here we will talk about pranks only in a positive way. Sitting at the table or "catch-up" will not surprise modern children, but if you come up with interesting contests and entertaining moments, then your child and his friends will be delighted. Here are some ideas to take on board:

• PHOTOSESSION. You need to create an unusual photo zone. This requires a cardboard box (large enough, for example, from under the TV). Alternatively, you can use a wooden picture frame. Build a photo booth from the above materials, decorate the walls with bright canvases, hats and balls, all kinds of scarves, wigs and fake mustaches are also suitable. In general, any fun item that is in your home can be used. After the photo booth is ready, invite each of the guests (alone, in pairs and in a group) to take a photo, and arrange a competition for the funniest photo.

  

• Play area with plastic balls. These balls are sold in any store and cost mere pennies. For the competition, you will need a large box or a kiddie pool. Ideally, 2-3 children should be placed in such a "container". Fill the pool with balls, and throw in a few small toys or notes with wishes.

  

• Dance party. You've probably noticed how children love to dance. They don't think about how well they move, but simply enjoy the process. Well, when this is done in a company, there is simply no limit to joy. You will need to think in advance what kind of music to include. And it is advisable to do this not directly through a phone or laptop, but at least through Bluetooth speakers. If you want to diversify the dances, offer the children this option: you suddenly turn off the music, and they freeze in the position in which they were at the moment.

  

• Chef's Day. Of course, in this case, you need to prepare a suitable place so as not to worry too much about damaged carpets and furniture. Well, if there are many children, then there should be enough adults. With such an event, one adult is clearly not enough. The simplest option is shortbread dough: it is easy to knead, it is easy to work with it, you can make interesting figures, and the result is very tasty. Alternatively: invite the young pastry chefs to write wishes for their friends on paper and put small notes in the cookies.

  

• Knights without fear or reproach. From cardboard boxes you can build a kind of castle and knightly armor. Instead of cardboard boxes for building "castles", you can use pillows and blankets, as well as rollers, blankets and much more. Let the children make not only castles from these building materials, but also huts or labyrinths, and then arrange grabs for those standing in the neighborhood, throwing soft toys at each other.

  

• Fights with water pistols. If you are planning a holiday in the summer and you have a country house with a lawn at your disposal, this is the best solution for the event. All you need is to buy a dozen pistols.

  

• Checkbook of joy. This item is more related to the gift option. Almost free of charge, you will make your baby almost the most expensive present. Bright pages (you can take pictures from magazines) with signatures are pasted into a regular album or notebook. Each page should describe one of the actions that bring joy to your child, something that he often asks of you. Possible options: play an hour on the phone; watch cartoons for another half hour; take a walk with dad in the park; eat another candy; go to the store together and choose a small gift and the like.

  

• Mother father me. Perhaps the best pastime on your child's special day is a family outing. Agree, modern life runs at a frantic pace, it is not always possible to give your child time, talk or play. So why not make such a gift to the whole family and go to the park, ice cream parlor, boat trip or somewhere else. The child will not forget such a holiday.

  

How to arrange a table

There are many ideas for a children's table, its design and filling. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide which is better, or what you can afford.

Here are just a few guidelines:

• Kids do not like to sit in one place for a long time, and even a festive table is no exception. Therefore, the most optimal format of the treat is a buffet table with fresh fruits, sandwiches and sweets.The table should be freely available so that every kid can come up and take what he likes.
• Choose the right menu. For a child, meat with a side dish or a cutlet with potatoes is a daily dish, because any mother cooks something like that for lunch or dinner. But canapes, tartlets or fruits, cut in an unusual way, will surely attract their attention and encourage them to eat.
• Fatty, smoked, salty and fried - this is the lot of the festive table for adults. There is no place for such delights on the children's table.
• Do not buy semi-finished products, give preference to natural products.
• The children's festive table should be decorated accordingly: a bright tablecloth, colored cups and plates, napkins with cartoon pets. If your party is themed, then the table design should correspond to the general direction.
• Do not try to surprise with something exceptional, children do not understand and do not like exotic things. Prepare something familiar, but decorate it in a special way. Even sandwiches with some kind of muzzles will impress more than, for example, rolls.
• When deciding on the menu, check if any of the invitees suffers from allergies. Check your meals with the parents of your child's guests. Try to make the menu as tasty and as neutral as possible so that everyone can taste your culinary delights.
• Create some kind of interactive area and invite the children to make their own mini-sandwiches or canapes. Rest assured, homemade meals will be consumed with even greater appetite.

Children's holiday is a responsible event. And the key to the success of any business is thorough preparation. Do not put it off "for later", do not think that a week before the appointed date, you will be in time. Better to have time than not enough. Don't forget, the most important thing for a toddler (or teenager) is your attention, not the cost of the gift or the culinary delights on the table.

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