Play dates are these wonderful days in which your kids get to play and have fun with other kids their age. And it’s all fun and games…until it is your turn to host the play date. If you find yourself in this situation, and feel a little overwhelmed, don’t be. Here are a few tips to help you run the event successfully…
- A little back yard entertainment – calm down, the children are quite capable of playing their own games. If you want to help them break the ice, you might want to play a few games together with them. But afterwards, you can pretty mush leave them alone. Supply them with a few board games, and they’ll be good to go. If you want to take this a step further, and if you have the space and the budget for it, consider a kids jumping castle hire. This will definitely keep them occupied; especially if you help them make up a few games around it…
- Menus that can be put together in minutes – now that you have the board games and the long-lasting jumping castles to keep them occupied and entertained, move your attention to the food. At an occasion like this, the children are hardly going to focus on the food, so don’t worry too much about the presentation. If you want to make life easier for yourself, ask a few moms who are joining in to bring an item of food…so you host the party potluck style. If you decide to make the food yourself, don’t forget to ask the moms if any of their children are allergic to anything before you make your menu.
- Hydration is key! – what with all the talking the adults are going to do, and all the running and jumping and bouncing and screaming the kids are going to do, without a doubt you will need plenty of water…so be prepared for it. Opt for one time use paper cups to cut down on the washing.
- Be prepared for a lot of bathroom breaks – as this is a gathering of a large group of kids, and you will be serving a lot of water and juices to keep them hydrated, you should be prepared for plenty of bathroom breaks. Even if you do nothing but a cursory cleanup of the rest of the house, make sure to clean the toilets up very well…
- Relax…it’s a happy occasion – let’s be very real. This get together is mainly for the kids to have fun and socialize…and to give the moms a chance to kick back and relax. This being said, anything you plan should work really well; so don’t over stress yourself. Put on a little music, take up your own glass of iced tea, and enjoy the moment…!