What to do re:numbers / RSVPs

[George2014]

Just after a bit of help.

Ds is having a 5th birthday party in a new area / new school / new friends. He's at a very small school with an active preschool and they have a lot of joint session for play etc.

The party is 2 weeks today, superhero theme on a hall with bouncy castle and games etc. he's very excited.

I invited 20 children and heard back from 11 (8 yes, 3 no - 2 of which are children he's desperate to attend and is quite disappointed)

Of the other 9 waiting, 2 are easy to chase but the other 7 I've no idea who they are. They are preschool children who he plays with but I don't know them at all.

Should I just leave it and accept that probably means they won't come or chase somehow. The party bags have a superhero toy on which is from the poundshop and proving difficult to get enough so there's no way I could get enough for all children invited - I really need to know for that reason but I guess I could just get something else as a back up party bag option.

I'm also a bit worried that 9 children isn't enough for a hall party and they will be lost in the room. There's mask making, superhero training and snacks. There will be quite a bit of family there as well for various reasons he's have a friends and family party this year for the first time. There's no one else he can invite as he literally only knows and plays with these 20 children.

Last year we lived elsewhere and we had 14 which was a lovely number for a party so I'm a bit worried!

Thanks for listening xx

[Laurenwils89]

This happened to my dd last year. I just sectioned the hall off slightly using the eating tables and food buffet. I made slightly cheaper party bags for the children who hadn't rsvp'd. Some turned up, some didn't. The kids all still had an amazing time! Try not to stress too much

[Bimblywibbler]

Can you not write some notes and ask to put them, or ask one of the teachers to put them in their bags or distribute however it's normally done.

I would guess you'll have no more than 3 turn up of the nonrepliers, and quite likely 0 or 1. But you'll get more turn up if you give them a reminder.

Phrase it as checking if they got the invitation. We've had a few genuinely go AWOL over the years and I was glad the mum chased it up.

[George2014]

Just an update as I know people like them!

I chased a couple of people as I saw them but other rsvps came trickling in after the RSVP date. In the end we only had 1 child who we didn't know either way (and didn't turn up)

We had 16 say yes and all 16 turned up. We also had 5 siblings turn up...all older....1 I knew about and was fine, she was lovely and polite. Another family turn up with both parents and 4 children, only 1 was invited...wasn't really impressed. It changed the mood of the party to have 4 older boys messing about on the bouncy castle and with the toys but it was good. Ds was overwhelmed at the end as it was noisy and busy. I think I'll actually invite less next year!