BUBBLE PARTIES:Grown-ups may have gone a bit quiet in the recession, but children's parties have just got that bit more imaginative. ALANNA GALLAGHERbalances entertainment with the new economics
BIRTHDAY PARTIES REQUIRE the precision planning of a military manoeuvre. Anyone who tells you they just threw their child's party together is telling fibs. With money a tad tight, parents are looking for fresh ideas that offer value for money as well as creating warm and fuzzy memories. They have to be able to tap into their child's cultural zeitgeist – be it Ben 10, Scooby Dooor Toy Story 3– but also smart enough not to be completely brainwashed by marketing's pester power ploys.
Parties are now often themed, and the latest rage is to inject a party with a few science experiments. X Factortheme parties, with guests expected to come armed and ready to perform a party piece, are also popular.
Five-year-old Leo O’Brien, from Terenure, Dublin, chose to have a dressing-up theme for his fifth birthday party last week, says his mother,Aideen Corscadden. He wore a red Power Ranger costume that she had bought him last Halloween. “A lot of the boys did likewise and were very excited to be able to wear their costumes again,” she says.
Science parties are gaining traction with the under-12s, according to Christine Campbell, a Wicklow-based chemistry graduate who runs Anyone 4 Science (0404-40563, anyone4science.com). Campbell's CSIparties use science-based chromatography and acid tests to decipher clues left behind in a crime scene she delivers. This option costs €170 for up to 10 children. She also runs a Bright Sparks party, which explores electric circuits (€200 for up to 10 kids), and a pneumatics party, exploring the principles of hydraulics (€220 for up to 10 kids).
Campbell also organises “bubble parties”, which are bucket-loads of fun and investigate the principle of surface tension. Nine-year-old Alana Daly learned how to make bubble mix that lasts and blow bubbles the size of her head at her party in Dublin last weekend.
Cork-based Hands-On Science (087-9506527, handsonscience.ie) is another outfit offering age-specific experiments for children aged between six and 12. Participation is the buzz word in party-performance circles, says school teacher and organiser Siobhan Devlin. “Children do 90 per cent of the experiments themselves. We cover fun exercises that have been squeezed out of the curriculum. These include the creation of mini rockets that can fly up to 30ft high.”
What is interesting about the science parties is that there are as many requests from girls as boys, Devlin says. She charges €160 for 90 minutes for a maximum of 15 kids and will travel anywhere within the Munster region.
Interactivity is crucial if you want the day to be memorable, says Paul Furey of Really Grand Events (01-4417371, reallygrandevents.com) "We offer a puppet show that is more panto than traditional Punch and Judy. It really gets the kids talking back." His company is also adding scientific experiments to its package in July, with a new website, madprofessor.com.
When booking an entertainer, parents are advised to sound them out on the phone before making a hasty internet booking. Ask about their qualifications and experience and if you don’t like the sound of them, keep looking.
“Being a children’s entertainer is a tough job, one that not everyone is suited to,” says Bríd Ní Chionaola, aka Silly Sally, (087-4117843, sillysally.ie). A professional clown, she trained in physical theatre at the Paris-based Jacques Lecoq International Theatre School. “I’ve seen people crack up doing this job. Me? I get a kick out of kids.”
There’s a return to parties being held at home instead of play centres, and to classic decorations and themes. Balloons are big, in both the literal and trend sense. You can find glossy latex ones that look like airborne Skittles, or the foil letters and shapes style balloons that even Louis Vuitton has used as window dressing. These can be ordered from the Party Shop in Donnybrook, Dublin 4 (01-2693939, partyshop.ie), and other good balloon outlets.
“If you opt to entertain the kids yourself then it is a good idea to set a timetable for the activities,” says Marie Fleming of the Cork-based Animal Roadshow (029-21100, theanimalroadshow.com). Her show features real snakes, lizards, spiders, owls, rabbits and guinea pigs as well as information on the animals’ habitats and habits.
Using fishing nets, Fleming built an obstacle course for her son’s party, and punctuated the course with dressing-up pit stops. For the final lap, she challenged everyone to a traditional egg and spoon race, which was a big hit and brings out the competitive streak in the most unlikely people. She also favours traditional games for indoor parties, such as musical chairs. “The downside is the clean-up, but you have the option to try and make that part of the game,” she says, somewhat optimistically.
When compared to the cost of hiring a venue, creative thinking is cheap. Consider decorating a room with plastic bin bags to black out the space, thereby turning it into a movie theatre. All you need to serve is popcorn. At another recent party, the parents created a teddy bears’ picnic - when the rain poured down they transferred blankets and tents to the living room floor, and no one seemed to notice.
What might the fashion-forward parent serve at such events? You can do spectacular things with jelly, says kids’ caterer Naomi Byrne of Naomi’s Kitchen (086-6034375, naomiskitchen.ie). “It’s cheap and in the right hands can be super chic. I love the idea of creating a jelly-cake hybrid.” She recommends doubling the jelly to water ratio so it stays firm, and using castellated beach buckets as jelly moulds. These need to be lined with clingfilm and the film brushed with sunflower oil. When dissolved, the mix should be chilled for 24 hours before serving.
Cupcakes are a popular alternative to cake. If you don’t want to make your own, Lolly and Cooks in Dublin’s George’s Street Arcade offer a selection of kid-size confections that are sure to delight, but cupcakes cook up very cost-effectively at home and are a great way to engage children in the preparations for their party.
The best way to wind down the afternoon is on a high note, says James Sexton of Kids Party Club (1890-252382, kidspartyclub.ie) "We usually offer a kids' disco, with everyone present dancing the Macarena - or if they're older we go with contemporary chart hits. I Gotta Feelingby the Black-Eyed Peas is still our most successful floor-filler."
And when the time has come to part with your charges, be sure to send them home with inedible party souvenirs – a yoyo, or Slinky, or even charming little pots of “slime”, says Carol Berigan of the Party Shop. “The last thing parents want to see are party bags full of sweets – their kids are already hopped up enough on sugar!”
