BIRTHDAY PARTY TOP tips

• Tie-dye parties for 8-11 year olds

  

  Girls and boys of this age group love the chance to get their hands dirty and be creative. A tie-dye party ticks all the boxes. Tie-dyeing t-shirts makes both an enjoyable party activity and a great individual gift for everyone to take home.

  • 1

    Sleep on it

    As it can take some time for the dye to take and the t-shirts to be finished, it's also an excellent activity for a sleepover. You can soak or dry your t-shirts overnight and finish them off in the morning ready for guests to wear home.

  • 2

    Come prepared

    When you send out your invitations, let your guests know that you'll be tie-dying and recommend they wear or bring old clothes that may get splashed with paint. It's a good idea to have some old shirts or aprons on hand for anyone who forgets.

  • 3

    It could get messy

    Tie-dyeing can be quite a messy activity, so if you have an outdoor space, it makes sense to set up your tie-dye station outside. However, if you intend to do it inside, spread out some plastic tablecloths or dustsheets to protect your floors and furniture, together with newspaper and paper towels to absorb any spills.

  • 4

    Hand in glove

    A box of rubber or latex gloves is recommended to keep all those little hands from getting stained with coloured dye. Gloves also guard against the chance of any allergic reactions to the dye, although, if using latex, check that no-one has a latex allergy.

  • 5

    Tie-dye kits

    If you haven't done tie-dye before, there are plenty of kits available to buy that contain everything you need, together with full instructions on how to do it. Some even have videos with tutorials and ideas on patterns and designs. Give yourself a head start on what to do on the day by watching the video in advance of the party. You can also find and download design ideas and plenty of tips and techniques online.

  • 6

    Got the t-shirt

    You'll need a pile of white t-shirts so that everyone has at least one to create their own design. A few extras come in handy in case of mistakes or if parents and siblings wish to join in the fun. If your dye needs several hours to take, you can pop each t-shirt in a plastic bag for kids to take home to be washed and dried. If your guests are staying over, you'll be able to complete the process before they leave.

  • 7

    Tie-dye crazy

    Lots of fun can be had making tie-dye invitations, decorating the house in multi-coloured designs, having other activities like face-painting or spin art, and even covering the cake in crazy tie-dye coloured icing. A groovy playlist of 1960s psychedelic music will get the party going with a swing.

• Lift-off for a space-themed party

  

  Get ready for an out of this world, space-themed party little budding astronauts will love.

  • 1

    Countdown begins

    Cut-out a rocket shape or use pictures of rocket ships, planets, stars and aliens, to invite fellow astronauts to attend the launch party at the space station, including when countdown begins and what time they return to earth.

  • 2

    Lunar landscape

    Build your own rocket ship by decorating a tower of cardboard boxes and cutting out windows and doors. Hang planet, moon and star shapes from the ceiling or string them together to make your own bunting. Multi-coloured paper lanterns also make great planets. Use lots of glow in the dark stars and shapes and spray pebbles with silver paint to make moon rocks. Make some extra-terrestrial friends by putting glow sticks inside green balloons and drawing alien faces on them.

  • 3

    Spacesuits and jet packs

    Prepare your little astronaut for blast off by covering a cycle helmet and pair of boots or trainers in silver tape or foil. White disposable overalls make a fab spacesuit and can be decorated with NASA or UK Space Agency logos. For an astronaut jet pack, tape two empty plastic bottles together, cover them in silver foil and use some red tissue for flames.

  • 4

    Astronaut activities

    Using paper plates stuck together or little Frisbees, get everyone to decorate their own flying saucers. Or create rocket ships out of cardboard tubes. Play some themed games like Pass the moon rock or meteorite, Pin the face on the alien and turn Simon Says into Astronaut Adam or Amy Says, with lots of moon walking activities. Create your own black hole with a large piece of black cardboard, decorated with stars and galaxies. Cut a large hole in the middle and take turns trying to throw flying saucer Frisbees into the black hole. Have a moon rock treasure hunt with lots of silver-painted pebbles hidden around the house and garden.

  • 5

    Space food

    Decorate the table with a black tablecloth and lots of glitter, star confetti and silver foil. Create your own flying saucer pizzas. Cut sandwiches and cookies into star and crescent moon shapes. Turn gingerbread cookies into aliens. Cut out fruit shapes for a cosmic fruit salad and treat the astronaut-in-chief to a fantastic rocket birthday cake.

  • 6

    Space booty

    As the spaceship returns to earth, send each astronaut home with their own jet pack, glow-in-the-dark stars, space stickers, little flying saucer Frisbees, space yo-yos, and glitter or metallic marker pens.

• Absolutely fabulous pamper party for 8-11 year olds

  

  If you'd like to do something a little bit different for their birthday this year, then why not treat them to an absolutely fabulous pamper party?

  • 1

    This pass entitles you …

    Design your invitation to look like a ticket or pass to a beauty salon or health spa. This can include details of the various 'treatments' on offer, the times for which the pass is valid and a request to notify you of any allergies or skin sensitivities.

  • 2

    Prepare your salon

    Create your own beauty salon or spa at home by positioning a few chairs or even a treatment couch in front of a large mirror and framing it with spotlights or fairy lights. You might create a hair station, nail bar, foot spa, etc, with plenty of towels and perhaps protective cover for the floor or furniture. Arrange a pile of magazines or comics for guests to flick through whilst waiting for their 'treatments'. Add a touch of glamour with disco lights or a mirror ball and some sparkle or glitter.

  • 3

    Protective clothing

    Either ask guests to bring a robe to protect their party clothes, or provide disposable gowns and headbands or turbans. You could greet each guest salon-style as they arrive, by taking their coat and supplying them with a protective gown.

  • 4

    Let the pampering begin

    Depending on the age of guests, you can offer a variety of beauty or spa treatments. This might include a foot spa, manicure or pedicure, hand or foot massage, hair styling, and depending on parental approval, a mini makeover or face-painting. Be sure to use hypo-allergenic creams and cosmetics, and if necessary, do a skin test before use.

    It's a great idea to ask other parents or older siblings to lend a hand with the treatments or keeping the guests occupied whilst they wait their turn. You could provide some craft activities, such as making jewellery, drawing or designing outfits or hairstyles. A box of dressing up clothes, wigs, feather boas and tiaras is fun and you can hold a catwalk show or disco once all the pampering is complete.

  • 5

    Cocktails and canapés

    A finger buffet of sandwiches and dips can be passed round on platters whilst the girls wait for their treatments. Accompany the canapés with trays of fruit juice cocktails or champagne flutes filled with bubbling pink lemonade. A chocolate fountain is always a big hit or trays of chocolate covered strawberries or cherries, and a tower of pink-iced cupcakes makes a fabulous centrepiece.

  • 6

    Pamper party bags

    A little cosmetics or wash bag filled with smellies, lip gloss, nail varnish, hair accessories and other treats makes a lovely going home present.