Making the Most of the Holidays with All-Ages Private Party Venues
The holidays are quickly approaching, and with them, shopping, running around, and taking much-needed vacation time while preparing for the new year. The holidays are a time that many enjoy spending with friends and family. Planning and throwing a kid-friendly party is the perfect way to spend time with everyone together, without spreading yourself too thin.
Plus, it’s not always easy for parents to get free time to attend holiday parties. Thus, planning your own child-friendly holiday party makes things easier for you and the other parents in your circle as well.
Why Christmas Party Planning is Different
The biggest challenge with planning a Christmas party? Time!
As the year winds down, people are planning vacations or travel to spend Christmas with family and friends. In between the planning and travel, they’ve got to find time to shop for gifts, bake, make it to Christmas pageants, and (at some point) sleep. Simply put, it’s a challenge to find time for things, including Christmas parties.
Your Christmas party might just be one of several outings they’ve been invited to, and it’s tough to maintain a schedule as December 25 draws nearer and nearer. As wonderful as the season is, it’s not without its stresses, and hosting a Christmas party simply compounds those challenges.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it! These holiday parties are a great opportunity to catch up with friends after a busy few months and enjoy some quality time together. They’re a great way to wrap up the year and close out those last few working days of the year.
These challenges and stresses make it incredibly important to plan ahead.
Planning for a Child-Friendly Holiday Party
The key to the perfect child-friendly holiday party is balance. You need to strike the right balance between fun for the adults and fun for their children. While food and drink will be available, the main focus is just getting out of the rhythm and routine of the season.
The biggest step you can take for your success is to plan ahead. There are a few key factors you should keep in mind when planning:
- Settle on a theme as quickly as possible, ideally one that’s not too complex. Your theme will inform your décor; when in doubt, keep it classic to appeal to children and their parents alike.
- Provide a wide variety of food and drink options. Make sure you’ve got some adult libations for the grownups who are partaking but keep plenty of non-alcoholic options for everyone to enjoy. You’re going to need some kid-friendly food, too, and be ready for adventurous eaters wanting to try any canapes or hors-d’oeuvres you offer!
- You should also consider having kids-only food and drink options; not only does this mean you won’t run out of kid-friendly favourites, but it adds a bit of fun, too, giving little ones the opportunity to say, “No, this is for kids, adults aren’t allowed.”
- Don’t skimp when it comes to the adult fun but be sure to maximize the enjoyment that the kids have while at the party. Think of activities that can be enjoyed by the children and adults together, like laser tag, which is a fantastic game for all ages. A dedicated play space for kids is a must!
- Be all-inclusive for everyone’s enjoyment, comfort, and well-being. Think ahead by finding out if there are any differently-abled children, children with special needs, or allergies so that you can accommodate them as needed.
- Consider safety measures that need to be taken for the children in attendance. For smaller children, this means safety gates at staircases.
Get your kids involved in the planning to help relieve some of the pressure, and to get their input and ideas and make them feel like they’re a special part of the festivities.
Outsourcing your Kid-Friendly Holiday Party
Why would you consider outsourcing your party and letting someone else do the work? There are several reasons:
- Parties take up a lot of space. You want the room to host different areas with games and other activities for all to participate in. You will also need an area exclusively for the food and drinks. Consider that kids will want to play while the adults will likely just want to catch up with friends, and organize accordingly.
- There are going to be spills! Be prepared and be aware that you might get some damage to your home if that’s the location you’re hosting at. Kids run around and don’t have the coordination of adults. These things happen, but they’re still not fun to deal with.
- Depending on the number of guests, the clean up afterward can be time-consuming and intense. It can be difficult to limit and monitor where guests can eat or drink. You could find stains weeks after hosting a holiday party at your home.
For these reasons, (and others you probably came up with while taking a mental inventory of your breakable items) you may want to think about renting a local party or event space in Ottawa. Renting a party venue for your party removes the worry about the clean-up, keeping the kids safe while the party is happening and even planning the menu.
Look for local venues that can accommodate a child-friendly holiday party. For example, here at Kids Kingdom, we offer inclusive party spaces where all are welcome.
Throwing a Holiday Party at A Private Venue
Because of the stresses of the season, and the inherent challenges in hosting a party, why not outsource it all? Pick a private venue and throw your holiday party there!
A private venue, like the party rooms here at Kids Kingdom, offers:
- Assistance for planning and decorating
- Catering, though it may include an additional cost
- Dedicated staff for cleanup
- Plenty of space for everyone to enjoy
- Dedicated kids’ play spaces
- Plenty of opportunity for fun
Hosting at a location like Kids Kingdom means you get access to some comfortable party rooms for everyone to enjoy, in addition to dedicated play spaces for the kids. In fact, one of our locations also offers LASERFORCE laser tag games, perfect for all ages!
All this helps remove some of the stress and guesswork, letting you focus on the fun. You can even get the kids involved!
If you’re ready to de-stress for the holidays, contact a party planning expert today. They will address any questions and concerns you have and help get you started on making your holiday party come to fruition.