I have slightly complicated feelings about the phrase “kids’ pamper party”.
On one hand, children absolutely deserve a day that feels special. They love getting together, making a mess, being silly, wearing a crown and feeling like the whole afternoon has been made just for them.
On the other, I do not think children need to be handed an adult beauty routine in miniature. They do not need acids, anti-ageing products, mirrors or a list of things about themselves to improve.
The best kids’ pamper parties are not really about beauty at all.
They are about friendship, imagination, plants, creativity and that lovely sort of concentration that happens when a child has a bowl of petals, a wooden spoon and permission to make something completely pointless and magical.
That is why I made Little Wild Spa. I wanted to bring back some of the things children used to do without being taught. Mixing, collecting, naming, pretending, and getting their hands into things. Just lost in play.
Here are some ideas that give children everything they are really hoping for from a pamper party: face masks, foot soaks, flower crowns and their own little treatments, with a bit more imagination and a lot more nature in the mix!
1. Make botanical bath potions
This is usually where they will all head first. Put out the bowls, spoons, salts, oats, petals and herbs and let them mix up their own bath potion.
They can name it, label it and take it home. You will get things like Mermaid Bath, Sleepy Fairy Potion and “This One Is for My Annoying Brother”.
2. Make flower crowns
A flower crown does not have to be perfectly woven to be lovely. Paper bands, a little tape and some dried or fresh flowers work beautifully.
Calendula, lavender, chamomile and rose petals all make it feel a bit more magical. Let them make them wild - the wonky ones are usually the best ones!
3. Serve cucumber spa water
A jug of water with cucumber slices, lemon or berries in it instantly makes the table feel like a proper spa day.
Give everyone a little cup or a fancy glass if you are brave enough. They will love it!
4. Use cucumber slices for tired eyes
Put a few cucumber slices in a bowl and let the children have their “spa photo” moment.
A couple of minutes lying back with cucumber slices on their eyes, a blanket and some music is enough to make them feel very grown up indeed.
5. Set up a face-mask station
Children really do want the face-mask bit. Set out little bowls and brushes, then let them take turns having their spa treatment.
It does not need to be complicated. The joy is sitting there in a towel or headband, being treated like a queen for five minutes and looking at one another afterwards trying not to smile to crack the clay!
6. Make botanical foot soaks
A little tub or bowl of warm water, salts, petals and herbs makes a gorgeous foot soak station.
Put down some towels, let them choose what goes in and give them time to sit and soak their feet. It is one of those things that feels properly luxurious when you are small.
7. Try a hand soak
Not every child wants their feet out at a party, and a hand soak is just as lovely.
Warm water, a few petals, oats or salts, then a towel to dry off afterwards. Simple, but it makes them feel looked after.
8. Add hand massages
This is the bit that feels most like a real pamper party.
Show them how to rub a little balm or lotion into their own hands slowly, then let them give one another a hand massage if they want to. Some children will take this very seriously. Others will dissolve into giggles immediately.
9. Add a hair-pamper corner
Put out a brush, ribbons, clips and a few little flowers. Some children will want plaits, some will want a flower tucked behind an ear and some will be entirely happy just watching everybody else.
It still feels like a proper salon treatment, without needing another product.
10. Make a spa menu
Give the children some card and pens and let them make the menu for their own spa.
They can decide what treatments are on offer, what they are called and how much they cost. Fairy Foot Soak, Moon Mask, Cucumber Eyes and Lavender Hand Magic are all very likely to appear.
11. Create a relaxation corner
Put out cushions, blankets and a little bit of gentle music. Somewhere the children can sit while they are waiting for a treatment or simply have a quieter moment.
Don't worry about it being huge, a few cushions in the corner with some books or age appropriate magazines is enough.
12. Learn about the flowers and herbs they are using
While they are mixing and soaking, tell them a little about what is in front of them.
Chamomile, rose, lavender, calendula and lemon balm all have their own stories. Children love knowing that the things in their bowls came from real plants and have been used for generations.
13. Take a proper spa photo
Flower crowns, cucumber eyes, towels around their shoulders and a very serious spa face. Take the photo.
They will be ridiculous and brilliant, and it gives everyone something to look back on afterwards.
14. Finish with a little spa tea
Bring out the snacks, fruit, fairy cakes and drinks at the end, when everyone is warm, relaxed and probably covered in petals.
A children’s pamper party does not need to be complicated, or extravagant, it just needs to feel special. A few bowls, a few flowers, some warm water and enough time for them to sit together, laugh and feel like the day was made for them.
15. Send them home with something they made
The best party bags are not bags of plastic bits that end up under the sofa by Tuesday.
Send them home with their potion, their recipe card, their crown or their little muslin bag. Something they have made themselves will mean more, and it lets the magic of the afternoon come home with them.
A kids’ pamper party does not need to be about making children look "prettier" with make up or nail polish. They are already far too lovely for that nonsense and they are beautiful exactly as they are.
It can be about helping them feel special, creative and connected to one another. It can be an afternoon of flowers, stories, herbs and silliness. It can give them a little piece of childhood that does not involve a screen, a trend or a product being sold to them.
That is what I hope Little Wild Spa gives them: tiny hands, big magic, and something far more lasting than a party game.
If you are planning a nature-inspired party at home, our Little Wild Spa pamper party kit brings together the botanicals, bowl, spoon, cards and little details you need to get started. You bring the children, the snacks and a willingness to sweep up petals afterwards.
