Planning a party can be, with a little bit of forethought, as much fun as the party itself. The art of creating a successful party is all in the planning.

At Charlie Crow we have been collecting together lots of ideas, for party fun. Just follow the simple guidelines below and you will be on the way to a successful party.

Depending on how ambitious your party theme is you should start to plan 4/6 weeks in advance.

How far in advance to book a venue will depend upon the time of year, for example, at Christmas time, you may have to book a venue months in advance. Make sure on the day of the party that the venue either at home or elsewhere is child proof.

Creating a theme is probably one of the most important aspects of party planning, once you have your theme the whole concept will start to come together.

It’s always a good idea to enlist other mum’s to help on the day, close friends and relatives always come in handy, ask them to arrive half an hour before everyone else.

Make sure to invite a special friend of siblings so that they are not left out.

Try and make it so that the invitations give everyone a clue as to the theme of the party it will add to the anticipation. Charlie Crow has a range of party invitations and party ware to create the theme of the party instantly.

Try and think about the theme and make the invitations appropriate for example, if the theme is wild animals you could photocopy pictures of wild animals onto card and make these the invitations.

Remember on the invitations to say what the party is celebrating, who it is for, who is being invited what the theme is and where and at what time it is to be held.

Ask guests to RSVP, 2/3 days before the party check with those who haven’t responded to find out if they are coming or not, so that you can have an exact guest list.

Creating a theme is probably one of the most important aspects of party planning, once you have your theme the whole concept will start to come together.

It’s always a good idea to order party ware and decorations as soon as you have decided upon the theme. Charlie crow has a range of fun party ware from dinosaurs to pirates, they might also help you to choose your Party theme

Most parties will last for about 2 hours; everyone begins to get tired if the party lasts much longer than this. You will need to think of activities to keep the first arrivals busy, it also helps to make the shy ones feel at home, perhaps some colouring, or puzzle game. Once everyone has arrived, they need to be gathered together of the first game.

Always consider the age of the children when planning games and activities and try and plan more games than you need in case they go a little quicker than you expected them to. It’s a good idea to write out a schedule of the games, activities in case you forget any.

If you are preparing the food and drinks yourself, find recipes and make a list of all ingredients. Finger food and snacks are always a good idea to start the party with; if possible you can try and make the food match the party theme.

If you are having the party food made by someone else, make sure it is ordered in advance especially the birthday cake and check a week before just to make sure your order hasn’t been overlooked.

Don't forget to record the event! Make sure you have film for the camera and video (and batteries!) Disposable camera’s can be fun to give to guests to take the shots that you miss. Don’t forget birthday candles and matches if its a Birthday party!

Remember to stay sane. Children always get excited at parties and there is bound to be a few little mishaps, stay calm, enjoy yourself, and keep a sense of humour. It could be a good idea to take a small first aid kit, plasters, etc. The most important thing to remember is that you are celebrating the birthday of someone very precious. So enjoy yourself.

Don’t forget to send us your themes, recipes and party ideas so that we can keep adding and sharing our ideas. Send e-mail to info@charliecrow.co.uk