Whether it’s for the animals, for your health or for the environment, having a vegan lifestyle is now more popular than ever, so it makes sense that you would want your little one’s birthday party to also align with your values. If you’ve not thrown a vegan party before, you may be wondering where to start, so we’ve put together some ideas below to help.

1. Party Food

Any food you can think of can be made vegan so there’s no need to worry. First make a list of what party food you want, then research whether there is a plant-based version readily available or if you need to get the ingredients and make it yourself.

There are lots of ‘accidently’ vegan products, you just need to check the label. Not all items will have vegan written on them so it may require a quick scan of the ingredients list (watch out for things like milk, egg, whey, gelatin, carmine, beeswax, honey and lanolin). Some suggestions for easy party food include sandwiches (with Quorn ham slices and Flora margarine), houmous with vegetable sticks, pizza (you can get vegan options from many places such as Pizza Hut, Pizza Express, Dominoes, Papa Johns, Chicago Town frozen and White Rabbit frozen), Party Rings, Oreos, Jammie Dodgers, Hartley’s Jelly and Swedish Glace ice-cream. Check out the plant-based section at your supermarket for loads of options such as cocktail sausages, sausage rolls, ‘chicken’ nuggets and much more.

Photos of The Vegan Street Diner, Vegan Sweet Tooth London and Sophie’s Delights cheezes (available online and at Sparkle Vegan Events).

2. The Cake

The birthday cake is often the centrepiece of celebrations, so if you’re hiring a cake maker then ask if they offer vegan options (most do). The great thing about vegan cake is that you are covered for kids and parents that may have dairy or egg allergies or intolerances too. Those who are vegetarian or halal can also relax.

If a bespoke cake is out of your budget, then you can buy a great option off the shelf (such as OGGS or Asda) or make one yourself (just look up vegan cake recipes). Remember that you could do cupcakes instead of one big cake.

Photos of Jayne’s Vegan Bakes, Cakes Free From and Tiny Sarah’s Cakes.

3. Goody Bags

Veganism is also about caring for the planet so you probably want the party to be as eco-friendly as possible. Avoid plastic as much as possible – recyclable cardboard goody boxes are a good alternative. If you’re adding sweeties then you can buy vegan pick and mix, vegan fudge or vegan chocolate. Skittles, Jelly Tots and Love Hearts are all suitable.

4. Decorations

Make sure that your décor is also sustainable such as biodegradable balloons and fabric bunting. Ensure that candles aren’t made from beeswax (most party candles are made from soy or paraffin wax anyway).

5. Entertainers

A party needs entertainment! Snow Princess Parties have an array of fabulous characters to run action-packed games. Many of our directors and entertainers are vegan themselves.

6. Party Outfit

It’s more than likely that your little one will be dressed as their favourite princess or superhero for their party! If you’re looking for an outfit for yourself then make sure to avoid wool, fur, feathers and leather. Time for party make-up or face painting? Make sure it’s cruelty-free so hasn’t been tested on animals.

The Perfect Vegan Party

If you are based in South East England and need more inspiration, why not attend an event run by Sparkle Vegan Events? They showcase amazing caterers, bakers and small businesses with lovely eco-friendly creations; and their team would be happy to give advice. You can view their upcoming events at www.sparkleveganevents.com/calendar.

Magical wishes x

You’ve decided to throw a princess-themed birthday party for your little one, you’ve chosen your character, and have your professional Princess entertainer all booked – now, to plan the decorations!

The first thing to think about is your venue – whether you are hosting your party at home in your living room, in the garden, or in a hall/other indoor venue will determine how you could decorate. Here are some general tips for all venues, and also some more specific ones to suit your particular set-up.

1. Colour Scheme

Having a colour scheme is a great idea to make choosing decorations a little easier, and it often works well to choose colours related to the princess character that you have chosen – for example, if your character wears a yellow dress, it could be nice to have yellow/golden coloured decorations to match!

A nice extra touch would be to include small details from your character’s film, or things that your character is associated with, into your decorations – for example snowflakes/seashells/roses. These could be incorporated into things like balloons or bunting, and especially cake decorations.

2. Balloons

In our experience, it’s rare to attend a party that doesn’t use balloons as some of the main decorations! These can sometimes cause a little anxiety for some children who are scared of them making loud noises if they pop – therefore, a top tip would be to fix the balloons into a position higher up on the walls so that they can’t be reached by children and accidentally popped.

Our entertainers can provide balloon modelling as an add-on to your party package, which could give the children a chance to still have fun with balloons in a more controlled way instead of having loose balloons on the floor of the venue.

3. Themed Table Decorations

Having themed table decorations such as paper plates/cups/ tablecloths is a nice touch to help maintain the magic of your princess entertainer’s presence, even during a food break, as the children will be surrounded by pictures and colours related to the characters’ films that they love.

This also provides entertainers with little talking points for any shy children, where we can point out characters from the pictures and tell stories about them or ask the children if they know their names.

A lovely idea that we have seen at some smaller parties is to replace having chairs and tables for the children with more of a picnic-style set-up for the food break instead – this could be done by arranging some big cushions on the floor, surrounding a blanket or some wooden crates covered by blankets/a tablecloth, with food laid out on top. This can give a more rustic feel to the party and a more unique experience for the children.

4. Photo Backdrop

No matter where you are hosting your party, it is always a fantastic idea to reserve a section of your space for photos, and create a colourful or themed backdrop! The photos taken at your party will be treasured memories, and so it’s a great idea to make the background look as photo-friendly as possible.

You could do this with a balloon or flower arch, a Happy Birthday banner, or metallic fringe hanging on the wall – or more than one of these! With your photo background against a wall, this would mean that there were no other people/furniture/untidy messes in the background of your photos.

5. Numbered Decorations

It’s always a lovely idea to include some numbered decorations for how old your child is turning on their big day, and especially to include these in your photo backdrop, for example a light-up number ‘5’ /a balloon in the shape of the number/a banner saying ‘Happy 3rd Birthday’ etc. This way, when looking back at your photos in years to come, you can always remember which specific birthday this was – and you can see a timeline of birthday photos throughout the years to document your little one growing up.

6. Cute Extras

Some other little extra touches to your decorations could be things like a Photo Booth frame – slightly older children love these, as they can pose for photos with their friends inside the frame. 

A similar idea is to have a ‘Stand-In Photo Prop’ where children can put their faces in the holes that are cut out of the photo and become their favourite princess – and of course pull some funny faces!

7. Outdoor Spaces

If you are planning to host your party outdoors, it is essential to think about having some sort of shelter such as a gazebo, regardless of the weather forecast! Even if this is just a small gazebo for your princess to set their equipment up under, this will hugely help us to run the party smoothly.

Not only will this provide protection from unexpected changes in weather, but also in the summer time, this provides some much-needed shelter from the sun for your entertainers who will likely be very warm in their costumes, and also allows our equipment to be in the shade to prevent our speakers overheating and music cutting out.

Gazebos can also be a lovely place to set up the eating area in outdoor venues, where food can be served under shelter and the children can have a break from the sunshine while they eat (and top up their sun cream!)

A top tip for outdoor venues is simply to make sure that all of your decorations are fixed down well – nobody wants balloons and banners flying into the neighbour’s garden!

8. Eco-friendly Decorations

No matter how you choose to decorate your party, it’s a fantastic idea to look at buying eco-friendly decorations such as biodegradable balloons/fabric bunting/paper or wooden alternatives to plastic which can be reused or recycled. Reducing the waste from your party will allow you to help the environment and also save you some money by reusing decorations in future!

A quick online search will take you to some fabulous companies who provide sustainable party decorations – a couple of examples being The Party Pirate and The Original Party Bag Company. We would highly recommend checking out these companies when planning your party, to make your decorations the best that they could possibly be!

Magical wishes, the Snow Princess Parties team x

Whilst no one is allowed to talk about Bruno, everyone is talking about Encanto! Beautiful flowers, bright colours and songs you just can’t help but sing along to, it’s no wonder Encanto themed parties are so popular. Here is everything you need to know:

1. The Cake

The birthday cake needs to be colourful to be in theme and could even have all the characters. If you’re on a budget then you could always make one yourself and you could also get the kids being creative on the day by decorating their own cupcakes before eating them or taking them home.

2. The Entertainment

Snow Princess Parties are known for our action-packed parties and our games will make for the perfect Fiesta! You could invite Mirabel or maybe Isabella; and if you are looking to recreate the magic with some live singing, you can with Princess Safiya who not only looks like Isabella but also hits all the right notes.

3. The Decorations

Whether you’re looking to host the party at home or in a local hall, you can add a little magic and turn it into Columbia. Balloons are a great touch, they look awesome in pictures and leave the kids in awe, plus at the end of the party you can always offer them out if you don’t want to take them home. Here are some of our favourite balloon arches, and you could also get the kids involved and make your own hanging flower decorations. Put some mini sombreros on the tables with bright coloured tablecloths and you’re ready to go!

4. Goody Bags

Some of my favourite goody bags are ones where you can create your own craft activity. Choose from popcorn, sweetie or floral necklaces. What we love about this is that it creates an experience for the children to go home and do, and then they will all discuss it the next day at school. It goes perfect with the theme, after all Encanto is all about what you can create.

5. Costumes

Every birthday child wants to be their favourite character and they deserve to be! We all know that one day your five year old loves Frozen and the next day it’s unicorns, so there is no need to spend a fortune. Online shopping websites are your best friend and after use you can either sell it on social media or pop it down to your local charity shop.

Top Tips

Now you’re ready to start planning your party, here are my top tips:

1. Wherever you have the party, make sure you advise your guests and entertainment on parking provisions.
2. Take a lighter and matches to the party for the cake (you would be surprised how many people forget).
3. If you’re having a party outside make sure you have shelter, it’s needed for all weathers.
4. Get extra goody bags (even if they are not invited siblings may turn up).
5. Enjoy the party!

Magical wishes, the Snow Princess Parties team x

As princess entertainers, we know there’s nothing more stressful than putting together a children’s birthday party all on your own. I like to think a part of our role as entertainers is to alleviate that stress, but also to know that no matter what, you’ll be wanting your child’s birthday to run as smoothly as possible.

 There’s so much for one person to do: food, decorations, guests, planning party games… and on top of that, your child is constantly changing what they’re into and can’t decide on one theme. One minute they’re in love with the Ice Queen, the next it’s mermaids, and then they suddenly love unicorns!

So here I’ve put together the ‘one step at a time’ party checklist for mums and dads in Maidstone, Kent, to ensure your party goes as stress-free as possible. I’ve suggested amazing and local hall recommendations, as well as yummy cake suppliers and ideas for decorations.

The Hall – Party venues in and around Maidstone

I’ve been to my fair share of parties; in big halls, in smaller halls, in pubs, at home, in the garden… and all can work! You’ll want it to be somewhere out of the main town with parking for your guests (you don’t want grandad to have to walk a mile up the road), and a nice big open venue means lots more room to dance! Many venues book up quickly so book as far in advance as you can and this will also give you time to alter times as needed.

If you decide to go down the route of hiring a venue, you’ll want to do your research beforehand, and I’d love to share with you some of my favourite halls I’ve visited in my time as a party princess.

1. The Civil Service Sports & Social Club – Maidstone

I can’t speak highly enough about this venue which features parking and is close by to a residential area – so if you’re the type of person who doesn’t like to go through rural areas, this is the place for you! With a licenced bar for the grown-ups to enjoy and a separate area for dance space/sitting down space, it means the kids can be entertained by their princess entertainer without a cluster of parents around them. They have a calendar on their website which lets you see the halls availability. Check them out here: https://www.maidstonecivilserviceclub.co.uk/

2. Old School Hall – East Farleigh

We go much more rural with this gorgeous church based hall. A beautiful setting with a kitchen too so you can prep your food servings there. Allows up to 50 standing guests. I adore this hall because of how it’s designed, it’s quite thin and means for us entertainers, all the games and entertainment can take place one end of the hall and really aids us keeping all the kids’ attention at one time. Visit their website and gallery here: https://www.oldschoolhall.co.uk/

3. Lordswood Dance Centre – Lordwood

Don’t want a traditional hall? What about a dance studio? Having had two parties in this studio space, I can vouch for this space being an absolute perfect setting for children’s parties. Ample space to dance and for all active games, with a café just outside for parents to mingle. In addition, the ladies running the studio are incredibly lovely people too. Book there today: https://lordswooddc.co.uk/studio  

4. Bredhurst Village Hall

If you’re looking for a super spacious venue, consider the Bredhurst Village Hall. It has a modern look to it, but still feels cosy. It has a huge capacity of up to 200 guests with ample parking, so more than enough for a children’s birthday party. A refurbished kitchen and a garden outside for warmer weathers makes it the perfect princess party setting.

Wherever you book always ensure you book a timeslot an hour before and an hour after to give yourself enough time to decorate, and to tidy up! But, if you’d much rather have a party at home in your living room and save the hassle of decorating the hour before the party, Snow Princess Parties adapts our parties to fit in any size and space.

The Princess – Entertainers to hire in Maidstone

If you’re unsure about how to tackle kids party games and maintaining the attention of 30+ kids, consider hiring a Professional Princess party entertainer. Hiring the hall and booking your party entertainer should be done hand in hand to ensure your entertainer has the availability for you.

Never booked with a company before? Are you unsure whether to trust them with such an important event? Read their reviews and testimonials, as well as understanding their policy on what happens with last minute cancellations. The last thing you need is the company you’re relying on to run the party to cancel on you at the last second.

We, at Snow Princess Parties, would be delighted to supply you with an unforgettable princess party in Maidstone and surrounding areas. With over 300+ five star reviews for bringing truly magical characters to life, we’re guaranteed to provide you with action packed entertainment suitable for both boys and girls from start to finish! Click on ‘enquire’ on the above bar to book a princess to hire in Kent at your next birthday party.

Time for Yummy Cake – The best cake businesses in Maidstone (and surrounding areas)

I’m not much of a baker myself, so have tried and tested some of the most amazing small cake businesses in and around Maidstone, for a bespoke cake selection. See below for some of my favourite and the best local cake makers in Kent.

1. Bake er cake – Maidstone

Contact Number: 07810844539

Based in Maidstone. Their cakes, cupcakes, cakesicles, cheesecakes and grazing boxes are made exquisitely. They offer different choices of flavour and fillings, each made unique for individual taste. I’ve seen them make just about every theme that comes to mind.

2. Orange Rabbit Cakes – Maidstone

Contact Number: 07917713466

Honestly, just take a look at this cake and see how elegant it is! Orange Rabbit Cakes are the masters of luxury, handcrafted cakes intended to wow! They specialise in creating artistic, bespoke designs for a selection of occasions.

3. Chloe’s Cakes – Larkfield

One of my favourite cake businesses in Kent, and cakes I have tested and tasted personally, I can’t rave enough about Chloe’s Cakes. Queen of the double barrel cake, these cakes are full of flavour, colour and energy. Perfect for a little princess’s party. Pop her a message on her Facebook page @chloescakes11   

4. T-tray cupcakes – Rainham

Contact Number: 07826 853283

Not looking for a full cake? Wanting something a little different. What about a cupcake? Cupcakes are the perfect way to easily separate each cake into the guest party bags and means you’re not rushing to cut the cake at the end of the party. My favourite local cupcake and cake business local to near Maidstone is T-tray cupcakes. Cakes for all occasions, pop her a message @T-tray cupcakes on Facebook or call 07826 853283 to ask about your cupcake enquiry.

And finally…

So, there it is! Our checklist for how to put together the perfect princess party in Kent, Maidstone area. And don’t remember, to take a minute to take a breath… as long as there’s games, music and all things princess-ey, all the kids will have a blast!

If you’re interested in hiring a Professional Princess entertainer in Kent contact Snow Princess Parties today or call Kelsey @07933206922 to book.

Princess Kelsey x

Every child’s dream is to have a Frozen themed birthday party. Whether their favourite character is Queen Elsa, Princess Anna or even Olaf, they all want the chance to meet their on-screen idol. Whenever we get a call from a parent, we always know that the chances are they will be enquiring about an Elsa and Anna party. We’re not sure what it is about this 2013 film but we don’t stop hearing about it!

1. Get set-up

A vital part of making any party feel magical and unique are the decorations. We have seen a LOT of Frozen themed parties in our time and we always feel it is best to go full out! This means Elsa and Anna plates, cups, tablecloths – everything Frozen! We’d also recommend going for a wintery feel with snowflakes dotted around the house/hall. It is such a sweet idea to have your children cut these out themselves prior to the party. You can use this link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCuk8E-MhdE) to show your children how to make these. This is such a fun way to make the birthday child excited for their special day.

Balloons are a party essential. There are many Frozen themed balloons that you can buy online or even in your local party shop (a great way to help out smaller businesses). It’s always a fantastic personal touch to have the birthday child’s name and age on one of the balloons as well.

One decoration technique that always makes a party stand out is a photo wall. These can be surrounded by a balloon arch incorporating colours such as blue, white, silver and purple. You can also have a metallic blue fringe for the perfect backdrop.

2. The Perfect Cake

The first thing on any child’s mind when they hear that their friend is having a birthday party is cake! This puts a lot of pressure on you to make sure there is enough to go around, it’s picture-perfect and it actually tastes nice. Unfortunately, we are unable to wave our magic wands and make a cake appear, however, here is some advice:

If you’re a DIY King or Queen, you could bake it yourself. Making a cake of your child’s favourite flavour is tricky, however the decorations can be harder. Blue or white icing is always a great way to make the cake fit the theme. You could even try to do a drip cake if you are the Mary Berry of the house. If you want to keep it simple but effective, buy some Frozen figurines and place them on the cake. It’s always amazing for a child to see their favourite character on-top of their cake. You can even get your children involved in the baking! Of course, it may not look quite as good as one made by a professional baker but this is a fun activity for you and the kids.

If making a big cake is a big ask, you could divert to some cupcakes! Theses can be decorated in the same way but are a lot simpler to make. You can even get Frozen themed cupcake cases! We would also recommend displaying these on a tiered cake stand.

However, you may already have enough on your plate planning a party for all of your child’s friends, so you could buy a Frozen cake in store or get one made for you birthday Princess/Prince.

3. The Princesses (obviously!)

Of course, the Princesses are a massive part of throwing a Frozen themed birthday party. That’s where we come in! We are professional princesses and we are very used to throwing these parties (having done them so many times). We know that parents put so much time and effort into making their birthday child’s day as special as possible so we try to take off a bit of the pressure. We run the whole party ourselves, bringing in our own speaker system and microphones, meaning that you can sit back and relax. We make our parties as stress-free for you as possible.

Our entertainers have beautiful costumes and wigs making the character on screen come to life! You can choose to have one character come on their own or you can choose to have both Elsa and Anna. Other characters (such as Olaf) may be available too – just give us a call!

After performing at multiple parties a weekend (and most of these being Elsa), we know what kids like best! We have many games such as limbo, bubble machine, parachute games and we also have some that are Frozen themed such as snowball fights, our build a snowman game, a ‘Let It Go’ dance with musical instruments and an Olaf story-time. You can also add a snow machine to your party to give it that extra special touch. If you would be interested in booking a special party with us, click on your location on our website and fill in the booking enquiry form or give your Regional Director a call. Hopefully we’ll meet you at a spectacular Frozen party!

The Perfect Party

Like we mentioned before, our Snow Princess Party entertainers will be able to run all of the games and music meaning the only thing left for you to think about is the party food and the cake (and maybe some party bags as well).

We hope this will help you throw the most magical Frozen themed princess party for your little one. We look forward to hopefully coming to the party and making it a special day to remember.

Frozen kisses, the Snow Princess Parties team x

Once you have booked the perfect party for your child’s birthday you are then left thinking about the cake. You want a cake that wows not just your child but all their friends too. Here are my top 5 in London.

1. Anges de surce

Location: NW10, LONDON

Contact Number: 0208 068 0413

French for sugar angels, if you are looking for a themed birthday cakes there is no theme they do not offer. I would recommend Anges de surce especially for their amazing Alice in wonderland themed cake.

Snow Princess: 5/5

2. Pastry girls London

Location: London

 Telephone: 07764 629 286

https://www.pastrygirls.co.uk/

 If you want a fun way to eat a cake look no further than Pastry Girls Lollipop cakes, they are fun, easy to serve, everyone gets an equal piece of cake so less arguments. You can choose your flavour and theme and if you want you can add them to any cake for the extra wow factor.

Snow Princess 5/5

3. Flavour town

Location: Fulham

Telephone: 020 3609 2016

Website: https://www.flavourtownbakery.co.uk/

Their cakes are fun, flavourful and are full of colour.             

You can also design how you would want your

cake to look by adding any picture to the top of your cake.

Snow Princess 4.5/5

4. Beegofly cakes

Location: Croydon

Contact: https://en-gb.facebook.com/beegoflycakes/

If you love supporting small businesses, you have to try Beegofly

 Cakes, if you can picture it they can make it, from dinosaurs to

castles, superheroes and chicken and chips made from cake.

Snow Princess: 4/5

5. Waitrose

Location: London

Website: https://www.waitrose.com/

If you are looking for a cake on a budget and a quick turnaround.

Waitrose are super yummy and they have the perfect cakes for smaller

parties.

Snow princess 3.5/5

Now you have heard all about our favourite cakes for your child’s birthday, now all that is left to do is to pick your theme and if you are still having trouble deciding be sure to contact us and one of our entertainers HERE will be able to make all you wishes come true with a sprinkle of snow it will be the best birthday ever!

Princess Sian x

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…)

With five years of experience entertaining parties at every single venue in and around Maidenhead about 30 times over, I have learnt that choosing a location is not a decision to be taken lightly!

From the good, the bad, and the ugly, I have compiled a list of the absolute best venues available to hire for your little one’s special day.

These locations include ONLY Maidenhead and surrounding areas and are simply a matter of opinion and experience. Our company is not affiliated with or sponsored by any of the venues mentioned, as we always strive for honesty and impartiality to give you the best advice possible!

So, what actually makes a good venue? 

Location – The last thing you want on the party day is 25 flustered parents ringing you up because they cannot find the venue. Make sure the area is easy to find and does not charge a fortune for parking! 

Size – It can be super hard to tell from an image online how big a space is, so we recommend visiting the venue in person before the big day. Remember: even if the empty hall looks big enough, once it is filled with 30 hyper children, lunch tables and sound systems, it may be a completely different story.

Acoustics – Put 30 kids, 30 adults (the grown-ups are the noisy ones), and a bouncy castle in a hall with bad acoustics and the result is deafening chaos. Even with expensive PA equipment and sound systems, if the acoustics in the venue are poor it can be incredibly noisy and hard to keep control. Newer buildings like sports halls usually have poor acoustics, whilst older, wooden buildings like churches are much better for sound control.

Facilities – This one goes without saying: access to nice clean toilets and a kitchen are must-haves. On top of this, a working power socket is essential for entertainers, who will be bringing sound systems and other party equipment.  

Cut it Out!– Recently, halls in built up residential areas have begun installing a box which cuts the power out if the noise level goes above a certain volume (yes, even at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon!). From experience, trying to keep the noise below the overly sensitive limit at a kid’s party is about as possible as pigs flying, meaning this is a nightmare for everyone involved. Often the power in the kitchen is unaffected, so I run an extension reel from there; I have learnt to spot these evil contraptions like a hawk! If you do not want your party disrupted every 15 minutes, it is best to avoid these venues all together.

Now, let us get onto our 10 favourite venue picks (in no particular order)…

1. Holyport War Memorial Hall

Location: Holyport, Maidenhead

 Contact Number: 01628 200500

Snow Princess Rating: 5/5

Holyport Memorial Hall has an excellent, spacious car park and is extremely easy to find. No flustered phone calls here! The inside is just as brilliant: there are plenty of chairs and tables in the large hall to easily accommodate bigger parties. Finally, the high ceilings mean great acoustics, so the children will have no trouble hearing the music and the entertainer. In my opinion, this venue has no drawbacks and will give you a party you will never forget.

2. Cox Green Youth and Community Centre

      Location: Cox Green, Maidenhead

      Contact Number: 01628636715

      Snow Princess Rating: 5/5

http://coxgreenscouts.co.uk

This community centre in Cox Green also ticks many boxes. It offers free parking, a separate ‘parent zone’ near the kitchen (for some peace and quiet!) and is large enough for 35 kids as well as adults.

3. Dorney Village Hall

      Location: Parish of Dorney, South Bucks (between Windsor, Maidenhead and Slough)

      Contact Number: 01628 200900

      Snow Princess Rating: 4/5

This hall is one I would definitely recommend hiring for larger parties: it can easily accommodate 35-40 children, has a large kitchen, and the separate dining area leaves lots of space for dancing around safely! As if this was not enough, there is a play park just outside the venue, in case the children are still full of energy after the party has ended. Overall, Dorney Hall is a light, bright, and good-feeling venue.

4. Pinder Hall – The Village Hall of Cookham

    Location: Cookham

    Contact Number: 01628819054

    Snow Princess Rating: 5/5

http://www.pinderhall.org.uk

Pinder Hall is a lovely, large space and includes an equally roomy kitchen. This, as well as the high roof means it stays cool in the summer months and does not feel claustrophobic once filled with screaming kiddies! The older feel to the building also allows for great acoustics, to add the cherry on top of an already excellent party. However, Pinder Hall is somewhat lacklustre in terms of parking – you may end up having to carry your sandwiches and balloons from down the road! As long as you do not mind this small drawback, this venue would be a fabulous choice for your kid’s party.

5. Taplow Village Centre

    Location: Taplow, Buckinghamshire

      Snow Princess Rating: 5/5

https://www.taplow.org.uk/

I have to admit, this venue is one of my personal favourites! Once again, this old, stone building has high ceilings and subsequently excellent acoustics. It is also bright, airy, and very cool, with a separate room for the kids to have their party tea. The hall size is not huge, so I would avoid getting a bouncy castle or inviting over 35 kids, but the benefits certainly outweigh this small drawback.

6. Cox Green Scouts HQ

  Location: Cox Green, Maidenhead

      Contact Number: 01628418904

      Snow Princess Rating: 3/5

http://coxgreenscouts.co.uk/

Modern and clean facilities that include disabled access are among the main benefits of choosing Cox Green Scouts as your party location. It is also one of the most spacious halls on this list – big enough to hold a bouncy castle! The only disadvantage of this location is the lack of available parking; if you are planning on inviting more than twenty children, they may be facing a short trek to the party!

7. Norden Farm Centre for the Arts

    Location: Maidenhead

      Contact Number: 01628788997

      Snow Princess Rating: 4/5

https://norden.farm/

‘The Barn’ at Norden Farm is an ideal space to hire for your child’s special day, with artsy Tudor beams making it much more elegant than your average hall. The venue offers delicious catering options, allowing you to choose between a hot party tea or a cold buffet and saving you a great deal of hassle! In addition to the plethora of free parking and clean facilities, Norden is unique from a typical village hall because it is an arts centre: this means that their admin system is less archaic and they won’t take three weeks to respond about availability. The only drawback of choosing Norden is that they need to see Public Liability Insurance certificates from any entertainer you book. Luckily, if you choose Snow Princess Parties for your entertainment you can avoid this hassle altogether: Norden Farm knows us well and should have our documentation on file, so now you have really no excuse not to book!

8. Furze Platt Leisure Centre

 Location: Furze Platt Senior School, Maidenhead

      Contact Number: 01628308296

      Snow Princess Rating: 3.5/5

https://www.leisurecentre.com/

Choosing to hire Furze Platt Leisure Centre for the big day would be an excellent choice, due to its easy parking and accessibility (although the leisure centre is tucked around the back of the building), its immense space that can comfortably hold 40 children, and the well maintained and modern facilities. Where Furze Platt really shines is in the helpful staff that stay on hand throughout the party, as opposed to a village hall which leaves you to your own accord. So, if the pressure of the party planning is wearing you down and you could do with a helping hand on the special day, this venue is the one for you!

9. Woodlands Park Village Centre Sports Hall 

Woodlands Park Village Centre Sports Hall 

      Location: Waltham Road, Maidenhead

      Contact Number: 01628823964

      Snow Princess Rating: 4/5

https://www.whitewalthamparishcouncil.com/activities

I know, I know, I said I do not like sports halls… but if you are mad enough to have a party of 50 kids or more, Woodland Park Village Centre is the one for you! It provides you with a huge space, leaving plenty of room for food and games. The parking area is pleasant and reachable, whilst the kitchen and toilets are clean, modern, and fairly large. However… beware when booking this venue! There is another hall in the same building which is much smaller, hotter, with worse acoustics, which is far from ideal to host your kiddie birthday bash.

10. Larchfield Community Centre

Location: Desborough Crescent, Maidenhead

      Contact Number: 01628683964

      Snow Princess Rating: 4/5 

Last but certainly not least, Larchfield is an exemplary venue for smaller parties: with its high ceilings and exceptional acoustics, your little guests will have a fantastic day full of fun. The addition of free, uncomplicated parking means that you can forgive the area being a little more tucked away than other locations. What is not to love?!

Now… let the party begin!

You have heard my opinion of the best party venues the Maidenhead area has to offer, and now the rest is up to you! Once that first stage of booking a hall is over with, the food, entertainment, and decorations should fall into place like magic. However, if you are still feeling the pressure, be sure to book one of our entertainers, who will be sure to make your child’s day a little more magical, and a little less stressful for you at the same time! Good luck!

Frozen Kisses,

Lydia 

Managing Director

Snow Princess Parties

‘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.