4th birthday party at home, structured games or just let them play?

[Carnabie]

There will be 12 3-4 year olds. I’ve done parties at home before but for smaller groups (or whole family parties for our friends and children rather than dc’s friends whose parents I don’t really know)

I was going to do
Cardboard crowns to decorate
Pin the tail on the donkey
Musical statues
A couple of parachute games
Pass the parcel
Food

And have a mat with happyland/train track on.

Is that enough structured activity or would I be better off filling the whole time with organised games? Also should I do the crowns/pin the tail on the donkey as an activity or just here it is if you want to have a go?

I also don’t mind them just playing with whatever toys they find but don’t know if with that many they’ll just rampage through the house destroying everything

That's very brave of you! We had a party at home for DD at that age (last year of nursery) ... it was Feb and they couldnt go outside as it was v wet and cold.

We had a Bob the Builder type character as she was keen on Bob and a giant pass the parcel then tea then goodbye everyone! Lots of mums stayed which was a big plus though nerve-wrackingly one mum dumped and ran!

(Top tip, be very clear on drop off times, and get everyone's mobile numbers and emergency number ... dont be too mortified if after the third person your child asks "Where's the present" or has a massive tantrum at some point as they often get overwhelmed. Plenty of water on hand as they get v hot and the juice can rack things up we found!)

We had a 5th birthday party recently, the only structured games were a treasure hunt in the garden (winter weather but luckily not raining that day) and pass the parcel. Other than that they danced and played, then had party food. It worked quite well.

I would have a back-up list of games in case the free play doesn't work out.

At that age I think they'll need help with crowns and tail on donkey, so I'd make it an organised activity. Consider using blue-tack rather than a pin too!

We had 5 DCs for a 4th birthday at home (and 10 for a 3rd birthday, and all the parents wanted to stay in both cases which made it very crowded, both parents in some cases for the 3rd birthday).

You may attempt to structure it but they may have other ideas.

They also may not understand the point of pin the tail on the donkey (the DCs all asked why they had to have a blindfold at my DS party).

Musical bumps
Musical statues
Musical pirates (or whatever it is called - play music stop if and call out swab the decks, or captain's coming or whatever the other ones are, and they have to do the actions)
Sleeping lions to calm down before food
Musical eliminations (out if wearing red, blue eyes etc)

We had a 4th birthday party at home for DS1.

I organised a few structured activities (decorating fairy cakes, making necklaces with chunky wooden beads), played Pass the Parcel and pin the tail on the donkey. They had some food then went home. It worked really well!

Other 'at home' parties at that age involved similar stuff - some structured activities (treasure hunt, making fossils using air drying clay and plastic dinosaurs, decorating biscuits) and some unstructured running around!

Parents always stayed at that age too.

A) hope you have some help
B) a quiet chill out corner with some books

I just let mine play at that age, it works out just fine! Leave lots of toys out, a drawing table is always nice. Leave them to it! If anything I'd say you had too many structured activities :)

I think it sounds a perfect balance, mine also like musical bumps at that age, burns off some energy !

I’d have games, similar to Teenplus above.

Also,
Pass the parcel,
Chocolate/hat/gloves game
Pin the tail

We got some cheap and cheerful disco lights years ago and they've come in very handy several times. Shut the curtains, push back the sofas and blast some (terrible) music. That often kills the time until pick up.

Yes I’m fully expecting most of the adults to stay but it’s fine if they don’t also.

I’ve spent many years working in preschools so am quite used to rounding up children of that age and engaging them in activities, although not usually in front of their parents Also I’m aware that they respond differently to their teacher than to x’s mum

Will definitely have a few quieter areas for those that don’t want to join in.

My older children only had around 6 children to their parties at that age so it was a bit less daunting and easier to just let them play.

The pin the tail on the donkey is a relic from when they were little and has reusable stickers that you write their name on for the tail, no pins involved!