As the weather warms up, kids parties start to move outdoors, with more space for the kids to run around and for all the space required for food, presents and entertainment! In this month’s blog we explore 8 things to consider when planning an outdoor kids party in Summer. From the obvious weather considerations to the less obvious decoration and equipment considerations we cover it here!
1. Weather
One big positive of having a summer baby is that holding a party outdoors in your backyard, a friend or family member’s backyard or a local park is much less risky for rain!
However, whilst there is less risk of being rained out or it being too cold, the flip side with a Perth Summer is that it can also be too hot! Make sure you have a good back up plan for keeping the kids cool or moving the party to an alternate cooler indoors location.
The Little Monkeys Party Hire team know this all too well with our Little Monkey’s 1st Birthday party having to be moved to a nearby community hall just a few days before the party when it was forecast to be 42 degrees on the party day!
2. Timing
Following on from the above, with the hotter weather you may want to avoid those really hot peaks in the middle of the day and hold the party either earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon.
Kids are fantastic at letting you know when they aren’t happy and if they get too hot, they won’t want to hang around or you may find that some people skip the party altogether!
Of course, you also need to balance the party time around your child’s nap times and when they will be most awake and happy. Oh the never ending juggling act that is parenthood!
3. Sun protection
Most kids parties go for around 1 -2 hours and this is more than enough time for some serious sunburn! Therefore, sun protection is an important consideration, when planning an outdoor summer party, especially for our kids and their delicate skin.
Local parks with lots of trees and shaded picnic tables and even shaded play areas provide a great source of sun protection. Before, you send out your invites do some research about what your location offers in terms of shade.
Another option is to put up a temporary gazebo. Little Monkeys Party Hire have a gazebo for hire with two separate walls which can be removed and attached to any side wall as the sun moves which provides a great source of relief from the heat and UV of the sun.
Of course, its very unlikely that the kids will stay put under a gazebo for 1-2 hours so you may want to bring along some sun cream for everyone to use and remind people to bring hats and sun protective clothing.
4. Food
In the hotter weather, fresh light foods are generally preferred. Fresh cut up fruit and vegetable sticks, fairy bread, sandwiches and of course a sausage sizzle are all favourites. Keeping hydrated is also important and so it’s good to have lots of water, juice or soft drink at hand.
However, be mindful that food doesn’t tend to last as well in the heat and some foods may even melt – birthday cakes and icing can be a good example of this. Drinks can also quickly heat up in the sun. Consider bringing ice buckets or eskies to keep any food and drinks cool and think about
5. Pests
As the weather heats up you can almost guarantee that when holding a kids party outdoors, where there is food, there will be flies and ants. Protect your food by keeping it covered with glad wrap, tea towels or mesh food covers to keep the bugs away when not being eaten.
If you are holding your party near water or later in the afternoon, you may also want to consider mosquitoes. Be sure to bring some mosquito repellent to protect your kids from those itchy bites.
6. Entertainment
Outdoor parties can offer much more space which is great when you have a bunch of kids gathered together who need to expand some energy! However, you still need to organise something for them to do.
Parties can be held at a local park where there is already play equipment provided or in your own backyard or a larger backyard of a family member or friend and you can hire play equipment (Little Monkeys Party Hire have a range of different play equipment and outdoor games for hire).
Other entertainment options include party games, paddling pools or water play toys or hired entertainers such as magicians , your child’s favourite characters or face painters.
7. Decorations
Outdoor parties can provide a little more of a challenge when trying to organise decorations.
There may not be as many available options for hanging decorations and the wind can cause issues for those decorations you do manage to hang – beach side parks typically have a lot of issues with this. When planning your decorations consider the hanging options and the wind that may or may not be present at your location.
Also remember that with outdoor locations, especially in local parks, all rubbish needs to be collected and removed after the party and so some decorations, such as confetti, may not be the best idea.
8. Party Equipment
When planning your outdoor party, think about what your chosen location provides in terms of party equipment and what you may need to provide. Some examples include:
Will there be seating or will you need to bring picnic rugs or hire kids table and chairs?
Are there plenty of rubbish bins available or should you bring some rubbish bags?
As above, is their shade provided or should you bring a portable gazebo?
Does the entertainment you are providing (such as bouncy castles or bubble machines) need power and is this available at your location?
Remember if you need to hire any kids party equipment such as tables and chairs, gazebos or bubble machines or some kids toys or play equipment, get in touch today to discuss availability!
There you have it, 8 things to consider when planning your next kids party outdoors this Summer. Is there something we have missed or something you always ensure you have at your outdoor kids parties? Let us know in the comments section.
Thanks for reading.
Love the Little Monkeys Party Hire team! xxx