If you’ve never hosted a Pamper Party before, or never even thought much about doing so, it can be daunting, particularly with the added pressure of trying to create a memorable birthday party for your pre teen daughter and her friends. With this in mind, let’s start with the basics. The ideal number of guests, depending on venue size, would be 4-6 people; you want to have enough people so that some can chat whilst others are being pampered. Try to keep the invitations elegant and sophisticated to set the tone from the moment the envelopes are opened.
The best spa like experiences involve serene spaces dedicated to relaxation and pampering. This is probably not possible in any home with children, but it’s amazing what a bountiful supply of fresh towels and fairy lights can do to transform a sitting room. Lay towels across sofas and chairs to create separate, designated pamper stations. Try to get some fresh flowers and scented candles to maximise the spa like atmosphere. Complete the scene with some ambient music; music streaming services offer playlists for relaxation and there are even apps offering music for meditation.
If you’ve got a few guests, it might be an idea to draw up a list of appointment times for each pampering activity. This adds a degree of authenticity to the process, which the guests will love, but it also makes it easier for you to run the party to a time table – maximum enjoyment time, minimum faff and stress.
Greet your guests with a refreshing iced water/hint of cucumber/hint of mint kind of drink to kick off the event in true spa style and lead them to the pamper area. If your guests are anything like my daughter and her friends, they will be fairly chatty and excitable to say the least, so allow a good ten minutes for them to settle in. A face mask kit is a good way to start. It will take about 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes or so to apply the mask. The guests can, for the most part, concoct the mask by themselves and, while they relax in their masks you could set out a few nibbles before the next stage of the party. Try to keep to the healthy theme and offer chopped fruit and veg with a few dips.
A lip balm kit works well as a second stage activity. It does require a degree of adult supervision, so make sure that you are an active participant in your daughter’s party, not simply a bystander who serves food. The great thing is the guests will have something they’ve made to take home in the party bag– keeping the fun and memories going.
If your guests are creative and hands on they might, at this half way point, choose another ‘concoctional’ activity. Something like a foot salt scrub which combines creating a scrummy jar of flavoured scrub which exfoliates and moisturises, with the pure joy of a foot massage. Any leftovers (in a personalised jar) can be added to the party bag.
If they prefer all out pampering, a nail painting session might suit. An age-appropriate kit has everything you need to create a perfect manicure: orange sticks, emery boards and toe separators as well as a selection of colours and finish options.
Leaving the guests to enjoy the final moments of pampering, will give you the time to set up the birthday tea. Why not continue the sophisticated theme by using proper glasses for their drinks and pretty china for the food – dainty sandwiches and beautifully decorated cupcakes.
And there you have it – the perfect, bespoke Pamper Party, with a minimum of stress, a maximum of fun and unique happy memories for your guests. Just add birthday cake!
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