AIBU to plan a 90s-style birthday party with traditional party food?

DS went to a party like this when he was 10. All the kids said it was the most fun party they'd been to.
Prizes for party games were put in a bag for the kids to choose themselves. Mostly what MN would call plastic tat. A surprising number of boys came out wearing silver, sparkly tiaras that they'd chosen.

@LiviaDrusillaAugusta Here is how to play blind man's buff. One player is "it", is blindfolded and spun round, and tries to catch the others, who move about while saying things like "here I am!", and often sneaking up and touching the blind player. When "it" catches somebody, that person becomes "it"; or in some versions, "it" has to identify them, by feeling their face and hair.

This game used to be very popular indeed, there are endless references to it in fiction (A Christmas Carol mentions it several times), it's a classic party game. It's been discouraged in this age of health and safety; but I think anyone who has never played it has missed out. I remember a group of us playing it (as teenagers) during a dull moment on a school trip abroad.

What is 90s about this?

The 90s is like yesterday anyway, its not some alternative universe in the past.

Unless you mean 1890s.

Why are you calling it a 90s style birthday party? It’s just a traditional child’s birthday party, my family has been doing it long before and long after the 90s! It sounds like you’ve found something niche on TikTok or something.

Its more that everything is incredibly strongly (artificially) flavoured. A lot of kids like blander options. Of all on offer my son wouldn’t eat probably eat a cheese sandwich if he was really hungry, and come out with opinion that the party was horrible because he would be hungry.
And egg mayo sandwich sitting out for a while - yuck.
Breadsticks, cheese cubes (mild cheddar), cucumber, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes cater to the milder tastes, are cheap and healthy as an added bonus.

OP I am doing this for my son’s birthday at the end of June. To be fair I don’t live in an area where the parents asked for the menu, I just put on the invite what time to drop round and where 😂😂

I would say could you have a healthy section as well to please the parents but why should you? One party full of sugar is not the end of the world for a child. I hate the way birthday parties have become a bit ridiculous with parents dictating to the host!

Agree that the party food is standard food for a child's party regardless of decade.
You clearly mix in a very different circle if this is not the norm. I recall when my son was around 5 going to a party and eating 4 little cakes and being so excited by this. Obviously he wouldn't do this on a normal day, but this is part of the fun of a party having special food to normal!

I think as someone else has said there is a risk if doing party games that the kids won't cooperate or some won't join in. What is the plan then? You mention neighbour having a bouncy castle, but is it a big one or more of a toddler version?
Also at that age not all kids are good losers. We had an entertainer at my daughter's party and they did musical statues and one boy cried and basically threw a tantrum when he was out, so much so that she said she was wrong, kept him in and he won a prize. I was furious at enabling him and had expected his mum who had stayed to intervene.
If you are supervising 20 kids are 5-6 have their own agenda are you happy with them wandering off round your house doing what they want or will you be zoning bits off?

I would say food is the least concerning part.

Not sure what the reference to 1990s is about? That’s the standard fare of food and games for kids parties since mine in the 70’s and right up to DDs birthday parties up to 10 years ago.
It’s a kids party formula that’s worked for decades, because kids love it.
Did you advertise it as a 1990s party ?

I’m 55 and have never heard of blind man’s buff, tbf

Pin the tail on the donkey is a must! Make sure you blindfold them properly, so there is no cheating. Or if you want to be really quaint, blind man’s buff. (I was recently talking to some thirty something people, who had never even heard of it!)

Tbh, I haven’t been to many parties like this, so perhaps it’s just different in my neck of the woods. My oldest child is only in reception though. Parties here have either been at soft play / trampoline park sort of affair or a hired village hall.

Honestly, I would worry about ds at a party at someone’s house because he can get really stupid and hyped up. I’ve only been to one party at someone’s house and the kids ransacked the hosts toys (not ds, although had I left him unsupervised he would have!) and left the playroom looking like Beirut.

The menu sounds fine, standard party stuff - no idea what people are fussing about there.

Sounds just like what we did for DD2 in the zeroes.

However I agree with the others add some fruit and veg: cucumber and carrot sticks, tomatoes, half strawberries.

Maybe drop 2 of the 3 types of crisps.

Don't need fairy cakes if having birthday cake.

It's sandwiches, crisps, biscuits and cake essentially. That's completely normal here except there would also be cucumber, tomatoes, carrot and grapes normally (all of which children seem very programmed to eat nowadays, even at a party!). Like a recent pp, I'm in an affluent area and it was all cloth nappies and extended breastfeeding round here so exactly the sort of parents you'd expect to be a bit overinvested in what their children eat. What part of the country are you in and do you think there's a reason it's so different to other areas in this regard? Genuinely curious what sort of area has these very healthy parties. And what kind of food is actually served?

This is still a thing. I've done four such parties for my daughter and she's been to several. Don't understand why it's even mentioned, it's what parties are. Musical statues gone down well by the way!

Oh my goodness. Tarquin only eats olives, avocados and cucumber sticks….

I have done this and also with a bouncy castle in the garden. I would say that if you plan on party games, I would keep it to 10-15 kids max. It feels a bit overwhelming with too many. I always invited 13-15 because a few definitely wouldnt come and id end up with 10-12 (I made sure a couple of friends kids could come so there would be at least 6 including my 2)! Homemade parties are better with smaller numbers imo.
I would never tell people what food there was! I do similar food with some salad bits and cheese and pineapple.

I would add some carrot sticks, cucumbers, apples, maybe berries (my son wouldn’t eat any of what you suggested), but otherwise fine

I had parties like this in the 70s. Definitely not a 90s theme.

This is like any other party in the three decades before 2000. If parents are complaining then their children don’t have to come

I did this for my daughter’s 3rd birthday! Not a beige balloon arch in sight! It was wonderful and colourful and full of pizza!

Really?! That is normal party food around here (South East affluent area). Yes usually some fruit and veg chucked in which the kids ignore. Where do you live?

I wouldn't dream of commenting on someone else's party food menu. Height of rudeness!

Sounds like a great (and normal) kids party.

My DCs were primary age in the 90s, and I had one party as a joint one for them both with a ‘DJ’ and food was just hot dogs out of a tin in a white finger roll, with a choice of brown or ‘red’ sauce (aka tomato ketchup), plus a piece of the cake and orange squash. My DCs still recall that as the best party as they remember the big bag of prizes I gave to the DJ to use for Best Dancer, Musical Statues, Musical Chairs, Standing on one leg the longest, Pass the Parcel (without a prize in every layer), etc. DJ made sure every child won something through the afternoon. I remember it fondly too as the easiest party I organised. But also because one poor child turned up to get his hot dog and promptly announced he was vegetarian. He got two bread rolls and went away very happy 😂

This isnt a 90s party. Its a party. Not sure why it would be a problem.

That’s a very processed and unhealthy menu and similar to OP, isn’t the norm around me. Whether it’s right or not that parents have commented, surely just add some healthy fruit / veg options and let them know, now that they already know about the menu? It’s up to them whether they decide to send their kids or not.

Well they are unreasonable if they are actually asking you to change the menu.