Entertaining Young Children
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Entertaining Young Children

Although it might seem simple to keep kids happy and entertained, the process is a lot more difficult than most people realize. I started thinking more seriously about going through and entertaining the kids in my house, and it occurred to me that we could do better. I began carefully considering all of the different aspects of entertainment, and I was really surprised with how many options were out there. I wanted to start a new website that looked at entertainment from a parenting perspective. Check out these posts to find out how you can keep your kids happy without compromising their intelligence.

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Entertaining Young Children

5 Tips To Turn Your House Into A Fun And Functional Party Venue

Rhonda Gardner

The way you arrange the tables and chairs for your big dinner party can have a profound effect on guest enjoyment. How? Here are 5 big tips to keep things comfortable and flowing.

Disregard Room Use. When setting up for a large dinner or house party, don't feel bound by how the rooms are normally used. The largest room in the public entertainment areas should become the centerpiece of the dining setup. This could be the living room, family room, or even an outdoor entertainment space. Once you get all the tables set up, linens over them, and decorations up, your guests will hardly be able to tell what the room is supposed to be for.

Use Displaced Furniture. You'll probably need to move a fair amount of normal furniture to make way for tables, chairs, and mingling space. What should you do with this furniture? Why not use it to create a conversation lounge? Gather sofas, love seats, soft chairs, coffee tables, and the like in a free area — such as the garage or even out on the back deck. Then, make use of it to create a quiet getaway from the party chaos in the rest of the house. 

Provide Traffic Flow. Many hosts make the mistake of forgetting to leave sufficient space for people to navigate around the tables and rooms. This is a grave mistake because it will hinder mingling, annoy guests, and cause collisions. Try to leave walkways around the edges of rooms as well as clear and obstacle-free traffic paths among tables. Test your traffic flow by traveling between rooms carrying plates, talking with others, and herding children. 

Don't Bunch Up the Stations. Food and beverage stations naturally become places to hang out and talk. They also tend to attract people all at the same time. So, your best solution is to place them around rooms and away from each other. Try to avoid placing food or drink areas near the entrance or exits so you don't develop a bottleneck — and to discourage drinking and driving. 

Repurpose Furnishings. Another way to use that displaced furniture and create more efficiency is to make use of it as party stations. Throw plastic and a tablecloth over any dresser or table to create an additional serving station. Serve drinks from a bookcase. Use chairs, desks, or even artwork as decoration bases or party signage holders. Be creative, and you'll not only make more space but also create a conversation starter.

Your home can become Party Central with just a little creative reuse of the rooms and furnishings as well as attention to the practical side of table placement. Contact a company, like Party People Rentals & Sales, for more help. And then the fun can begin!


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