DO

• Find the time to organise the party yourself. Get help from family or friends if you need it, because a child's party is at least a two person job. Parents know that it takes time to organise a child's party, which has lead to the trend for hired party organisers. But such events lack the personal touch and cost a fortune. A good kid's party should not cost a lot: it's your love and imagination that will win the day with your child, not your money.
• Let your child in on the planning. Learning to plan is all part of growing up, and who better than your child to tell you what children like.
• Think twice before running an activity party such as rock climbing at the local gym/sports facility. The cost can be very high per head, and you'll often find kids who are not interested in the activity. Then what do you do with them for the next hour?
• Have a theme and stick to it from the invitations, to the children's dress, the decorations, through the fun and games and into jelly and ice cream. You need to create a unified experience, whether it is super heroes, outer space, dinosaurs or cartoon characters. A themed party will definitely streamline your planning and it will give you ideas for activities, whereas running an unconnected series of games is to invite chaos. Being a parent is hard enough.
• Consider your child's interests when picking your theme. Horses, rockets, cartoons, football