5th birthday party in half term

DD started school on the 4th, she's having her birthday party on Saturday. I think she's the first one in the class!
We've invited cousins and childminder friends, and then actively listened every time she's mentioned she's played with someone, and then wrote them and invite- they only went out last Friday, so short notice!
You've still got 5 weeks until October half term, so I would make a note of every child she mentions playing with (boy and girl) for the next 2 weeks and invite them. I would also ask the teachers if they can point out any child that she seems drawn to, and if they have a little sub-group within the class (regular groups of 6-8 for reading/ maths activities) then maybe invite all of those kids. You can get invites you don't even have to put names on, so just ask the teacher to pass on to all the kids in the red group or whatever.

Do girls onky if thats who your kid tends to be friends with.
I wouldnt do un half term as we've never had one out of 2 kids over 7+ school years.

You've just started and making it a girls only party, I think you're starting off on the wrong note. Also the princess party message is definitely indirectly not inviting any boys.
Reception age usually does whole class parties. You don't want to be excluding children from the start.
I would definitely have it on the first weekend they start after half term and I would change the theme and include all kids.

It's always useful to put an RSVP date on the invite too.

If you know the parents of her closest friends I'd ask them if they're free first and plan the party around then as if she's got her besties there it doesn't matter who else turn up.

I have found that since Covid there has been a massive reduction in whole class parties.

I have two children with birthdays in the holidays (summer and Easter) and it's always fine- sometimes some people are away but there's enough around. That might be because we're not in a rich area though.

Let her invite the ones she wants. There's no rule that says it has to be a full class party. My youngest has never wanted a full class party- he'd rather spend time with a few good friends.

Last day before school is probably fine.

I do find this "invite just girls regardless of her mates" nonsense disgusting, but if that's how you choose to raise your DD then you'll deal with the consequences later. Enjoy!

Could you scrap the entertainer and hire a bouncy castle instead? We always hired local village hall, had some food and dancing, pass the parcel etc and then a bouncy castle from local company. That way invite the whole class and it solves a problem!

About dates: for my son's party I just wrote to the parents of his two best friends and checked the date worked for them, then invited the rest.

Inviting the named kids sounds perfect.

Just invite the ones she's named, that sounds perfect! And you don't have to worry about siblings coming as there'll be space.

Kindly, you are making more of this than you need to. Even if only a couple come, I bet she'll still have a fantastic time.

My sons birthday always falls in February half term so after his first party she we had loads of refusals I always had it a different time.

I don't think anything is wrong with the date you suggest at all. Be prepared for those who cannot be bothered to reply, those who drop out without much or no notice at all though.

Plenty of threads about replies to invites highlight this.

Please don't ask the teachers to get involves with invitations. They've got enough to do and it really isn't one of those "it'll just take a minute" jobs.
Those add up.

You live in an area where people might go away at half term.
Unless your views are very out of kilter with other parents.

Do whole class, put it on the watsapp and ask for preferred dates and get a different entertainer/venue. Otherwise you’ll invite only the girls by way of a slip that you don’t know the parents have seen, no one will show up and you’ll have wasted your money. Also a risk that the boys parents won’t invite your DD if they’re having a wider party (some parents can be petty).

I'd happily attend in half term. I'd have thought that most reception kids will be using half term to chill rather than go away on holiday all week?

Please don't do the girl/boy thing though. This kind of artificial split is nonsense and we should be resisting it as parents and not enforcing it.

You don't have to invite everyone, but just ask for a few names of people she plays with?

I also think it's fine to not allow siblings, I've been to parties like this and it's not bothered me.

DD's birthday is in October hair term, and this is what we do. It's often a Halloween party, which draws the crowds!

Well, you live in the area and you presumably talk to people? Are people likely to go on holidays (probably affluent areas)? Do they have extended family locally, or are they likely to take advantage of the holiday to travel to stay with family living further afield?

Those are probably the main plans for October that people will already have in September :)

Yes I agree about the gender split thing. DD had both boys and girls, she got to choose who to invite, but there was a limit of 12 I think for the venue (small crafting business) so she only picked the kids she actually spends time with and she wanted there, not just random kids she never interacts with at school.

We have done the whole class party once to tick the box but I honestly find them a bit soulless because half the time most of the kids aren't even interacting with each other, you spend a fortune just because you feel you should or as some sort of reciprocal thing, but at the end of it I kind of felt like I'd just paid for a bunch of kids to have a separate day out in the same place. But DD1 absolutely loved her small crafting party and is desperate to do it again, so that's what we will do. I'm definitely not arranging a 30-kid party as none of us want it!

See, I’ve thrown both whole class parties and at home parties for a select few friends (usually around the 5-12 number) and I would argue both are completely normal especially if the activity lends itself to a small group anyway - crafts as you’ve said or maybe horse riding, that sort of thing. One of my children has always much preferred small parties and that’s fine with me.

What I don’t think is normal is inviting all the girls in the class and no boys, or all the boys and no girls. This in addition to a LOT from the old nursery when you likely won’t see 90% of them ever again.