Young children, as well as adults, love any reason to get dressed up. What better way to further explore this fun than to throw a costume party! Costume parties are a universal celebration and can be thrown any time of year. Whether you book a venue or plan to host it in your backyard, costume parties are stand-alone events that allow for its party goers to use their imaginations and get into character. Check out this planning guide that parents can easily follow to plan the ultimate costume party.
Decide on a theme
Choosing a theme for a costume party can be a bit daunting at first because there are so many options to choose from. Collaborate with your child to see what idea peeks there interest the most. Come to the table with a few trending themes to get their imagination ignited. If your child cannot decide on a theme, no big deal! Allow them to pick out a costume for themselves and for the family that will set the tone for the parties decor and vibe for a theme of its own.
Guest List & Invitations
Depending on the age of the child, it may be up to you to compile together a list of children to attend the party. If you are putting together the guest list, simplify this process by inviting your child’s entire class. This is the most traditional way and will also allow you to send the children's invitations along with them to school to pass out to their classmates. If your child has reached the age where they know which friends they would like to invite, give them a specific invite number and allow them to compile the list themselves. Leave instructions in the invites for parents to rsvp online for their convenience.
Entertainment
Parents can easily overdo it when it comes to booking entertainment. Keep your child's’ age in mind when choosing the vendors and live entertainment for the costume party. Packing too many activities into one day can lead to over-stimulated children, leaving them not knowing what to focus on. Plan one or two activities for the children to partake in during the party and book one or two vendors to occupy their time for the duration of the event.
To save on live entertainment, ask a few adults to dress up as your child's favourite character. This will be great for photo opportunities and excitement!
To further set the mood, use thematic songs to play in the background as your guests live out their fantasies during this function.
Food
There are so many options that parents can choose from when it comes to making or ordering food for a costume party. Our word of advice is, keep it simple but have fun with it. Before deciding on a food menu for the party, it is vital that you make yourself aware of any dietary restrictions or allergies that any of your guests may have. It may be a good idea to include instructions in your invitations asking parents to make a note of these restrictions when they rsvp. Finger foods and punch stretch a long way. To further entice your young guests, tie in the theme to a few food items that you have on the menu. Let your creativity and cleverness take over.
If you’re not looking to spend a lot of money on food, avoid booking an expensive catering service and rally together your friends and family to help cook for the party.
Quick tip: Make sure the food is easily accessible to children.
Party Favours
Party favours are a must have for any child's party. Pack your party favour bags with things the child can use. For example, if the costume party is Harry Potter themed, place a Harry Potter book or colouring book along with markers inside of the bag with a few lollies. It is always a good idea to provide the children with items that can learn from and enjoy. Purchase things in packs to keep the costs low.
Make time for yourself
This is key! To achieve some much needed “me time” before the festivities begin, ask for some volunteers to help you with the process of setting up and breaking down the party. Since you as a parent or guardian will be the host, take your time putting on your costume and accessories. After all, you want to outdo all of the other parents in the room.
Be flexible
It is a children's costume party after all. Keep in mind that not everything will go according to plan and that is ok. If it seems like your guests are engaged in one activity over another, break the schedule and allow them to do what makes them happy.
If you’re not looking to spend a lot of money on food, avoid booking an expensive catering service and rally together your friends and family to help cook for the party.
Quick tip: Make sure the food is easily accessible to children.
Party Favours
Party favours are a must have for any child's party. Pack your party favour bags with things the child can use. For example, if the costume party is Harry Potter themed, place a Harry Potter book or colouring book along with markers inside of the bag with a few lollies. It is always a good idea to provide the children with items that can learn from and enjoy. Purchase things in packs to keep the costs low.
Make time for yourself
This is key! To achieve some much needed “me time” before the festivities begin, ask for some volunteers to help you with the process of setting up and breaking down the party. Since you as a parent or guardian will be the host, take your time putting on your costume and accessories. After all, you want to outdo all of the other parents in the room.
Be flexible
It is a children's costume party after all. Keep in mind that not everything will go according to plan and that is ok. If it seems like your guests are engaged in one activity over another, break the schedule and allow them to do what makes them happy.