Life & Work

Parents dig deep to give children dream parties

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From left, Funscapes indoor family entertainment centre at the Thika Road Mall in Nairobi and children at the GP Karting track. PHOTO | FILE

Children’s birthday parties aren’t just about the kids anymore. Today, it is a competition to see who can host the biggest and most expensive party for their child as parents try to outdo each other.

Whether one decides to have a house party or hire a venue, the trend is to host the biggest party that will leave tongues wagging for months to come.

This competitiveness is said to be a result of the pressure from peers who have hosted lavish parties for their children, or even children who have attended such parties and want their parents to host a similar or bigger event.

Some parents looking for creativity and flair are opting to hire event planners three months in advance to make the day a success.

Ms Wanyora Kimani, whose daughter turned one in April, sought the services of Ruth, a party planner, to arrange and coordinate the activities of the day.

Ms Kimani spent about Sh140,000 for the birthday party that hosted 30 children and 35 adults. The cost included hiring a themed deco, play equipment such as bouncing castles and water slides, among others, as well as paying the planner.

“It was my daughters 1st birthday and I wanted it to be as special and elaborate as possible without having to worry about all the intricate details,” she says.

This new trend has seen a host of children’s parties event planners crop up in recent years due to the high demand for their services. Many planners also supply the treats at these events.

A planner helps in various ways: from customising the invitation cards to matching party themes; coming up with a checklist of entertainment; scheduling activities; booking the event items; setting up the party to coordinating the activities of the day to ensure the children have a great time.

At the end of the day, the invited children will bring presents but they will not go back home empty handed as the trend today is for the host to give away party favours in the form of gifts.

Ruth Nyabwa of Classique Touch Kids Parties says parents feel the need to host lavish parties due to the fact that their peers are hosting such parties for their children. The pressure comes from wanting to keep up but also from their children who are aware of exactly how they want their parties.

Most parents who are invited to these lavish parties often ask for referrals and want to host bigger parties than the ones hosted by their friends.

“I have seen cases were parents will enquire about the cost of a party and want to top that by adding more activities and equipment,” says Ms Nyabwa, who started off as a wedding planner before quitting due to slow and erratic business. Nowadays she hosts a children’s party almost every weekend.

“They are easy to manage and one can plan for more than one party at the same time unlike weddings which are more demanding,” she says, adding that she deals with up to 10 parties in a week as the planning has been made easier with the coming on board of various birthday party suppliers.

Themed birthday parties have become the norm as more children identify with their favourite cartoon characters.

Although lavish birthday parties have been a trend among the affluent in the society, the growing middle class has caught up and are simply outdoing themselves when it comes to splashing money on their children.

“Most people in the middle class have a decent disposable income with many setting aside an entertainment budget not only for themselves but for their children as well,” says Ms Nyabwa.

Interestingly, in her two years of event planning, she has noted that some of the most expensive birthday parties are those for one-year-olds with the cost going down as the child grows older. What this means is that a party for a one-year-old is for the parents and their friends and not so much for the child who barely knows what is going on.

Most parents are excited about their children’s first birthday and are willing to spend without restraint.

Mary Wavinya, a mother of three, concurs saying her children had the best first birthday parties and with time, the birthdays have been taken to school as that is what the child wants.

Some of the items budgeted for in these parties include hiring the venue, equipment, themed items such as seats and tables and cutlery as well as the mascot characters. Party favours have also become a common practice were invited kids get to take home gifts.

Party Supplies Kenya, a company which supplies themed birthday party items has a range of party favours which match the different cartoon characters.

These are packed in gift bags with various items inside depending on the theme of the party.

The selection of gifts include colouring books, stickers, bracelets, balloons, wrist bands, puzzles, beauty set, necklaces, crystal rings and key chains, among other items. Each theme has a selection of some of these items and each gift bag goes for Sh300.

These extravagant parties have also put pressure on parents of the invited children to bring expensive gifts because they fear losing face if they present a cheap gift.

Venue

There is also the option of having an indoor or outdoor party, with the outdoors favoured as the children can participate in a variety of activities.

There are various venues available for such events, from empty space where one hires party equipment to places where everything has already been set up.

Majority of parents usually host these parties in venues they often visit with the children on weekends.

Outdoor venues such as the Splash Water World in Carnivore, GP Karting, Jolly Ranger theme park in Karen, Children’s World Kenya, Mamba Village, Salto Jamboree in Karen and Paradise Lost in Kiambu are famous for the various children’s activities offered.

For those opting for indoor venues, ice skating at Panari Centre, Play City, Funscapes and the Nairobi Art Centre offer some of the best rates. To hire playing grounds with the equipment already in place, parents are often charged per child.

Shradha Agrawal, director of Funscapes, an indoor miniature amusement park at Thika Road Mall, says they have several bookings a month for birthday parties.

“We offer various packages which include booking of the 100 person room, playing games in the vicinity, and food. However, it is not exclusive” says Agrawal.

The charges range from Sh600, Sh800 and Sh1,000 per child to access the play area. This includes venue, tokens for each child, a Funscapes card with redeemable game points, pizza and the birthday cake.

Although getting the venue is a priority, other issues to do with catering and event planning are of essence.

Activities

With a host of activities to choose from, parents are can budget appropriately.

Ms Nyabwa classifies these activities into two: the Disney world which has activities one would find in Disney World such as the merry-go-round, quad bikes, train, caterpillar tunnels, painting and mascots, among others, and aquatic activities which include a mobile pool, water balls, ducks, water slides and bumper boats.

These activities go with the theme of the party as well as the children’s ages.

Most times the event planners come up with a selection of games while parents can also ask for tailor-made games to suit each age group.

Ms Nyabwa also offers these services where she comes with her staff who help to coordinate the activities of the day as well as ensure the children are safe while playing.

“You will find that most parents taking their children for these parties do not want to participate in any way; some will want to relax and watch their children play from afar while others will drop them off and leave. So we have the option of bringing care givers who will feed, cater for the children’s needs and ensure they are safe,” she says.

At times they involve willing parents in the games, which act as an icebreaker and helps them mingle

Cost

“The parent’s budget determines the activities for the day,” says Ms Nyabwa.

The budget will help determine the equipment to hire out, as well as the deco and catering services. One’s budget can be as little as Sh20,000 for a small party of 10 kids to as high as one wants it to be.

“The most expensive birthday I have planned for was one for Sh1.5 million. It was for a one-year-old and had everything, from a large dome tent with different decorative tents, various cakes and desserts for 400 guests of whom 100 were children,” Ms Nyabwa says.

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