The Must-Give Hostess Gift You Should Bring to Every Kid-Friendly Party

Supervision. SUPERvision! SuperVISION?

Supervision is a real letdown of a word. Super + Vision sounds like something that Wonder Woman has, and not something parents are required to do with their pre-schoolers, 24/7. Parents know that supervision is important - especially the supervision of preschoolers doing art. I learned this the hard way, recently.

Or, there was the time they crafted “special hats” while we were having my husband’s client over for dinner...

I’d love to be able to say these were the first, second, or third time incidents like this have happened while I’m hosting guests. My “World’s Okayist Mom” mug is in the mail, but my sense of humour is still intact. (Related: The living room area rug is much less intact.) If I can’t walk away from the kids for a moment, how am I expected to host guests?

I come from a gigantic, culturally blended, extended family that celebrates together quite often. With four generations, including seven little great-grandkids running around, managing the mischief during a party can be rough.

This past Thanksgiving, my aunt, a mom of four and a grandmother, brought a secret weapon to dinner (where I was serving dinner to 32). She brought a bag of Crayola Color Wonder Mess Free markers and paper for all the kids. Experienced moms really do know everything. These art supplies granted the adults some unsupervised, creative kid-play time. This also meant uninterrupted grown up time (read: more wine drinking and loud laughing).

At first, I didn’t notice what an amazing hostess gift this was. It was when I began the post-party clean-up that I realized how un-markered the table, the walls, the little fingers, and the faces were.

It was then that I realized the best hostess gift should afford the hostess time to actually enjoy hosting. So, I let my girls take some of the Crayola Color Wonder gear for a spin at home, so I could understand how the mess-free magic was happening.

Color Wonder art supplies - including markers, finger paints, and stamps – only work on the Crayola Color Wonder paper. Your walls, tables, rugs, fingers, and faces stay clean. How amazing is that?

My aunt’s gifting wisdom got me thinking about the other lessons I’ve learned in hosting and attending parties with lots of little kids. Here are some tips that may help you:

Tips for HOSTING A PARTY WITH KIDS AT PLAY

1. Give the kids their own area to play – even if it’s just a blanket with activities set out. It defines their “zone of destruction.”
2. If possible, anoint the older kids to be leaders or special helpers. Giving them a job to do (“can you please help the little ones to open their markers, and show them how to put the lids on?”) will prevent a messy disaster, and build their confidence as chief supervisors.
3. Childproof as much as possible ahead of time: an ounce of prevention will make your anti-supervision approach worth it, and safe.

Tip for IF YOU’RE ATTENDING A PARTY WITH KIDS AT PLAY

1. Arrive on time and leave on time. People with kids can’t afford a bedtime meltdown at their party. They’re already too damn tired to live.
2. Be enthusiastic and pitch in with random stuff: Help with cooking, wiping, table-setting, or even putting the caps back on the Color Wonder markers...a helpful party guest is a repeat party guest.
3. Get ready to laugh! A party with kids in attendance is the antidote to stuffy formality. Lean in!
4. If you’re bringing a hostess gift, the stereotype is real: Moms need wine, coffee, and things to occupy their kiddos. See below for some ideas!

We had another hosting win during our recent Halloween party. The adults drank spiked apple cider upstairs, and costumed kids made art and laughed downstairs. Best part: The kids got creative with little to no supervision. No one had to worry about my two-year-old painting her whole face...again.

The Color Wonder products had now been stress-tested through two huge family get-togethers. So, I got serious about making some mischief-managing hostess gifts for upcoming parties since we're heading into that busy get-together time of year. Here are 3 ideas:

1. For Girls’ Night In

  TO MAKE THIS BASKET: Color Wonder Paw Patrol Mess Free Markers and Paper + bottle of wine + basket, wrapping, & glasses from dollar store = Lots of great wine-fuelled laughs, and creative kiddos.

2. For the Mom-Group Playdate

  TO MAKE THIS BASKET: Color Wonder Thomas and Friends Mess Free Markers and Paper + stolen and re-packaged halloween candy + two dollar store mugs with two single serve coffees + basket & wrapping from dollar store = Happy caffeinated moms; happily distracted kiddos.

3. For Christmas Dinner

  TO MAKE THIS BASKET: Crayola Color Wonder Glitter Paper Kit + home baking + basket and wrapping from dollar store = Happy hostess who doesn’t need to bake dessert, and creatively occupied kiddos.

You'll most definitely be invited back by your hostesses!

Forget needing the superpower of SUPERvision. There’s no need for a superpower when you have creative distraction for the kids. Cheers to your hosting, and toasting!