Perfect Parties with Kit & Caboodle

I never understood the significance of a child’s birthday party until I became a parent myself. It’s only now that I realise it’s not only a celebration for the child but for the parents too. Caterpillar’s first birthday was particularly emotional for me. We’d had such a rocky first few months so reaching that milestone felt incredible. Naturally, I wanted to ensure he had an adorable party to match the emotional impact.

When I was a child, birthday parties consisted of bowls of jelly & ice cream and your dad dressed as a clown, but these days the pressure is on with Pinterest perfect creations completely surrounding us. That’s why company’s like Kit & Caboodle are so awesome because they remove some of the stress without taking away the style.

Launched by two mums earlier this year, they offer a DIY Party Kit, delivered anywhere in the UK, encompassing everything you might need to plan a gorgeous, fun-filled party for your kids. Lots of the children’s party decorations available in the shops are over-the-top, tacky or cheap-looking but absolutely everything Kit & Caboodle include is classy and stylish. They offer a choice of five themes, suitable for both boys and girls; Dinosaur Roar, Chocolate Factory, Unicorn, Science Lab & Galaxy, and each kit includes absolutely everything you could possibly think of, such as:

• Decorations; balloons & garlands in a large variety of sizes and colours
• Everything for the table; coordinated paper plates, cups, straws, napkins, a paper table cover and confetti
• Themed dress up items for the kids, which also double as favours for them to take home
• Three party activities including all the props, instructions and prizes
• Adorable paper party bags
• Thank you cards & stickers
• Thoughtful extras such as a balloon pump (very handy!), themed printables and checklists.

What I love

• The style. The designs are just Instagramable perfection and beautiful quality
• The colours. Similarly, the colour choices are gorgeous too – I especially love the silver, black, white & bright blue of the Galaxy theme
• The themes. These five themes cover most children’s tastes and make a refreshing change from the branded/TV character items we’re all familiar with
• The convenience. Once you’ve chosen your kit, it’s delivered to your door free of charge, thus saving you the hassle negotiating the shops with your little ones or searching for everything separately online

My favourites

Here are just a few of my favourite items from across the collection:

1. This beautiful silver & blue balloon selection from the Galaxy theme
2. Pin The Skull On The Dinosaur; such a creative spin on a classic party game
3. Lickable Candy Wallpaper Strips; seriously, is there anything more hilarious for kids than a game where you lick the wall?!
4. The bright colours and bold prints of this Chocolate Party tableware
5. Educational edible molecules activity; fun and learning for budding young scientists
6. These stylish honeycomb decorations from the Unicorn theme

Prices for a kit begin at £99 and depend on the number of party guests which isn’t too bad when you consider how much you receive in your kit and the quality of the products. If you wanted a cheaper, smaller scale alternative Kit & Caboodle also offer mini kits which start at £39 and include balloons and decorations, party table items, dress up accessories, party game ideas card and party bags which I think is excellent value. They also offer additional items to purchase separately such as handmade pass the parcel and cake decorating kits to match your chosen theme.

Their website is clear and very easy to use, which is always a bonus in my book. Plus, Kit & Caboodle have been awarded the Toymark Award for Good Practice for their work on not categorising by gender which is so important to me and, more recently, they have won a Families Homepreneur award.

For more information visit www.kitcaboodle.co.uk and use the code BUTTERFLY at the checkout for 15% off.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post. Words & opinions are all my own.