“Mommy, I want a birthday party.” The sound of your kids asking for a party for the first time brings sheer horror with it. Twenty other little ones running wild through your house, breaking everything and getting their sticky hands all over the furniture can send shivers down your spine. The food fights, the food allergies, the possible choking incidents, are all scenarios that put pure fear in us.

The reality for a kid’s party isn’t likely to be quite so traumatic. After all, you have raised a perfectly sensible and well-behaved child. Your little one knows right from wrong. He knows how to behave in public and how to respect other people’s homes. Chances are, other parents have been just as successful as you, so give them the benefit of the doubt. Your child will be able to pick her friends. She is undoubtedly as good a judge of character as you are, so will pick all the best kids to come.

As a mother, you are very good at calming situations down, and organizing your kids well enough to get them to places on time and eat right. Use these skills at your party. You know very well it all starts with planning, so grab some paper and a pen, and get scribbling!

A kid’s party needs to look like a kid’s party, so start with streamers and balloons from places like www.balloonsgalore.co.uk or your local party store. You can grab some customized balloons for your child, or buy one for every kid attending as a party gift. You will also need to buy party bags with little gifts as a thank you for each child. They usually contain pots of bubbles and a slice of birthday cake, plus one or two other little cracker-type toys.

Buy some cheap plastic or vinyl table cloths to cover your tables. This will prevent damage from spills and make cleaning up after food so much easier. They can be themed if you are happy to spend a little more money. You will also want to use paper plates. Pick recycled and recyclable plates and cups to reduce the impact on the environment. If you have a good stash of plastic plates and cups, these are even better.

You will also want recycled paper table napkins in abundance. These are great for emergency mop-ups, wiping sticky fingers and wrapping up pieces of cake for the guests to take home. Again, these can be themed or have pictures of favorite kids characters.

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Think healthy for food. Fewer sweets and more fresh options are best, but it is a party, and kids are there to have a treat and fun. Home baked pizza, vegetarian samosas and veggie cocktail sausages, often go down a treat. Provide healthy smoothie, milk, or whole fruit juice drinks rather than squash or pop. If you are providing the entertainment yourself, popular games to play include Statues, Pass the Parcel, and Sleeping Lions. You can also try a treasure hunt game if you are ok with the kids rooting around the house or garden.