Most people will think about the theme for their birthday party ideas first but there are far more import issues to consider in creating a successful kid’s party. Get these things right and you’ll create an amazing party where all the kids have a great time and, without any tears. For each section of this article I’ll give examples of what we do for Pop Idol Parties. This way you’ll get more ideas how you can apply your own birthday party ideas to your theme.

• Pre Birthday Party – Having activities to do and plan at least a week before the party is a great way to create a sense of anticipation and the excitement builds up as the the big day draws nearer. Of course one of the most important tasks is to prepare and send out the party invitations. Spending some time thinking about how to incorporate the theme of the birthday party into the invitation can set up how you want the guests to prepare themselves also.

Another important activity is informing your guests how you’d like them to dress for the occasion. This alone could take the whole week to prepare for gathering the components to their outfits. For the Pop Idol birthday party idea, the week prior to the party will consist of choosing the songs the party group will rehearse and record (making sure all the party guests like the song choices), creating their Group Name and Album Name for their CD, deciding what their alter ego Pop Star image will be and choosing the appropriate clothes to match that, and of course, creating the invitations that will suitably brand the birthday party theme.

• The Birthday Party Agreement – Children respond really well to structure. If you can begin the party with a discussion (what I call a Pre-Production Meeting) and also ask them for their permission to be able to reel them in if they get a little unruly (that is…kid’s just being noisy while they’re having fun), then they will respond immediately should a situation arise. After all the very idea of having a birthday party is to have fun with all your close friends, so we want to make sure they can have it all without burning up all the two or three hours allocated before the mum and dad’s arrive to pick up their kids. Agreements to have fun without affecting the theme are an important birthday party idea.

For Pop Idol Parties I formally call it the Pre-Production Meeting to emulate what a Music Producer would do with the artists they are about to record.

• Outcomes – Choosing a birthday party activity where children are actively engaged in doing something together with an outcome is a great team bonding exercise. An activity that involves learning and creating rather than just being entertained and over stimulated is a great thing to do. Adults know the benefit of team building and corporations frequently do exercises that take them out of their normal environment to see how the team members will react and work together. The same applies with children. Kids know their friends from their associations from school but most don’t know what they are really like outside that environment. For the Pop Idol birthday parties, we rehearse and record our chosen songs, take over 70 photos for the front and inside covers of the CD we are creating then, to finish off, they all sign their Pop Star autographs onto the back covers which they can then get creative and turn into a wonderfully coloured piece of artwork.

 

• Food and Drinks. One of the things that parents (and especially dad’s) do during a party is to come in halfway through an activity to offer the children sweets or sugar drinks. It is their way of being loving and caring but it really doesn’t work in this environment. Apart from being really disruptive and breaking their concentration and the flow of the activity, it is a major ‘no no’ to give kids anything with sugar before or during the party. Statistics tell us that up to 8% of children will have an allergy or a hyper active disorder such as ADHD that could be triggered by sugar. You don’t want them climbing walls (so to speak). I’ve seen some pretty amazing scenes over the past 12 years with children literally running across furniture and creating havoc in someone else’s home. Best practice here is to ask parents to let you know about their child’s needs when they RSVP the invitation. My suggestions here are to be well prepared to keep them all happy and refreshed for the two to three hours that most parties last. Here are some great ideas that are easy to do and are also cost effective

1. Bad birthday party food is definitely on the decline so don’t for one moment think that you have to uphold some crazy tradition and supply sausage rolls with tomato sauce, donuts, coke or other sugared drinks. Healthy food can be energizing, cheaper and easier to prepare with less clean up after the event.
2. On arrival – to drink – Can be as easy as preparing either filtered or sparkling water with a squeeze of lime, a slice of fruit and a few mint leaves for a garnish. Could be made up ready in a punch bowl or already poured into glasses or plastic cups. This is refreshing, thirst quenching and makes them feel good inside and most importantly, hydrated.
3. On arrival – to eat – If you choose to feed the guests on arrival, prepare a fresh chopped fruit platter or fruit on skewers. Watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe, apple, peach etc. This is also refreshing and energizing to make them feel good inside and creates a great state of mind as they get into the birthday party atmosphere.
4. Don’t stop for food during the party activity. It just doesn’t work to break the flow once children are focussed on an activity and foods can slow concentration. It is important to keep them hydrated though so more of the water or fruit punch is great refresher.
5. After the activity, have food that is energizing and appetizing. My suggestion here is to do easy vegetarian foods. This is because it will be lighter for them and their energy levels won’t be depleted. Having said that one of the easiest party foods is Pizza. Most suburbs these days have a good quality or gourmet pizza shop that will deliver so you can organize to have them delivered at the time when the activity will be completed. Gourmet pizzas are very popular and tasty and again vegetarian options are most popular and meat eaters invariably eat the vegetarian options first.
6. The Birthday Cake has and probably always will be the choice of the party boy or girl and you can only hope to find something as healthy as possible. The great thing here is the party usually comes to an end after this so the guests parents will take them away before the sugar takes hold

• Memorabilia – Choosing a birthday party idea with a theme that will provide some form of memorabilia is wonderful to keep the theme alive and have a lasting reflection on the day and activity. In the case of Pop Idol Parties the outcome is a CD with the party girl or boy and all their guests photos on the front and inside cover, their voices united singing their favourite songs and their autographs on the back cover. Other variations we provide are VIP Backstage Passes on lanyards and Red Carpet for the guests arrivals.

I hope you’ll find these 5 birthday party ideas and tips very helpful in preparing your next children’s party.

The Cox twins from Canberra wanted something different for their birthday this year and they wanted to sing so they chose to have a Pop Star Birthday Party with Pop Idol Parties. They certainly got to live their ”day in the life of a Pop Star” wish and the children and their friends got to sing and record their favourite pop song, have a Pop Idol Paparazzi Photo Session for the front and inside covers of the CD, and they all signed their Pop Star autographs for the back cover of the CD they all received after the party.

Their Mum and Dad were so thrilled with the result that their Dad even did a video testimonial for us, recorded on Mum’s phone. :-)

To book a Pop Idol Party in Canberra call John on 0413 509 035 or email john@johnbennettsmusic.com for further information and pricing for your Pop Star Birthday Party

We come to your home and cover all areas of Canberra for this childrens party activity.

Newcastle now has it’s own Pop Star Parties for children (and adults) from 6 year old to 60. There are two versions of the parties to choose from. Children’s Pop Star Parties are a fun, ‘day in the life of a Pop Star’ party where the children rehearse and record their chosen Pop song/s, have a Pop Idol Paparazzi Photo Session for the front and inside covers of their CD then finish off their experience with the Pop Star Autograph Signing Session for the back cover of their CD.

Here is what one very happy mother’s shining testimonial about her daughters Pop Star Party…

So, if you want your music loving child to share a great experience with their friends and discover what a “day in the life of a Pop Star” is really like then these Pop Star Parties are definitely for you.

Contact John on 0413 509 035 for more information or to book your time and date

So you want something different for your Newcastle Hen’s Night party that maybe doesn’t involve topless men , burlesque pole dancing or belly dancing but definitely has to be a memorable occasion without holding back too much. Then dressing to kill as your alter ego Pop Idol self and recording your favourite tracks might just be right up your alley.

The two hour Pop Idol Newcastle Hen’s Night Party involves performing three of your all time top ‘have to record’ songs plus a Pop Idol Paparazzi photo session to get the best pictures of the hen’s night event for the front and inside cover of your very own CD.

We begin with a pre-production meeting then rehearse the first song to warm up your group’s dulcet tones before recording the song at least twice to make sure we have a great copy. Once we’re happy we got a great take we then have a listen to our first track then repeat the process with the next two songs.

For the Paparazzi photo session we take a series of photos for the front cover artwork then spice it up with some smaller group shots for the inside cover. The head chick gets to have her own photo session to get a great head shoot for the inside cover of the CD. All up we generally take between 70-90 photos to make sure we have lots of fun shots to choose from.

The best photos chosen for the CD cover will be deep etched to remove any background that would distract from the Pop Idols looking anything other than absolutely awesome.

To finish the session the Pop Idols will sign there autographs on the back cover of each of the CDs, one for each hen.

The finished CDs are a precious piece of memorabilia that you will enjoy for years to come after the event.

So to recap…your Pop Idol Newcastle Hen’s Night Party is…

• You letting your alter ego take over for two hours of fun
• Dress up as an excentric and outrageous Pop Star
• Rehearse and record three of your favourite pop songs
• Pop Idol Paparazzi Photo session
• Pop Idol autograph signing session for the back covers of your CD
• Every hen gets their own CD within 10 working days after the event
• The head chick gets all the photos from the party
• You get to have a wonderful night with memorobilia

For further information, bookings and hen’s night pricing call: 0413 509 035

or email john@musicmediatribe.com

The Sydney Kid’s Parties Ultimate Pop Star Experience is Pop Idol Parties! Watch this video to find out why.

For the Pop Idol Sydney Kid’s Parties, we comes to your home and cut a CD single staring the party boy or girl and their friends.

On arrival the kids gather for a pre-production meeting. We explain how they will experience a Day in the Life of a Pop Star.

Each song is rehearsed then recorded at least once to ensure a good result. The party children get to hear the song when they finish each recording.

This is followed by a Pop Idol Paparazzi Photo Session, where photographs are taken for the front cover and inside sleeve of the album. The party girl or boy also have their own photo session for the inside cover.

To keep the pop-star experience realistic, the kids finish by signing a mass of autographs which they can decorate as a piece of creative artwork.

The grand performance is then taken back to John’s studio where he performs his post-production magic.

Each guest receives their own CD of the Recording Session featuring their photos on the CD cover within ten working days.

Complete party packages are available to suit both large and small groups. All include a CD for every participant.

The finished Pop Idol Parties CD’s are a precious piece of memorabilia that friends and family will enjoy for years to come.

For further information bookings and pricing call:  0413 509 035

or email: john@monkeydrum.com.au

The Ultimate Pop Star Experience For Sydney Kids

We cover all areas of Sydney including Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Hills District, Southern Sydney and Sutherland Shire, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney’s Inner West and Western Suburbs

Canberra now has it’s own Pop Star music party with Pop Idol Parties being the latest craze. Created by musician/songwriter/music producer/music workshop facilitator John Bennetts in 2002 on Sydney’s northern beaches, Pop Idol Parties very quickly proved to be THE party of the year to have for your childs party.

Especially those families that have been through all the different party themes from jumping castles, clowns, jugglers, magicians etc and are looking for something unique or, for those children that are so into their music from such a young age.

With nearly every child owning some form of music player such as an iPod, CD player, Computer or on their mobile phone, it has become common place for children to hear their favourite music tracks whenever they feel like listening to them.

John Bennetts after having worked with children in school music programmes and parties for the past eight years understands that kids want to record their own music and have a Pop Star experience.

For the Pop Idol Parties we Rehearse and Record three songs, have a Pop Idol Paparazzi Photo Session and then the children all sign their Pop Star Autographs onto the back cover page of the CD. They can if they like turn each back cover into an individual piece of artwork.

To find out more watch this video and go to the HOME page for more details

We provide an invitation template you can download and customize with your own pictures and words to print and also you can Download and review the song list here and let us know your selection in advance.

To John/music man/party guy

Thank u for the greatest party ever
My friends and I had the time of our lives
We couldn’t wait for the cds 2 come back
They were a great big hit

I hope you will make other children’s birthdays be as popular and as fab as mine

Hugs and kisses from Madeleine

I was once told “Never work with Kids or animals” and as an entertainer I can understand there are many variables that can create a disaster at each turn. Since becoming an educator I have worked with kids for over eight years and takes a very different mindset.

Developing that mindset did take some time and especially with Children’s Parties where the chances of fun turning to disaster became even higher. The most important lesson I have learnt is Patience and Understanding…great tools for living a joyful life and so happy they have been part of the benefits of working with kids.

Every once in a while there is someone who sends back some feedback that just puts a smile on our face and makes us realise just how important it is to work with children and impart some of the knowledge learned over many years. In this case as a touring recording musician and having worked extensively in the music industry both on the road and in studios.

So, just wanted to share that with you and also this testimonial that came through from one of our happy children’s party goer. Thanks to Robyn, Steve, Lauren, Hayley & Joshua for their kind words.

cheers

JB

Dear John
Thank you so much for hosting such a wonderful Party for my girls 9th Birthday. Lauren & Hayley had a wonderful and were the talk of the playgound at school. Apparently it was the ‘Best Party Ever’.

The CD was wonderful and such a great keepsake. Everyone had a great time and I was amazed at how you were able to keep such a large group of girls interested and well behaved. You certainly have the knack.

Thanks again for helping make their birthday such a memorable one.

Regards
Robyn, Steve, Lauren, Hayley & Joshua.

Stop the world, I want to get off.
This is the latest newsletter posting from Karin de Vos @ Nurture House. Good advise for busy parents. I thought you’d like this.

Is your world spinning faster and faster? Are there more and more things to do and not enough hours in the day to do them? Does it feel as if you are being pulled along and you don’t have any choice?

This is a trap many of us fall into and it can make life with sensitive children stressful and even more unmanageable. If your sensitive kids are anything like mine, when I was stressed my eldest would become hyperactive and unfocused and my youngest would get sick with asthma and a cold. What a nightmare!

So what can you do about it? How can you break the cycle? Here are three steps that you may find useful:

Step 1 – Understand where you are living from
If you are living from your head, you just get dizzier and dizzier, until you eventually fall over. If you live from your centre, it is easier to focus on what is important to you and let everything else drop away.

Step 2 – Connect with what is important to you
The first thing you need to do is create a vision for yourself, your family and your children.

Next have a look at where you are expending your energy. Are you doing the things you love or the things you feel you should do? Are you nurturing and caring for yourself and your family or looking after everyone else? What are you doing to create a peaceful and harmonious home?

Another useful tip is to look at your world through the eyes of your children.

Step 3 – Stick to your vision
The final step is to stay focused on your vision. So when any new opportunity comes your way you can easily decide if it really what you want to do.

It is also important to learn to say no; schedule your time with lots of space to just hang with yourself, your partner and your children; and remember to look after your health.

May your month be filled with many magical moments with your child.

Warm regards
Karin de Vos
Nurture House
www.nurturehouse.com.au