Party stress!

Instead of party bags give each child a book with a lolly or flump sellotaped to the front - chuck the books on a table at the end and they can choose one each e.g., https://www.books4people.co.uk/products/giggles-galore-10-books-collection-set?variant=56061209543033&currency=GBP&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google%2Bshopping&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18286127658&gclid=CjwKCAjwvqjOBhAGEiwAngeQnc8b0pSIU-IK0hnInoXOlvbs1BssJw7_wbmelcYdW3Dt3KTT6q7WrxoC6nQQAvD_BwE

Rather than a buffet do a colourful cardboard lunch box for each child - it helps you not over cater and you can do in advance or just have tubs of things to choose from - raisins, juice, fruit, choc, crisps and then 3 types of roll. I just chucked picnic blankets on the floor and they sat cross legged with their picnic box.

Get help with the balloons and banners. I bought giant balloons and chucked them in the room - could have got away with just that as the entertainmemt for the whole party

I did a party.for 70, with me as the sole entertainer and caterer as partner was ill. Madness! A basic craft area for the children who were quieter/needed to regulate was a hit.

Good luck xx

This post for party prep is fantastic!

What OP has planned is fine. The kids will love it!

My tip would be don't let the grandparents be in charge of the kids squash. Perhaps that was just my personal experience 😂

I did a whole nursery class party for 4th and a reception class party for 5th.

For the 4th party I had 15mins to set up. You read that right. 15mins. By myself 😱

I borrowed a pull along trolley thing (like you see kids sleeping in during the day at festivals as parents drag them around, no idea what they're called) to ferry stuff from the car to reduce trips back and forth.

Shoved up the banners first and threw table cloths out in tables.
Laid out the paper plates and cups next with napkins.

Know how many tables you need to set up and pack for those, pack table cloths on top as you want to get them out onto the tables first.

Unwrap the cellophane from anything wrapped like paper plates cups etc in advance before the party!

Party bags were all prepped night before and loaded into a grab box.
Balloons, pump, masking tape, wrapping ribbon/string and scissors were in another box.
Sandwiches all made and frozen the week before 😂 thawed for the party on reusable platters.
Crudites all chopped the night before and shoved into food bags for pouring out quickly onto platters at the party. Likewise melon and strawberry and grapes.
Shove packets of pom bears into bowls.
Likewise chocolate fingers or animal biscuits or whatever sweet treats your doing.

Cake - everyone wants some, noone wants to wait. Have a cake to sing HBD to and then distribute a fairy cake or something for the gannets to eat while you cut the main cake. Decide how you're going to cut the main cake in advance so you don't have to do the slice maths on the day! Shove the slices in party bags as they leave.

Leave blowing up balloons to be the last job - you can get other parents to help as they arrive, some will be willing.

Don't forget the bin bags.

I can't offer reassurance.
My tip is to ask people to help you.

I don't want to throw a spanner in the works, but do you definitely know the hall owner allows bouncy castles? Some do, some don't.

Brilliant idea. I hate the cake cutting during party time. Always so much else to be getting on with.

Here's my favourite tip. 2 identical cakes. One for candles during the party and cut the other one up at home before the party and then add it to the party bags. I hate the stressful trying to cut up and dish out cake whilst people are leaving or trying to find a knife etc.

Write a list of everything you need to take and tasks when you are there. Defo rope a friend in to help.

I wouldn’t have a bouncy castle with 5 year olds. You’d be better off having the entertainer for the full thing and possibly a face painter. It should really be 1hr of entertainer and party games, then food, then cake, and a bit more dancing/ games for last 15 mins or so

Can you get any friends to help you set up? An hour is not long even if there are a few of you, and I’ve had opportunistic (cheeky) parents turn up 30 mins early and leave their 6 year old with me before mine had even arrived….

I recommend you:

• arrange for some friends to help
• do the party bags the day before - you definitely won’t have time on the day
• pack all the bits you need the day before (candles, cake knife, kitchen roll, plates, cups, napkins, serving plates and bowls, cleaning spray, table cloths, sellotape, scissors, string, pins, blue tax, loo roll, bin bags, squash, tea, sugar, bags to put presents in to take home)
• for food, you could also chop up some cucumber sticks, get loads of crisps, maybe strawberries or melon, chocolate fingers or some sort of biscuits. Try not to do anything too fiddly, the chocolate fingers are always the biggest winner and are no effort.

I always found the most stressful moment of the party to be the cake - a baying mob all watching you cut the cake and jostling for their slice. I recommend you delegate this job to your husband 😁

Paper plates and paper cups. You will need a few squash jugs. Second the pre prepped sandwich tray idea, most supermarkets can do them. You'll be fine, but if you can enlist a couple of friends so much the better. Take them for a drink couple of days later when you've recovered!

Definitely prepare as much days before. You can get sandwich platters from Sainsbury’s that are a reasonable price. Make sure you get jugs for squash and enough cups/plates to go with.

Don’t underestimate putting up balloons/banners as they can take a while, especially if you’ve got to lay out tables and chairs etc.

If you have a friend or family member who can help set up they will be worth your weight in gold honestly.