Conducting the Perfect Children’s Event

A children’s event can be a memorable one for all who participate. Whether it’s a birthday party, a school fair, or a sports event celebration, the event can be a great time for children and their parents to gather and recognize each other’s milestones and achievements. However, it can take some serious planning to make the event happen as planned.

You may want to create an outline that details every aspect of the event you plan to host, or you may decide to simply make a few phone calls to friends, and ask them to chip in their time and talents. But don’t underestimate what it will take to make the event a success. Learn how to conduct the perfect children’s event by following the six time-tested tips below.

Plan Out a Realistic Budget

Planning most children’s events requires setting a budget ― large or small. Think about every detail of the event and assess the cost of each, whether it’s food, games, venue fees, or transportation. Estimate the number of people (children and adults) who plan to attend, and leave room for last-minute additions. You don’t want to be bombarded with unexpected costs and fees right before your event.

Create Order and Organization

Any time there are multiple children gathered in one place, it’s easy for chaos to erupt before, during, and after the event. Before your event, assign volunteers to monitor specific areas of the gathering place. 

One or two volunteers can oversee the children, ensuring that they stay in the right areas and behave appropriately. Another one or two volunteers can help with setup, and maybe the rest can assist with clean-up. Breaking up tasks and duties makes you more available to host the event successfully, maintaining order and organization from start to finish.

Plan Plenty of Activities

As you probably know, children’s attention spans can be quite short, which means keeping them entertained can be challenging. At your children’s event, make sure there are plenty of activities to keep kids engaged and entertained. 

Even if it’s a post-sporting event where you and your child’s team are celebrating a win against a tough competitor, and you decide to take the team out for pizza, ensure that the venue can accommodate all of the children and provide space or activities for them after the meal.

Encourage Children to Participate

It’s one thing to plan activities for children to enjoy. But it’s another thing for children to understand why the activities are being performed. This is where participation comes into play. Delegate a portion of your activities to children who participate in them, and reward them for participating. A couple of weeks before the event, create personalized awards for each participant. 

The awards can be fun, simple certificates that are designed in Microsoft Office or affordable, customized trophies that are ordered from trophy manufacturers. Giving awards to children also boosts their confidence and self-esteem, and it shows them they are appreciated and loved. Besides, who doesn’t like to receive an award for doing well?

Entice Parents to Participate Too

Getting children to participate in your event can be easier than getting their parents to do the same. Your event is for children, but their parents are just as important. Without them, the children wouldn’t be able to attend in the first place. 

Ask parents to participate by requesting them to volunteer to chaperone, hang decorations, serve food, or do other tasks. Also, allow parents to participate in your event’s activities, and consider providing parents with personalized awards, too. Let them know that their presence is appreciated.

Prepare for Mishaps

Unfortunately, there’s always room for something to go wrong. As the host, you have to be prepared for it. Talk with your volunteers about creating backup plans, whether it’s having other volunteers on standby in case someone doesn’t show up or finding another venue if the one you chose is unexpectedly no longer available. 

If something goes wrong the children take notice, reassure them that everything will work out, and guarantee that the event will still happen and everyone will have a great time.