X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • SPF 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • Events
  • Aptamil
    • Immunity
    • Intelligence
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • VIP

How to host a great play date

6 min read
How to host a great play date

Not sure what to do or how to prepare for a play date in your home? Here's an easy and fuss-free guide on how to be a good host and how to plan a fun time for your child and his friends.

Play dates are a great way for your child to develop his social skills, learn how to share with his friends and just have fun in the comfort of his own home.

If you are hosting your very first play date but not sure where to start, or you had one before and it didn’t turn out very well, here’s an easy guide to how you can host a great play date with (hopefully) no tears from the little ones – and mums!

Emotional development

Depending on your child’s age, just a few friends is more than enough for a fun play date.

Basic rules

Even though play dates should be fun, there are still a few basic rules you should set to avoid any unecessary stress on your part.

1. Limit the number of kids

You might be tempted to invite more than a handful of your child’s friends over for the afternoon, but remember that this is not a birthday party.

Depending on your child’s age, even just one friend can be plenty of fun.

2. Drop-off or parent-accompanied?

Be sure to make it clear with the other parents whether or not they will be staying for the entire play date, or if they will be dropping off their child and picking him up later.

This is not a free babysitting session, so don’t feel shy to discuss it beforehand.

Toddlers (one to three year olds) will still need their mum or dad to stay close, but some preschoolers (four to six year olds) should already be ok with being dropped off, depending on the individual.

3. Set an exact time

Schedule the play date around the kids’ nap times to avoid any crankiness or total meltdowns. Also, agree on an exact timeslot so that you don’t have any guests overstaying their welcome when you need to start cooking dinner.

The duration of the play date should be the same number of hours as your child’s age. So for example if your child is three years old, then the play date should be about three hours.

Getting ready

Now that you’ve invited a few of your child’s friends and their mums to your house for a play date, what else should you do before all the guests arrive?

talking to your kid

Talk to your child about the upcoming play date so she knows what to expect.

1. Tidy up a bit

You don’t have to scrub the floors, polish the furniture or clean the windows – this is a play date, not an open house for potential buyers.

Just tidy things up a little bit by clearing any clutter away, wiping up the trails of cookie crumbs on your sofa, and hiding the mountain of laundry you have yet to get around to folding.

You don’t have to impress the other mums and dads with your perfect cleaning skills, but do prepare a safe and hygienic space for your child and his tiny guests.

2. Remember your pets

Not everyone is comfortable with an over enthusiastic dog leaping on them and licking their whole face, some may even be scared of cats, or perhaps a child might have a pet allergy.

It’s probably better to keep Fluffy or Fido in another room from where the kids will be playing, or at least give your guests a heads up so you know if they’re ok with a furry four-legged pal roaming around.

3. Prepare your child

Talk to your child about the play date, tell him what to expect and remind him how to behave when his guests are over.

If he has a favourite toy which he might not want to share with others, avoid any drama and just put it away for the time being.

4. Plan some fun activities

You’re not Mary Poppins and the other parents don’t expect you put on a puppet show to entertain the kids. But it’s a good idea to have a few activities planned out in case the children don’t want to play with the toys anymore and need a few ideas to get the fun started.

Something simple like blowing bubbles outdoor, or a play dough corner with lots of cookie cutters, or even a bucket of crayons and a large sheet of mahjong paper for the mini artists to create a masterpiece together.

Snack, eat, food, kids, grow, treat, yummy

Prepare some simple snacks for the kids and parents at your play date.

Partner Stories
Baby Weight Chart in Singapore: Unlock the Secrets to Assessing Newborn Weight!
Baby Weight Chart in Singapore: Unlock the Secrets to Assessing Newborn Weight!
Concerned About Your Baby’s and Your Sensitive Skin? Here’s How You Can Make a Tangible Difference 
Concerned About Your Baby’s and Your Sensitive Skin? Here’s How You Can Make a Tangible Difference 
Boost Your Toddler's Intelligence: The Surprising Link Between Immunity and Learning!
Boost Your Toddler's Intelligence: The Surprising Link Between Immunity and Learning!
To The Mum Anxious About Her Toddler’s Health…
To The Mum Anxious About Her Toddler’s Health…

Be a good host

Your guests are here, so what happens next? Besides letting the little ones have the freedom to play and explore together, there are a few final touches to make this play date a great one.

1. Offer snacks and drinks

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – a mixed fruit salad, some cookies, juice or milk is fine for hungry little tummies. Accompanying parents will also appreciate a hot cup of tea or coffee.

But remember to ask first if anyone has any dietary restrictions or allergies.

2. Don’t ignore the kids

It’s understandable that mums and dads might get a little caught up in chatting with each other and excited at the opportunity to finally having some proper adult conversation, but it’s important to still keep an eye on the little ones at all times to make sure they’re not doing something dangerous.

Not only that but for young children, playtime with parents is still important and they crave for their parents’ attention, so the adults should stay close and occassionally interact with the kids as well.

3. Have fun!

Ultimately, the goal of this play date is for your child and his friends to have fun while you enjoy the company of the other parents.

Don’t feel too stressed about it having to be the most perfect play date in history – as long as the little ones had fun and can’t wait to see each other again at the next meet-up, you know you did a good job.

Do you have any other tips on how to host a great play date? Or would you like to share any disaster stories of a play date gone wrong? Tell us in the comments section below!

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Dew M. Chaiyanara

  • Home
  • /
  • Toddler
  • /
  • How to host a great play date
Share:
  • Do You Know These 5 Golden Rules of Playdate Etiquette?

    Do You Know These 5 Golden Rules of Playdate Etiquette?

  • East vs. West: Which side of Singapore has the most fun for kids? (Part 2)

    East vs. West: Which side of Singapore has the most fun for kids? (Part 2)

  • STUDY: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters - What Does It Mean For You?

    STUDY: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters - What Does It Mean For You?

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • Do You Know These 5 Golden Rules of Playdate Etiquette?

    Do You Know These 5 Golden Rules of Playdate Etiquette?

  • East vs. West: Which side of Singapore has the most fun for kids? (Part 2)

    East vs. West: Which side of Singapore has the most fun for kids? (Part 2)

  • STUDY: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters - What Does It Mean For You?

    STUDY: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters - What Does It Mean For You?

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it