You've got it planned perfectly, the food is a gourmet delight, the house is spotless, the candles are lit and the good china and crystal are out: Then the doorbell rings and you see your guests have brought their children. You've got kids at your party and everything has changed.
The party you've so carefully planned doesn't have to be scrapped by the presence of a couple of visiting munchkins. You're prepared for kids and you graciously invite them in and the evening continues on seamlessly.
Party Etiquette
Miss Manners, Emily Post, Dear Abby and virtually every etiquette expert agree that unless an invitations specifically includes your children, you should leave them at home when attending a function in someone else’s house.
But we all know that things happen - sitters cancel, parents are overprotective and kids beg to come along. Being prepared for children at your party is just smart, because chances are it’s going to happen to you once in a while. Have a backup plan on deck just in case kids show up at your party.
Separate or Equal?
Should you whisk the kids away to a room, close the door throw a bag of chips in there every few hours? Or should you let them run and skip through the adults’ gathering squirting juice boxes and interrupting conversations?
There’s a middle ground somewhere in between, where your guests children will feel like part of the party but don’t necessarily have to take center stage.
Have a place for the kids to gather, an out-of-the-way rec room, a bedroom with a TV, or a playroom. Set up some games and puzzles, and put out some DVDs for them to watch. Most kids won’t need any more prompting than that to stay put and have fun.
Kids Activities
If there are quite a few kids at your party, and your guests are all parents, feel free to bring the kids in to have dessert with you or mix and mingle a little bit. If things get out of hand, have some activities ready to lure them back to a kids’ gathering.
Party poppers – also known as Christmas crackers and English crackers - are fun little toys. Traditionally a Christmas, Boxing Day or New Year item, kids love them year ‘round. Poppers are small tubes decorated in pretty paper that are filled with streamers and a small prize that comes popping out when strings from both ends are pulled by two children. Have more than one per child on hand. Kids love that popping sound and one won’t be enough.
Have some easy craft supplies set out and let the kids go to town. Offer projects that don’t include any glue, scissors, or anything messy or dangerous, and that don’t require adult supervision.
Making Friends has pages of ideas for no-mess crafts that require no scissors and no glue.
Party Food for Kids
Chances are the kids at your party won’t like the rumaki, onion tart and goat cheese flan you had planned for your guests. Have some simple snacks and finger foods ready for the kids.
Pop some frozen chicken fingers in the oven and let them dip them in ranch dressing or honey mustard. Open up a can of fruit cocktail. Heat up some soft pretzels in the microwave. Try some of these quick and easy recipes kids will love.
Peanut Butter Banana Rollups
Ants on a Log
Wash and cut celery stalks into 3-4” long “logs.” Fill the recess with peanut butter and place a few raisins on top.
Rice Cakes and Cheese
Make faces on mini rice cakes with Kraft Easy Cheese, the cheddar cheese that squirts from a can. Better yet, let the kids make their own.
Fun Franks
For more on entertaining kids:
Disney Family has loads of ways to entertain kids with little or no equipment. Who knows kids better than Mickey?
Abner Wimpley's What to Do With the Kids has crafts, games and other parent resources to deal with time on your hands and kids in your house.
Kids First Media has a list of the top DVDs for kids.
The party you've so carefully planned doesn't have to be scrapped by the presence of a couple of visiting munchkins. You're prepared for kids and you graciously invite them in and the evening continues on seamlessly.
Party Etiquette
Miss Manners, Emily Post, Dear Abby and virtually every etiquette expert agree that unless an invitations specifically includes your children, you should leave them at home when attending a function in someone else’s house.
But we all know that things happen - sitters cancel, parents are overprotective and kids beg to come along. Being prepared for children at your party is just smart, because chances are it’s going to happen to you once in a while. Have a backup plan on deck just in case kids show up at your party.
Separate or Equal?
Should you whisk the kids away to a room, close the door throw a bag of chips in there every few hours? Or should you let them run and skip through the adults’ gathering squirting juice boxes and interrupting conversations?
There’s a middle ground somewhere in between, where your guests children will feel like part of the party but don’t necessarily have to take center stage.
Have a place for the kids to gather, an out-of-the-way rec room, a bedroom with a TV, or a playroom. Set up some games and puzzles, and put out some DVDs for them to watch. Most kids won’t need any more prompting than that to stay put and have fun.
Kids Activities
If there are quite a few kids at your party, and your guests are all parents, feel free to bring the kids in to have dessert with you or mix and mingle a little bit. If things get out of hand, have some activities ready to lure them back to a kids’ gathering.
Party poppers – also known as Christmas crackers and English crackers - are fun little toys. Traditionally a Christmas, Boxing Day or New Year item, kids love them year ‘round. Poppers are small tubes decorated in pretty paper that are filled with streamers and a small prize that comes popping out when strings from both ends are pulled by two children. Have more than one per child on hand. Kids love that popping sound and one won’t be enough.
Have some easy craft supplies set out and let the kids go to town. Offer projects that don’t include any glue, scissors, or anything messy or dangerous, and that don’t require adult supervision.
Making Friends has pages of ideas for no-mess crafts that require no scissors and no glue.
Party Food for Kids
Chances are the kids at your party won’t like the rumaki, onion tart and goat cheese flan you had planned for your guests. Have some simple snacks and finger foods ready for the kids.
Pop some frozen chicken fingers in the oven and let them dip them in ranch dressing or honey mustard. Open up a can of fruit cocktail. Heat up some soft pretzels in the microwave. Try some of these quick and easy recipes kids will love.
Peanut Butter Banana Rollups
- Flour tortillas
- Bananas
- Peanut Butter
Ants on a Log
Wash and cut celery stalks into 3-4” long “logs.” Fill the recess with peanut butter and place a few raisins on top.
Rice Cakes and Cheese
Make faces on mini rice cakes with Kraft Easy Cheese, the cheddar cheese that squirts from a can. Better yet, let the kids make their own.
Fun Franks
- 2 16-ounce packages of cocktail franks
- 1 160ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
- 1 bottle chili sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
For more on entertaining kids:
Disney Family has loads of ways to entertain kids with little or no equipment. Who knows kids better than Mickey?
Abner Wimpley's What to Do With the Kids has crafts, games and other parent resources to deal with time on your hands and kids in your house.
Kids First Media has a list of the top DVDs for kids.
