Choosing a Safe Party Venue

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If you want to take the hassle and stress out of organising a children's party yourself - not to forget, avoiding having to clear up afterwards - then having it at a specialised party venue is a great alternative. Someone else does all the work and you just turn up with the children, then take them home again at the end - what could be better!

If you are going to use an external party venue, then you do need to be aware of safety issues and do your homework carefully before you book it. Most places are perfectly safe and are fully geared up to dealing with a mob of excited children, but it's always good to get full reassurance that they'll be trained staff on hand, looking after them at all times.

Children's parties are held by all sorts of different venues, from swimming pools and leisure centres, to farms, outdoor activity centres, museums, children's attractions and restaurants/children's eateries.

Issues to Consider

Before choosing a party venue, you need to consider various issues. Apart from the basics, such as what type of party your child is looking for, they'll be practical issues, such as where the perfect location is, how many children it can hold/cater for, how long the party will last, what types of activities will be on offer and, last but not least, how much you want to spend on it all.

These days, some parents spend huge amounts of money on elaborate parties, but a good venue can create a fun, enjoyable and memorable celebration without off-the-top spending or fuss. They key thing is that a good venue knows how to meet children's needs, but also takes into consideration safety issues, and ensures everyone is safe at all times.

If you don't know of any suitable venues, then ask around, as word of mouth is often a great way of obtaining information. Ask other parents and other children and, when you've sussed out some potential places, call in or phone the venues and find out more details.

Questions to Ask

Getting more information about the venues you're interested in is part of the information gathering stage. It's crucial for you, so don't be afraid to bombard the party venue staff with questions. After all, your children and others will be in their care and you need to know they're up to scratch. Also, don't forget that first impressions count too. If you don't get a good feeling about a venue, or have concerns at the back of your mind, then don't discard them without considering them. A parent's intuition is often very right!

There's likely to be tons of questions on your mind, but from a safety point of view, here are some examples of questions to ask:

How many staff do you have on duty for parties?
What's the ratio of staff to children at any one time?
How long have you been running parties?
What sort of activities will you offer?
If it's a swimming pool - are there any lifeguards and how many do you have?
If it's a children's eatery or restaurant - do you cater for children with food allergies?
If it's a farm - what safety measures do you employ?
Have you ever had any problems with parties?
What is your first aid procedure?
Do you have a trained first aider on duty?
Are there any other parents you could put me in touch with to gain first hand experiences/opinions?
Is there a party coming up that you could see in action?
Do you have any written feedback from other parents to look at?
Are children supervised from beginning to end?
How long does the party last?

Once you've received answers to your queries and are fully satisfied that the venue meets all your requirements, and that the staff are fully trained and will keep your children safe, it's time to book it - then let the party commence!