I am going to have to invite the whole class, aren't I?

[BobblyGussets]

Short notice birthday party for DS2 next week after school. I am doing the party at home, because I spent so much on getting an hilarious childrens' entertainer to come and the kids will be getting fish fingers, pizza, veggie dog type "tea time food", because it is straight after school.

There are 30 in DSs class. Could I get away with only inviting 15 or 20? I am feeling squeamish about it because they will be coming straight from school, so the ones not invited would "know". Should I try to squeeze all 30 in? WIBU to only invite some, not all?

Also, I don't want to do party bags. I could maybe do a lucky dip at the end at the most. This won't cause too much wailing and gnashing of teeth will it? The little plastic toys that end up in land fill and that are made by people like the ones in that Bangladesh clothes factory aren't really any good to anyone IMO, so I just need the bottle not to do party bags .

[grograg]

If its a class of 30 it's fine to just invite 15.

I'd just do a slice of cake or sweet cone at the end.

[Bunraku]

I wouldn't see a problem inviting 15/20 as long as its not just 1 child excluded it wouldn't be an issue for me

[Justforlaughs]

Don't invite the whole class, no need. No chance that I would have 30 in my house. Lucky Dips are much more fun than party bags anyway. We had one of those "grow your own" tomato plant in pot things from a party on Saturday. My DD loved it.

[Fillyjonk75]

Invite 10. 15 is loads at home. Make it easy on yourself.

[BobblyGussets]

Ok, I am going to be sensible. 15 will do and if the weather is nice, it'll be great. I invited all 30 of Ds1s class when he turned five, thinking "not everyone will accept the invitation", but they all did. I remember being aghast at a "cyclone" of kids whirling round the hall that we hired.

[Margetts]

Ask your child who he wants to come to his party, he won't want anymore than 15.
I would hand out cake and a small gift, like lego figures or balloons that light up are always popular, or Lidl do packets of seeds like sunflowers and pumpkins for 69p.
Get your son to decorate brown paper bags as party bags, of the children at the party.

[MRSJWRTWR]

I think you would be ok to just invite 15/20. Even with inviting 30 you might only get 20ish anyway. DS2 was in a class of 30 and for Reception and Y1 I invited everyone and ended up with only 20ish attending.

He's in Y2 now and I wouldn't usually be doing the whole class party thing again this year but he started a new school in Sept so I am in the process of organising it for one more year.

The lucky dip thing sounds great.

[talkingnonsense]

Just make sure you don't miss out just one or two boys/ one or two girls. Tbh I would go for inviting all the boys, plus any gel he genuinely plays with. Being the only boy left out is just as bad as being the only one!

[DeskPlanner]

Don't invite the whole class, if your doing it at home. Therein madness lies.

Lucky dip on the way out for something non landfillable is a great idea. Kids love lucky dips.

[exexpat]

What's the gender split in his class, and does he have any particular friends amongst the girls who would be miffed to be left out? Because often at that age the simplest thing is just to invite all the children of the same gender - a simple rule like that saves any issues with picking who his actual friends are for the guest list, who he likes best, accusations of leaving anyone out etc.

Doesn't work so well if your DS has close friends who are girls, of course, or if the class is nearly all boys...

Lucky dip plus slice of cake has worked well for me in the past.

[Iggi101]

What goes into a lucky dip? (Storing up ideas). Is it not the same stuff you'd get in a party bag?
I can see I'll be asking the class next year, or all the boys, as I get so sad if I see that ds hasn't got an invite when other kids have (I think probably bothers me more than him to be fair).

[Dolallytats]

We had DS's 5th birthday party at home and invited 15 out of the 30 in his class. We live in a fairly small flat and there is no way any more than that would have fitted in!!

For the party bags I got a Mr.Men/Little Miss book for each of them that were only a pound each at 'The works', popped in a chocolate, balloon and a piece of cake. I had also bought animal/insect masks to colour in.

We did have a couple of games of pass the parcel & musical statues, but they actually spent most of the time in the bedroom bashing each other with lightsabers, swords and shields. Fun was had by all, although it was a mad, very loud 2 hours!!

[exexpat]

Lucky dip can be anything, but the general idea is that it is just one slightly more worthwhile thing, maybe costing a couple of pounds, rather than a bag full of little bits of plastic crap and sweets, which will all be eaten/destroyed/lost within ten minutes.

[exexpat]

Oh, and a lucky dip is another fun activity to do to round off the party - more exciting than just being handed a bag on the way out.

[Justforlaughs]

Iggi101 when I did a lucky dip I bought things throughout teh year in sales, that cost no more than 50p tops. Only 3 or 4 of the same thing, but there were pencil cases, colouring items, books, sticky things that walk down the window, just whatever you happen to see. It's easier if you start well in advance though.

OP, in all honesty I've never had more than 8 at a "house" party.

[Justforlaughs]

Oh yes, The Book People online do packs of 10 books for £10 or sometimes even cheaper and they make great party bags/ gifts for the end of teh party.

[kerala]

From bitter experience 12 is the maximum I will have for a party and i have a big house. You are putting perceived slights felt by other peoples children who your child probably has not much to do with over your mental health! If you invite 30 you will need to hire a hall. I would invite half then as many are left out as invited.

[pigletmania]

Yanbu just invite 15. My dd turned 6 and I had 4 children and the mess was dreadful, I dread to think how much mess 15 or even 30 will make.

[GreenShadow]

Really can not understand this'invite the whole class' nonsense.

WE only ever invited 10 or so at most, as did the rest of the class. Why would you want to invite people you wouldn't normally play with or even particularly like?

[MansView]

ask DS2 and see how many 'friends' he wants to come, he may want the whole class, or he may only want 5?

[kerala]

I realised the error of this when looking at the hordes of kids in my house, at least 15 of whom DD was utterly indifferent to. Kids like adults just don't form close-ish relationships with 30 people they just don't.

[NeoMaxiZoomDweebie]

Sounds fab! My DC would appreciate that food too.

[greenformica]

Invite 15 of his FRIENDS. 30 is a damned stupid number. He can't be close to all of them?

[greenformica]

Also birthday parties are nicer and more special when smaller. We recently went to a whole class party and it just felt that the party girl/mum wanted high numbers to look popular and receive lots of gifts.

[greenformica]

A sweet each or a balloon?