Do I pay for all their coffees and drinks?

There's not really a hard and fast rule tbh! We have been to parties when it has been served by the parents (usually not at soft play tbh! They have tended to be self-catered), parties where there was nothing other than a cafe you could pay for, parties where there was nothing for parents at all, parties where there was just water for all, parties where there were can for parents, and parties where the parents could have one coffee each from the cafe....so all kinds! Kids always provided with water and squash or juice.

I generally go assuming that I have to pay
At DD's party, we just provided some bottled drinks (water, soft drinks) that parents could clearly help themselves to - we were allowed to self cater, though (leisure centre).

The party is for the kids, the adults can buy their own coffees imo

I have 4 sons and with all my eldest children, I always bought my own drinks + one for the hosting parents when i arrived if they wanted one. The rest of us parents would also take it in turns to buy the big jugs of squash for the children if it wasn't included with the party package. (Edited for spelling)

Let them pay for it themselves. I wouldn’t expect to be given food/drink at a children’s party

Unless they are only 4 years old or younger I wouldn’t stay for 3 hours, you may not have an issue if parents leave

About 10 coffees, at £2 each. Tasted grim, but an early party in a soft play hellscape meant I felt offering at least the first round of coffees was a must. Lots didn't drink anything.

That should be ‘tab’ not table!

Don’t feel awkward about it……the children are the invitees, not parents surely!? It is a kids party, not a community social. If they want coffee they should expect to pay…….set up a table and you can guarantee at least one of them will have several, very costly drinks!

That’s what I did

We always bought the first one. Was always happy to buy our own at other people’s parties though.

At the parties I've been to like this set up the parents buy their own drinks but tap water is offered if they want it free.

We did a similar party and grown ups pay for their own drinks, it seems to be the norm because all the ones we’ve been to do the same.
The drinks are expensive so I certainly wouldn’t run a tab!

At similar parties in my DCs friendship circle the parents usually come round and ask if you'd like a drink and buy the first round. I've also been where the host parents brought a big freezer box with them full if cans/ bottles of water for adults (depends if your venue allows this).

I do think you should check with the venue about drinks for children before lunch. In my experience most venues allocate you a table to put your stuff in the cafe area and provide jugs of squash. Kids will be thirsty before the lunch. I've also seen some parents provide fruit shoot or similar or water bottles for kids.

I would buy my own. Even at a party where there was an open tab for the parents I still bought my own!

Parents can but their own - you're paying for the party which will cost you loads.

No don't pay for all the coffees. You're paying for the kids to have fun not for an adult coffee morning. I'd buy a coffee for someone if I was getting one for myself and I'd been chatting to them... but a jug of tea and jug of coffee sounds like a good plan as an alternative

This.

If you can afford it, offer everyone a drink. No obligation to do this. Equally everyone who wants one will get their own if you don't.

After 5 everyone drops and runs anyway and you get less people staying.

We set up a tab at my youngest last party, the staff said they usually find people chose not to use it unless they are close to you already anyway- we set a cap of £50 for 20 children's adults, it came to £30 (and £7 was my husband!)

There's no strict etiquette. Some people provide tea and coffee, others don't (I actually prefer it when nothing is provided, I quite like to get myself a slice of cake or something which I can't do on someone else's tab 😬).

I’ve offered a welcome coffee or tea and drink at the cafe. The venue knew how to do it. They gave me tokens to give to guests.

Been to plenty of softplay parties over the years and never ever known the parents be provided with coffee. You buy your own. There’s always big jugs of squash for the kids.

You are hosting the children, not the parents. Parents buy their own. Have been to dozens when my children were little- never known a tab for parents. Give them access to jugs of water and let them buy their own.

I would expect to pay for my own hot drink. It would add up considerably otherwise.

I think it was a bit entitled to assume parents would pay. Some parents will take their own flask to avoid paying if they don't want to stump up the cost themselves.

When you have hosted have you bought everyone drinks? Is that why you thought you would get one?

I would also suggest adding a bank card to your phone as I guess you had that on you, least then if you want a drink and realise you have to pay most places accept bank cards so use your phone to pay. Alternatively if cash only, you could always ask another parent and transfer the money to them immediately, I think most would be ok with someone saying I didn't realise it would be cash only and only have cards on my phone, would you be able to lend me the cash and I can bank transfer immediately.

I saw earlier someone saying that it's not Starbucks and they are cheap, but actually I have noticed that probably due to rising costs, most places do charge barista style prices and try to do fancy drinks to enable them to do this. Even a tea at at lot of places is £3. If a parent is offered a coffee at a venue the chances are they will say 'oh thanks, can I have a cappuccino?', not just an ordinary filter coffee, suddenly then the price is £4.50.
It's all different when hiring a hall and the host can simply put the kettle on and just say it's only instant coffee and take their own from home.

People probably won't 'expect' it OP, but it is 10.30 and the party is quite long. Nobody will buy more than a coffee each. 10 parents - maybe you're looking at an extra £50. I'd just do a tab because they are bringing a gift and sitting in a soft play for 3 hours! It's only 10 people.