Kids Baking Parties , is it a good idea ???

[missunhappy]

I have a small baking business (seasonal) which I operate from home. I soon will be able to use a newly decorated premises which has a large room. I am thinking of holding fun, exciting cookie decorating, cupcake decorating and pizza making parties for kids. The age group I was thinking of targeting was age 5 - 12. It would be for 2 hours include the party food after (all inclusive of price). What would you pay ?

Would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this. Is there the demand for something like this , would your boy or girl like the idea of making and decorating and probably eating cookies and cup cakes at a party with max 12 kids.

Let me know thanks

[circlebeginning]

Would you consider hen nights/afternoons too? I'd have loved to do something like that!

I know my nephew loved cooking parties but mine is a bit young so don't know about costs etc.

Good luck!

[MoominMammasHandbag]

I have done them myself for my kids' birthday parties at home. We have made pizzas, with dough from the bread maker, ice cream sundaes and "cocktails". It always went down a storm. I found the cooking needed to be interspersed with a bit of running around though; they just get so whipped up at parties.

[MoominMammasHandbag]

I am in a posh bit of the nort west. With food included and stuff to take home as a party favour, I reckon you could charge about £12 a head round here, maybe more.

[exexpat]

DD did a cooking party a couple of years ago (for her 9th birthday) at a local deli which has a cooking school upstairs. She and nine friends made fish and chips (baked, and potato wedges rather than deep fried) and cup cakes, and had a brilliant time. High levels of excitement, so very loud for the people running it, but it all went down very well.

I liked the fact they weren't just making sweet stuff so could have a proper meal as part of the birthday. If you were just doing biscuits/cupcakes, what would you do to fill in time while everything was in the oven? Most birthday party activities need to take about 2 hours.

[littlebluedog12]

My DD would love that, she has been to a pizza decorating party before which was great. I would expect to pay around 8-10 per child I guess.

[missunhappy]

I was thinking if its booked as a cookie decorating party , there would be 3 stages

1. make dough from scratch
   
2. have dough already rolled for next stage which they can then use cookie cutters (princess or cars etc)
   
3. while they are baking have another batch for them to decorate this is more timely as using icing and flooding can be fun with sprinkles etc at the end.
   I anticipate this will absorb 1 -1.15 of their time , then party food provided/cake candles and maybe throw in package and ribbons of each biscuit.
   
   Same principle in detail for cupcakes and pizzas and if it becomes popular then definitely other food type parties.
   
   To include party food I will have to charge minimum £17.95 ?
   
   Thank you for your quick responses

[Patilla]

Around here £17.95 would, most likely, price you out of the market sorry.

[exexpat]

£17.95 is about £5 or £6 a head more than I have ever spent on a children's party, including all-inclusive things like the cooking party I mentioned, or a bowling party (bowling, sit-down meal, photography, Littlest Pet Shop toy to take home for every child). Unless you are in London or a very well-off part of the country, I think that is overpriced.

[missunhappy]

That's good to know, I am based in North London and we currently have a local entertainer who charges £170 for 2 hours plus we then book a hall and bring our own food.

The other types of kids parties are paint studios or soft play at about £13 a head.

The sweet options could also serve as the goody bag ?