THREE quarters of British mums find organising a child's party stressful and 26 per cent feel under pressure to throw bigger, better parties each year according to a recent survey undertaken by children's party organisers Les Enfants (www.lesenfants.co.uk).

The survey investigated what mums think about a range of party-related issues, from how much to spend, to food, and the thorny issue of party bags, with the intention to provide guidance to stressed out mums who are unsure where to start.

The survey revealed that the average cost of a child's party is in the region of £200. Most parents (44.9 per cent) spend between £100 and £200 per party while 35.8 per cent spend less than £100. However, 11 per cent spend up to £300, just under 5 per cent spend up to £500 and almost 3 per cent are willing to fork out up to £1000 per party.

And move over jelly and ice cream and make way for carrot sticks. The healthy eating message is making an impact with 82.1 per cent of mums feeling that party food should offer a good mix of healthy options alongside regular party treats. Only 15 per cent think parties should exclusively feature traditional - and less healthy - party foods like cakes, ice cream, biscuits and sweets.