As the world adapts to life online, we have realized that whilst we cannot meet up and hug our friends and family, we can still be together virtually!

Birthdays are not cancelled! Celebrations are not cancelled! They are just different! Here at Snow Princess Parties, we have collated ten tips for hosting an UNFORGETTABLE online party!

Decorations

We all know by now the importance of a good zoom background, and it is no different for your virtual party. Whether you put up banners up behind the birthday girl or get some pink princess balloons, the kids will love it! You could even go the extra mile with THEMED decorations, like a life-sized Barbie box or a makeshift rock for a mermaid to laze on. This will definitely make for some IMPRESSIVE photos!

2. Cake

No birthday is complete without a yummy cake! You could try your hand at baking, since we are all spending so much time at home now, but buying a beautifully made cake is also a fabulous option. Either way, it would be a great idea to find out what your little one likes and make it themed especially for the party!

We have seen plenty of beautiful birthday cakes online (and get a little bit sad that we cannot try them all!)

3. Party Packages

Filling little party bags with party hats or a quick activity (decorating a crown/superhero mask to wear to the party) is a fun idea if your guests live local to you! Click here for some tiara templates! You could even add a decorative cupcake that each child can have after the birthday child blows out their candles, so they do not feel too disappointed about not getting any birthday cake!

4. Screens and Space

From much experience with virtual parties, we believe the bigger the screen, the better! If possible, connect your devices to the TV or laptop for an all-round amazing experience, so the children can see their friends nice and clearly whilst still being able to dance around freely! If you are connecting your device to the TV, it is good to have the device just below the TV, so that when the little ones are dancing or talking to the birthday girl, they can still be seen by everyone!

5. Screens and Space

Whilst setting up your party location, please consider what the lighting is like! The light should be in front of the birthday child and behind the camera, so that they do not look like a shadow to everyone else. You could also consider adding lamps and ring lights, or better still, why not jazz up the room and add some colorful disco lights

6. Internet Connection

One of the most important things to do before the party is to CHECK YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION! You do not want you or your guests’ screens to freeze, causing you to miss out on aspects of the party! Make sure your party set up is near your internet router and that other people in the house are not streaming or downloading, to make sure there is no internet crisis. We also encourage indoor parties over outdoor, to limit the possibility of disconnections!

7. Inviting Everybody

One of the biggest perks of having an online virtual birthday party is that you can invite EVERYONE and ANYONE, from all over the world! Yes, even your Granny and Grandpa in Australia can join in and show off their dance moves! We usually recommend no more than 40 people at a virtual party, which is a perfect number for inviting the whole class and more!

8. Fancy Dress

Fancy Dress is one of our FAVOURITE things to see here at Snow Princess Parties; it is so much fun to see everyone dressed up as our favourite princesses and superheroes! We love it even more when the parents and grown-ups get involved too (we have seen some pretty amazing princess mummies!) Since we have to celebrate at home, there is no better excuse to get those princess dresses out of the wardrobe and have a proper ball!

9. Games

Prior to your party, make sure you have a good number of games to play that are high energy and exciting! Find some dance bops that everyone will be able to join in with (zoom allows you to share your sound so everyone can hear the music) or you could even set up some games that are personalised for the birthday child, like a scavenger hunt or a mini quiz! If you are planning a slightly longer party, why not add some craft activities, like drawing a birthday cake for the birthday child?!

10. Hire an Entertainer

Last but not least, hiring an entertainer takes all of the party stress away from you and allows you to sit back and ENJOY with your child. Your professional entertainer will plan activities that are proven to keep EVERYONE engaged, creating a unique and magical experience for the birthday child! We have a range of entertainers to choose from, whether your little one is into princesses, fairies, or superheroes – we have it all! Our five-star rated entertainers have truly perfected the art of online parties in the last year, so click here if you are interested in booking with us.

FINALLY… do not forget to have fun!  We try and make the whole experience as relaxing and enjoyable for parents as possible, and really encourage them to get involved with all of the party games and dances, since we know that you often end up missing out on special moments during the set up and the tidying at the end. That is one of the beauties of a virtual party: no mess! (I am sure that has sold it for you…)

‘Pass the parcel’ is the Titan of children’s party games: it is an absolute classic, and an easy option at any party! Children love it and it even keeps big groups of kids amused – well, for at least 5 minutes anyway.

And it is nice and easy to do… right?! Well, yes, but there are a few secret tips and tricks, that we have figured out from years of trial and error, that will make things run a little smoother…

As the founder of a children’s entertainment company and having personally entertained hundreds of parties, I am probably the closest thing you can get to a professional ‘pass the parceler’ (I know, big claim!). From my years of both making and running ‘pass the parcel’ at parties,

I have compiled a list of 10 top tips, including how to make the parcel and run the game effectively, to help you master the parcel as well.

1. Layer Up!

Traditionally in ‘pass the parcel’ there is a hidden goodie between each layer, but the ultimate question is: what is the goodie?  Due to allergies and inclusivity (there is always one who is not allowed sweets!) you may want to use a small toy between each layer. However, SMALL is the key word here – otherwise your parcel will weigh three kilograms and cost a small fortune by the time you have done 25 layers. Also, most small cheap toys just end up in landfill,so try to choose something that will be appreciated. Hair bows, punch balloons and flat pack planes are all great options (see images below). 

If you do go for sweets (the preferred option by children), make sure that they are individually wrapped and are not going to be a choking hazard for young children. I have found that chocolate coins or starbursts are the best options.

2. The Star Prize

You could cut the tension with a knife. This is the moment everyone has been waiting for… what is in the centre?! Well, hopefully something square/rectangular shaped, otherwise wrapping all the layers around it will take forever. Despite your best efforts, it is hard to keep track of the layers and make sure that you know who will end up with the prize, so I would suggest making the main prize suitable for boys and girls of all ages. A sticker book, a slime making kit, or a craft kit are usually safe bets.

3. Let’s Wrap This Up!

If you use the same colour wrapping paper for every layer, the four-year-olds will end up ripping off three layers at once because they cannot see when they have removed a layer.

It is better to use alternating colours, or even newspaper in between the wrapping paper, to help differentiate the layers. 

It is also important to use only a small amount of Sellotape to wrap the layers: if you stick them down too well each child will have a real battle getting it off. The grown-ups will have to help and the kids will start to get bored because the whole thing is taking too long, so avoid too much tape!

4. Quantity or Quality?

You know what it is like with predicting how many kids will attend a party: nobody RSVP’s and either half cancel on the day or everyone turns up with 3 siblings. This makes predicting how many parcel layers to do pretty impossible. I would suggest not making a parcel more than 20 layers; if you are planning on having more than 20 kids, I would make two parcels and create two circles. Otherwise, the whole game goes on for far too long and everyone gets bored. However, it does not hurt to bring extra sweets, just in case someone misses out on a layer.

5. Boys versus Girls?

If there are over 25 children attending your party, it is a good idea to make 2 circles. However, I find that having separate parcels for boys and girls is an unnecessary complication; two unisex parcels is a better idea. Otherwise you will end up being stuck with a circle of 4 boys and 30 girls due to the unpredictability of the party guest list!

6. Don’t Stop the Music

Make sure you keep the tunes upbeat and fast paced! People will be opening layers left, right and centre, and you do not realise how many silent parts there are in some songs until you try and play this game. So, ditch the Adele ballads and get the party songs on! Make a playlist ahead of time with the latest children’s movie hits and change the song every other round to keep the party atmosphere going.

7. Forming a Circle is Harder Than it Looks!

If you have not tried to organise a group of 30 four-year-olds before, this question will seem totally bizarre. But, trust us, children will not simply follow instructions like “sit in a circle” if they are under the age of six, and will instead just sit down where they are. So, DO NOT announce that you are going to play ‘pass the parcel’, as this will cause chaos. I would suggest saying, “for our next game, we need everyone to stand in a big circle holding hands”. Giving them a countdown from three helps speed this up and organise everyone quickly and efficiently. Once they are all holding hands in a suitable circle you can tell the children to sit down where they are. And finally, you can explain the rules of the game – but make sure you have everyone’s attention and repeat the instructions twice!

8. Timing is Everything!

In my opinion, the best time to play ‘pass the parcel’ is after the children have had their party food, as it gives their food a chance to settle before they start running around like hooligans! They will also be calmer and fidget less, as they have just been sitting down to eat.

Children get bored easily and if they’ve already unwrapped a layer but the game is still going on, they are likely to get up and distract others, and then before you know it the whole game has fallen apart! Do not be afraid to put the music on again and yell “keep passing!” if someone is taking FOREVER to unwrap a layer. I find that this gives them a little nudge to get a wiggle on.

9. Prizes for Everyone!

If you have a big group of kids and are working with two circles at the same time, it is impossible to ensure that a new person has the parcel each time the music stops. Because of this, when I announce the rules at the beginning of the game, I make it clear that each child gets to unwrap ONE layer and should the parcel land on them a second time, they have to pass it to the person next to them (and so on, if that child has already unwrapped a layer). This makes the game fair and ensures that everyone gets a little prize.

10. Avoid playing with children under the age of three!!!

They cry at every pass when the parcel gets taken away from them. Honestly do not do it. You will regret it.

All sound a bit too complicated? Then why not just leave the entertainment to the experts? We offer a variety of party entertainers to take full control of the games, music and more, so you can sit back and relax. Click HERE for more information.

No matter how much we try to “Let it Goooo” the popularity of Anna, Elsa, and Olaf doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon! If your children haven’t been badgering you for a Frozen themed birthday party for what seems like forever, do you even have kids?! Luckily for you, we’re here to help! From our years of experience entertaining hundreds of parties, we have seen the most creative and clever ways to jazz up your Frozen party food, without spending a small fortune. So here are our Top 10 ideas for Frozen themed party foods that are affordable and easy to make, ensuring your little one’s day is a little bit more magical.

1. “Do you want to build a snowman?”

You will need:

• Marshmallows
• Chocolate Buttons
• Matchmakers or Pretzel Sticks
• Smarties or Skittles

It’s not just Elsa who can build snowmen, you know! Let the children join in on the magical and fun experience, by providing marshmallows for Olaf’s body, chocolate buttons for his buttons and eyes, matchmakers/pretzel sticks for his arms and orange smarties/skittles for the nose. You can even provide melted chocolate or icing to ‘glue’ everything together – although we do warn you, this could get messy!

This is super entertaining for the kids, and you have to do next to nothing in terms of preparation, so in our opinion, it’s a win-win.

2. Thaw a Frozen Heart

You will need:

• Strawberries
• White Chocolate

We know a frozen heart is a bad thing… but it is actually quite tasty!

All you need for this snack is strawberries that are vaguely shaped like a heart, and white chocolate. Melt the white chocolate carefully over a stove or in the microwave, dip the bottom half of the strawberries in the melted chocolate, and then put them in the fridge to set. By only coating half the strawberry in chocolate, it gives the impression of a frozen heart thawing (and more importantly, doesn’t give the children too much of a sugar rush!).

This is a simple, yet effective way to make eating fruit more exciting.

3. Frozen Waters

You will need:

• Whatever soft/fizzy beverages you want!
• Lots of blue food colouring
• Ice

Whilst this one isn’t exactly food, it was too good not to put on the list.

Every good party needs a fruit punch to wash everything down, so why not make it Frozen themed? We suggest a tropical mix of lemonade and pineapple juice; this is refreshing and not too heavy, which is exactly what the children need after running around and dancing for hours! But it’s really up to you – you can always cut out the sugar altogether and just go for a mix of soft drinks. The main part is the blue food colouring, to create the signature ‘Frozen’ look, and you can maximise this effect by adding lots of ice cubes. However, we recommend that your drink/drinks mixture is light in colour; if you use something like blackcurrant juice, the blue food colouring will not work as well!

4. Frostbite(s)

You will need:

• Unsalted Butter
• Caster Sugar
• Eggs
• Self-Raising Flour
• Vanilla Extract
• Milk
• Lollipop Sticks
• Blue Food Colouring
• Icing Sugar
• Smarties or other sweets

Want to BAKE your party even better (see what I did there?!)? These cute cake pops will give the children (and adults!) their sugar fix, without being overwhelmingly filling and sickly.

Mix together the butter, caster sugar, eggs, flour, milk, and vanilla extract, and then bake until golden brown. Next, crumble the cake into little pieces, and add frosting to the mixture (you can make this using butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract, and a little milk. Once the frosting is thoroughly mixed in, the mixture should be a fudge-like texture; chill for one hour, before breaking the mixture up into small round balls. Now for the fun part! Add the blue food colouring to the icing sugar, insert the lollipop sticks into the cake pops (using the icing sugar to make sure they stay in), and dip them into the blue icing sugar. Remember those orange smarties you used earlier for the build-a-snowman kit? Well, you can now use the blue ones to decorate your cake pops – or any other sweet treats you have in the back of your cupboard.

This certainly takes the meaning of frostbite to a whole new level!

5. Sweet Snowflakes

You will need:

• Unsalted Butter
• Caster Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Plain White Flour
• Baking Powder
• Icing Sugar
• Blue Food Colouring
• Decorative Sweets
• Rolling Pin
• Snowflake Cookie Cutter
• Piping Bags

Nothing says ‘Frozen’ more than magical snowflakes – trust us, if we had a pound for every snowflake we’ve seen at a Frozen themed party, then we’d never need to work again! So why not put a sweet twist on this icy classic by making some snowflake biscuits?!

Create the dough using butter, caster sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, and baking powder. Then, roll the dough out with a rolling pin and cut out the biscuits using a snowflake cookie cutter (you should be able to find one in most homeware stores), and bake in the oven. Finally, once they have cooled, you can go to town on the decor! You may want to add the blue food colouring to half of your icing sugar and leave the other half white, to make your biscuits alternating colours. Use a piping bag to create the snowflake design and decorate with sweets as you please!

Who knew snowflakes could taste so good?

6. Some People are Worth Melting For

You will need:

• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Chocolate Buttons
• Matchmakers or Pretzel Sticks

This super simple sweet snack is definitely worth melting for. All you need is a scoop of vanilla ice cream and then you can scatter the chocolate buttons on top and stick two matchmakers/pretzel sticks into it. The ice cream will look like a melted Olaf, with matchmakers/pretzel sticks for arms and chocolate buttons for eyes and buttons. And just like that: you can bring the magic of Olaf to your party, with just five minutes’ worth of preparation.

7. Sven’s Snacks

You will need:

• Carrots
• Baby Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Salad Dressing

I’m sure you’ve tried almost every way to get your child to eat their five-a-day, but how about telling them that they’re eating the same food as one of their Disney heroes? Simply chop the carrots and cucumbers into child-friendly, bite-size sticks, and dip them in the salad dressing to look like snow.

Who knew vegetables could be so appealing?!

8. We Finish Each Other’s… Sandwiches

You will need:

• A variety of sandwiches

We will admit, this is far from the most complicated or original party snack, but it never hurts to include an absolute classic with a Frozen twist.

Simply arrange the savoury snacks as you usually would, but don’t forget to include the Anna and Hans quote. They certainly won’t be the only ones finishing each other’s sandwiches: the children will love this reference to one of their favourite songs, and they’ll truly believe these sandwiches are fit for Arendelle royalty!

9. An Icy Force

You will need:

• Jelly
• Blue Food Colouring

We all know how much Kristoff loves ice, but have you ever considered how much better sweet, edible ice would be?! Well, this jelly treat has got you covered. If you’re feeling brave, you can attempt to make the jelly yourself, but in our opinion, it’s much easier to pop down to your local supermarket and buy a ready-made pack.

Then, all you need to do is add water, blue food colouring (if you can’t find a blue jelly) and refrigerate. Once the jelly is set, use a knife to cut it into cubes, and there you have your ice!

There are also many sugar-free jelly options in the supermarkets, so you don’t have to worry about the kids getting a major sugar rush… ok, now you really have no excuse not to give this a go. We wouldn’t say this icy force is both foul and fair… mainly just fair.

10. The ICE-ing on the (Cup)Cake

You will need:

• Unsalted Butter
• Caster Sugar
• Eggs
• Self-Raising Flour
• Vanilla Extract
• Milk
• Blue Food Colouring
• Icing Sugar
• Blue Cupcake Cases

Want to avoid slaving away in the kitchen for seven days making the ultimate Frozen birthday cake extravaganza? Or maybe you just want to add an extra sweet treat to your party? Whatever it may be, cupcakes are guaranteed to improve any party, and are a lot simpler to make than a HUGE birthday cake. So, get your blue icing and sprinkles at the ready! When in doubt, cupcakes are ALWAYS the answer.

So, there you have it: every ‘Frozen’ themed party food you could ever need, to take your party to the next level! But, if you feel something is still missing, you can make your child’s birthday even more unforgettable by hiring one of our entertainers. You can have Anna, Elsa, or Olaf (or all three!) hosting your little one’s party, jam-packed full of games, music, and photo opportunities, leaving you to put all your attention into these crazy Frozen foods! Sounds like a dream, right?! Click HERE for more information.

Frozen kisses, The Snow Princess Parties Team xo