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Original poster

Anyone done a chocolate making party for kids?

30 replies

Lindtnotlint · 08/12/2018 00:05

Hello!

My soon to be 6 year old hates entertainers, and is a bit mixed on parties in general. I am trying to work out what I can do for 24ish kids that will be fun and have some wow factor but not involve:
-entertainer
-competitive games
-lots of free play stuff where kids form into little groups and some can be left out (including potentially the birthday kid)

One idea that seems to exist is a chocolate making party where some nice people bring moulds/liquid choc/marshmallows etc and spend about an hour helping kids make their own chocolates.

Any experience? Recommendations? Reactions? Alternatives?

As you may guess I am slightly stressed about it all - most popular ones we have been to have been very unstructured/carnival style but with tonnes of activities/bouncy castles/coconut shy/face paint type stuff and I am not sure we can pull that off with “enough” stuff to keep people occupied and thereby avoid the disaster of soft play last year where everyone played with each other and birthday child felt left out...

Thanks for any wisdom!

OP posts:
EveMoneypenny · 08/12/2018 00:09

It sounds like loads of fun, but do you know if there are any kids with allergies among those you'd be inviting? It could be very problematic for anyone with e.g. a dairy or nut allergy (most chocolate is labelled may contain traces of nuts).

VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 08/12/2018 00:18

In your own home?
Seriously don't. It'll be a hot mess and I'm not even that pedantic. I've actively stay away from anything chocolate when other children are over until v recently (DCs nearly 10 & 8).
What's your budget?
For his age group and that many children I'd say rent a local community hall, get 3-4 trusted adults to help out before and after, 2.5 hours tops. 1st hour party games arranged by 2 trusted adults (20 minutes tops), thten free play, rent a small bouncy castle as well as setting up a (manned) craft area for the quiet ones and a 'cinema room' if possible for the final hour and a half, serve hot dogs popcorn etc.

VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 08/12/2018 00:18

stayed

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VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 08/12/2018 00:21

P.S: Other good parties DCs have been to lately are paint pottery (lovely local craft café) and pizza making (in pizza express or pizza hut) but expensive for that many.

Butterflycookie · 08/12/2018 00:26

I wanted one when I was younger. But they were very expensive! I didn’t do it in the end :(

dreaming174 · 08/12/2018 00:30

a nice idea but in reality, you'll end up doing most of the work, the kids will just eat the melted chocolate and make a mess. Also will be over way too quick and then they'll be running around sugared up while you try to clean up.

Original poster
Lindtnotlint · 08/12/2018 00:34

To be clear would be at hired venue not in my house (we don’t have space). Prepared to throw a fair amount of cash at problem to avoid last year’s calamity. Pottery would also be great but nowhere locally has capacity for the numbers...

Pizza is over too fast (same problem possibly with chocolate I see from above...). Anything with games is out - the hatred of entertainers extends to “trusted adults organising games”. (Sadly!!!!)

OP posts:
fannyanddick · 08/12/2018 00:37

Build a bear would be a good option for you at that age. We did one at a soft play venue. 30mins I'm soft play climbing around, then Build a bear activity. Then food, cake and home.

Chocolate thing sounds quite complicated for that age and there is a risk some wouldn't engage I think. Depends how well run.

fannyanddick · 08/12/2018 00:38

Or bowling. Book a few ailses

BernardsarenotalwaysSaints · 08/12/2018 00:45

Dd went to one (at a venue) the year they turned 6. It was a massive hit! She still talks about it now.

rainbowquack · 08/12/2018 03:23

My DS loves discos and so we bought a small projector and stream YouTube videos of just dance (he picks them before hand). They love it! (Snacks of popcorn, crisps and hotdogs available).

DD loves arts and craft (Pinterest is your friend here) and so I often look up forest activities, with pine cones, sticks, that sort of thing. Maybe a little nature treasure hunt that the kids can do themselves, while you generally supervise?

Bread making is very popular as well. We have seen some rather creative designs!

Rockbird · 08/12/2018 03:29

A friend of mine runs chocolate parties. She brings all of the equipment, cleans up afterwards and the kids have a great time. It costs a fair bit though, sadly out of my budget but my daughter has been to a few of her parties and she loves them. So yes if you've got money to throw at it then they're great but I wouldn't even consider doing it myself!

AbsolCatly · 08/12/2018 07:19

We have a reptile/insect rescue charity in north Scotland and the very nice man who runs it does party visits with a selection of creatures (great for fund and awareness raising purposes) - have you got anything like that in your area?

Sleephead1 · 08/12/2018 07:28

near us at a country park they do treasure hunt, bug hunts , den building you then get a too. for food afterwards, would something like this work ? also I have seen some national trust properties do similar

marcopront · 08/12/2018 07:42

How would the person organising the chocolate activities not be an entertainer?

Maybe contact some entertainers and explain what you want and see what they suggest.
Realistically with 24 children you need someone who will organise them.

TheCrowFromBelow · 08/12/2018 07:49

What does your DC want? Do they actually want a party, if they hate entertainers and games?
We did a cinema trip at that age, plus we have done laser quest, and smaller parties (ie held it at home so we can have lower numbers) with traditional games that we carefully managed so someone different “won” each time.
What does DC like? And when is it?

FogCutter · 08/12/2018 08:04

If your 6 year old doesn't really like parties then don't have one.

Does he have a few good friends he could take to the cinema and a pizza or for an activity like trampolining?

My son is in Y2 and everyone seems to have stopped doing big 'whole class' parties, it tends to be smaller groups of friends doing an activity.

Original poster
Lindtnotlint · 08/12/2018 11:21

Unfortunately although DC doesn’t like parties if there was no pert we would have uproar. There is lots of excitement beforehand, just it never is actually enjoyable in reality!! (Argh)

Really appreciating this input.

Last niggt’s Midnight googling (can I really be spending this much time on all this.....) suggest that mobile pottery parties exist. What about hiring a church hall type place, getting them to bring pottery, paints etc. Everyone paints something, bit of mad dancing/balloon type fun then tea... could also have a face painter (dc loves).

Would that be any good? DC would definitely enjoy pottery painting as have done before. Downside seems to be it takes a wee to get the pots back.

I am so looking forward to the “go out for pizza with a few friends” years (though worried that invitations will dry up then...). Other DC in the family has parties at home with games and cake and it is all stress free - you put them in a room with their friends and good and the magic just makes itself!!

OP posts:
MergeDragons · 08/12/2018 11:28

What about a mini team olympics ? Split them in teams of four or so and progress them around stations in the hall. Beat the goalie, coconut shy, long jump, most skips in a minute etc. That way birthday boy can’t be left out and it is organised without needing too much adult direction.

Original poster
Lindtnotlint · 08/12/2018 11:43

I would love to do an olympics. Unfortunately I think anything with a competitive element won’t work (doesn’t cope well with losing, especially on a “big day”). I just really want to get through the thing without any major upset...

Someone asks what DC likes:

-animals
-unicorns
-craft
-clothes
-food!
-TV (as long as no peril!)
-playing clapping games
-bouncy castles (also enjoyed a trampoline party but for practical reasons we can’t do one)

Probably becoming obvious we are talking about a DD! (Though that depresses me!) I thought pottery would be time
consuming and low key and relatively free of central “organising” (which seems to be the problem with entertainers). Would love to do an animal show, but think too high risk as might “look and feel” too much like an entertainer (person in front, kids sit down) which I think will not work. Not having an entertainer is her key request.

It’s in spring. Weather might work for outdoors which she would like but we have no outdoor venues other than public parks (no garden and can’t find anywhere to hire) so rules out bouncy castles...

PS I know I am massively overthinking. But it was so sad last year when she really didn’t enjoy her own party! I just spent the whole time wishing it was over.

OP posts:
Oogie · 08/12/2018 15:32

We had a chocolate making party a few years ago for my DS. It was brilliant, there were 12 kids, all sat at a table and given ingredients and decorations. They made their chocs, then whilst these were setting, they designed and coloured their own gift bags to take everything home in.
We also had the option of DS smashing open a solid chocolate piñata.
The kids had a brilliant day

FissionChips · 08/12/2018 15:42

Cut the numbers to a few who are actually her friends/will play with her and then have a pony trekking party.

BendydickCuminsnatch · 08/12/2018 15:51

Pottery sounds like a good plan!

Other than chocolate - very messy potentially! - biscuit or cupcake decorating. I did biscuit decorating for DS’s 3rd bday, sounds crazy but was sooooo impressed with the kids, they aged from 4-1 and they all sat and decorated biscuits really nicely! Bags of icing, cupcake trays filled with sprinkles, go mad. At that age each kid had at least one parent present though to help them!

BendydickCuminsnatch · 08/12/2018 15:51

Also pre-iced some biscuits with fondant and provided some edible-ink pens.

BendydickCuminsnatch · 08/12/2018 15:52

We also had the option of DS smashing open a solid chocolate piñata. OMG that’s a dream!