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Original poster

Minimum I can get away with for 3 y/o birthday party?

31 replies

dellacucina · 26/11/2019 21:17

This has been a horrible year for many reasons
(recently left husband, moved to much smaller flat being the main one) and I'm currently bedridden with some sort of gastrointestinal illness. I therefore have low energy and not a lot of bandwidth.

I am going to host a very last minute birthday party for my DD on Sunday. A couple of close friends will drop by with their children and I will invite one or two children who live in the building.

I will have cake and juice, plus coffee or tea for the adults.

What else must I have at this party? Treat me like I know nothing about basic party-giving for kids because this is basically true.

OP posts:
Booboostwo · 26/11/2019 21:45

What time is the party and how long for? Depending on this you may need more food.

Will you give party bags? At 3yo they are easily pleased with balloons, stickers and lollipops all of which you can get quite cheap.

Set up some games like musical statues or pin the tail on the donkey (at that age with blue tac not pins) or egg and spoon race.

Kanga83 · 26/11/2019 21:54

Keep it simple. Blow some balloons up, stick kids songs on a cd or YouTube, maybe buy some biscuits or buns they can decorate with the ready made stuff. Pass the parcel if you feel up to it with stickers as the prize in every layer.

BeanBag7 · 26/11/2019 21:56

Maybe some balloons and a CD of music your child likes?
My DD is almost 3 and she would love having friends over for cake and kicking balloons around - certainly no need for extortionate entertainers or caterers or massive party bags Smile

AaandBreathe · 26/11/2019 21:58

For a three year old? Balloons, music and let them play.
Cake, veg sticks, fruit.
Pizza or something to snack on for the adults. (Depending on time)

If you have a room with a hard floor, put the kids in there, throw in a handful of ping pong balls and shut the door Grin

FusionChefGeoff · 26/11/2019 22:07

Balloons
Pass the Parcel
Dancing
Sugar

Original poster
dellacucina · 26/11/2019 22:15

This is all making me feel a bit more like this is manageable.

OP posts:
motortroll · 26/11/2019 22:23

If you have a dressing up box get that out. Also role play toys like shops and kitchens. Print if some colouring sheets and put in table with some colouring pencils and stickers.

Party bag - cake, small pack of buttons or haribo, stickers and a balloon!

billy1966 · 26/11/2019 22:31

I have had loads of parties but the greatest tip I got years ago from someone was NOT to put out too much food.

If they don't see too much they will eat it, it's gone and the cleanup is minimal.

I did a bowl of smarties,
a bowl of jellies,
a bowl of Pringles.
Rice crispy cakes, substitute bought tea cakes, the marshmallow ones,
some carrot sticks....never touched but looked good🙄.

They hoovered the lot up and that was it.

Letthemysterybe · 26/11/2019 22:34

For 3 year olds? Really not much. Party food, cake, balloons, bubbles and some songs.

OhioOhioOhio · 26/11/2019 22:37

For food I'd buy party bags and give them their own picnic, like a supermarket cafe selection of 5.

Jam sandwich
Juice in a box
Satsuma
Packet of crisps, pom bears or whatever
A chocolate sweet, something little.

That way you don't waste tons of money on over catering.

Cake for the adults

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 26/11/2019 22:37

Baby Shark on repeat Grin

OhioOhioOhio · 26/11/2019 22:38

Shower gel instead of party bags.

OhioOhioOhio · 26/11/2019 22:39

Toys out, let them get on with it.

Serve food after 40 minutes and get the cake candles moment done then and out of the way. Then when someone cries they feel free to go.

AnotherEmma · 26/11/2019 22:40

If you have a gastrobug why on earth put pressure on yourself to do a party. Can't you do it the following weekend instead?

Original poster
dellacucina · 26/11/2019 22:40

Do I have to serve a meal? I was going to just have cake and snack food.

OP posts:
Original poster
dellacucina · 26/11/2019 22:42

Why am I doing this? Good question!

I've already invited some people over and everyone seems to be so overscheduled. DD will also be having a little celebration with her grandparents (STBXH's parents) beforehand so I want to be sure she doesn't feel that I have forgotten or am not doing anything.

OP posts:
AnotherEmma · 26/11/2019 22:44

My DS will be 3 soon and he wouldn't have any expectations of a party! He hasn't got a clue!

It's pretty impossible to forget them unfortunately Grin

Simkin · 26/11/2019 22:46

Read them a story. DD's 3rd was my favourite. They were easily pleased.

raspberryk · 26/11/2019 22:48

No you don't have to serve a meal or snacks at all! I was in the same position as you, invited people for cake and coffee and made that very clear that's all it was. Didn't even mention the P word.
If there's a close friend coming and they offer to bring anything take them up on a tray of sandwiches or something equally simple. I have helped friends out with party food in these situations as it take away the money and effort aspect.

user1374384 · 26/11/2019 22:56

I think music and balloons is all you really need, entertainment wise. But I would definitely offer more than cake and juice. You could come up with enough food for less than a tenner. Cheap pizza, or a big bag of mini party sausage rolls from Iceland and a bowl or crisps. Or get some paper plates, put half a jam and half a cheese sandwich, handful of crisps and a chocolate biscuit on each and wrap in clingilm.

For an activity and a food you could buy value Rich Tea biscuits and a bag of icing sugar and some cheap sweets. They love to decorate the biscuits and can take this home instead of cake. Just write their name on kitchen roll. You could buy a roll of lining wall paper from Wilko for £2, tape it to the floor and get the children to draw or write happy birthday messages on. Something to roll up and keep and keep them busy.

user1374384 · 26/11/2019 23:00

Shower gel instead of party bags

Eh?!

Pipandmum · 26/11/2019 23:06

This time of year theres lots of party platters. Just buy something with sausages (pigs in blankets) get cherry tomatoes and chop up some carrots. Bowl of crisps and the cake you're done. I think we did pin the tail on the donkey and some traditional games. Coffee/tea for adults. Ask a friend to help.

Sleephead1 · 27/11/2019 06:37

I would do little sandwiches, bowls of crisps, chocolate fingers, veg sticks as a minimum. I think you need to organise a few things to do eg pass the parcel, what's the time mr wolf, musical statues ect otherwise you may have loads of kids very excited racing around your house. I would probably try a simple craft activity aswell or cake decorating.

Snaleandthewhail · 27/11/2019 06:56

We had similar for a third birthday - I cooked a couple of pizzas. Got some toys out, let them run riot, put some music on. Party bags not required but do signal the “end” of the party nicely.

evilharpy · 27/11/2019 06:58

When my daughter was 3 we had a party and did “cupcake decorating”. I made a load of small cupcakes but you could probably buy them cheaper. Big bowl of buttercream icing, bowl of sprinkles, bowl of mini marshmallows, a few spoons. It went down an absolute storm.

This year I’ve bought a glitter tattoo set from amazon which is dead easy.

The suggestion of lining paper from Wilko to draw on is really good.