Many people will come straight to this post as their first port of call. Danger danger warning warning!!! Don’t worry!! From years of experience I can share some of the major do’s and don’t of party planning so that you can avoid those horror stories…

Like with anything these days ‘Health & Safety’ is key. A few simple things will ensure an accident free zone.

First of all the obvious:

TOP CHILDRENS PARTY SAFETY TIPS

1. Mop up any spillages straight away

2. Place any presents or loose items on a table off the floor to prevent tripping hazards (an also damage)

3. Move any burst balloons from the floor as they can become a choking hazard to any curious tiny tots

4. Make sure you are aware of any allergies or dietary requirements when feeding the little ones

5.Make sure all the doors and windows are secured to prevent escapees.

6. Make sure you know the exact number of children present to ensure that you haven’t had point 5 occur

7. Make sure you get all parents to give you their contact no if they are not staying at the party (See my post on party invites that covers this here or download my guest list sheet here )

8. Announce the party finishing time to any parents who are leaving their children

9. Have a first aid kit handy for any minor bumps

10. Don’t let any children enter the kitchen area

11. Keep children at a distance when lighting birthday candles

12. Keep children off any stage area

So that is the general list of things to keep in mind. Don’t worry it may seem a lot but most of it is common sense anyway. I just wanted to list it all for completeness.

Here are a few other things that are worth thinking about.

If you are thinking of running some party games yourself then always have a few extra helping hands to ensure safety.

PINATA

A popular party attraction is pinata. These are available from most party stores and large supermarkets. They are a great action packed game but PLEASE PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!

I have seen so many accidents with these and it really does take some control to ensure safety.

If you are not aware of what the game is… basically it is a paper/card animal that is filled with sweets or novelties. It is strung up from the ceiling and a child is given a wooden stick (and sometimes a blindfold) and has to hit the pinata in an attempt to burst it to reveal the sweets as they fall to the ground.

This creates a precarious situation where a child has a weapon and the other children are surrounding them wanting to grab anything that falls to the ground. If the children are not kept at a distance then this weapon can be very dangerous. I have personally seen a blindfolded child hit an eager spectator in the face with the wooden stick and then all hell break loose with parents. So if you really want to use one of these please take note of the following advice.

1. Make sure you have enough room!!

2. Have more than one adult to ensure the children are kept at a safe distance.

3. Control each turn and guide the child (if they are blind folded) to only have a set number of swings.

4. Announce that if anything falls out of the pinata that nobody rushes for it until it is safe.

5 Make sure that whatever you tie the pinata to is secure. (You don’t want the ceiling to come in half way through!!)

6. If in doubt STOP!!!