CHILD'S PLAY

THROWING a party for children can be enjoyable and stress-free - it just takes some planning and a little imagination.

Kids love to dress up and having a theme makes it much easier to tailor entertainment, decorations, food and music. It doesn't have to be a costly superhero or a fairy costume: choose a colour - everyone wears something pink or blue - or an accessory, such as a hat.TIMINGFor me, the most important part of any children's party is the food. I just adore watching the kids getting stuck into some homemade goodies - even if they do make a mess!ENTERTAINMENTGot a decent-sized garden? It makes sense to use it for your gathering but if you're worried that it might rain, buy or borrow a gazebo.THE MENUDecorate it with bunting and you could even give it "walls" by hanging old sheets from the corners.If you don't have the space yourself, target a local park or woods where you can take a picnic rug, cool bags full of goodies to eat and outdoor games, although it's worth checking to see if you're allowed to bring a gazebo.Think carefully about the length of your party - children have very short attention spans and get tired very easily. An hour-and-a- half to two hours of excitement is therefore enough for any little one - plus, parents will easily be able to stay and enjoy the fun. Weekend parties work best for the whole family.THEMESDECORATIONSBut they shouldn't cost the earth. One of my favourite ideas is to make a personalised birthday banner - all you need is some old wallpaper and felt-tips pens. Another winner, which actually serves two purposes, is to buy a white paper tablecloth and get the children to decorate it while they wait for their food - it will keep them busy!Just pour the mixture into some novelty cup cake cases, bake and decorate with chocolate icing and a scattering of Smarties. It couldn't be any simpler. Chocolate fudge is another of my all-time favourites and is so easy to make as the recipe uses just four ingredients.I use the recipe on the left as it creates a delicious moist texture thanks to the condensed milk.So here are my top tips for holding the perfect children's party - try them out, you never know... you might even have a bit of fun yourself!Smartie chocolate cupcakes are a great alternative to a traditional birthday cake and can be made in no time at all.For older children, from five to 11, plan some sort of activity like ice-skating, bowling or the cinema - many places can cater for children's parties which will take away some of the stress.What you decide to play will depend on how old they are. For younger children, aged between three to five, try arts and crafts such as drawing, colouring and making hats. It never fails to amaze me how much fun children can have if you provide them with coloured tissue and paper, felt-tip pens, paints or glitter. It's a very simple idea but it's a winner.Another trick to a successful children's party is to make sure the kids are occupied, engaged and having fun all the time.My top tip, and I can't stress this enough, is to keep things simple and prepare in advance. Finger foods such as sandwiches, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, sausage rolls and pieces of fruit go down a treat - children find them really easy to eat and they can be prepared in minutes the night before.The secret ingredient is the condensed milk for the ultimate melt- in-the-mouth result- no one will believe it's home made. The fudge makes an ideal filler for the all-important party bag. What's great about both recipes is that you can get the children involved in the decoration stages - they'll love telling their party guests that they made the sweet treats them selves!And, of course, no party is complete without balloons - a cheap and cheerful way of jazzing up any venue.For younger children (up to 10 years old), it's always nice to have a themed party.LOCATIONRemember 10 - 20 minutes of musical chairs is enough, so draw up a schedule of games and make sure you have all you need to play them, including suitable music, chairs, wrapped pressies for pass the parcel and so on.Try to give yourself as much notice as possible for prepping.

And, of course, no party is complete without balloons - a cheap and cheerful way of jazzing up any venue.