Talk me through a children's party

[Humpthree]

DS (and PFB) will be 4 in a couple of months and we haven't had a birthday party for him (besides his 1st birthday with grandparents at home etc)

He goes to preschool so it would be one of those invite the class party's.

I've not been to any children's parties (except when I was a child myself) and I don't know where to start!

So hire a hall. Maybe a magician? Do I do party games? Will they know how to play them at 3/4years old?

What food should I do? Should I do something seperate for the parents?

I'm disabled and in a wheelchair so not sure how involved I'll have to be? I don't know! I don't want to be one of those CF parents you read about on here that do naff parties without any chairs or squash or something! I don't want to miss something.

What was the best kids party your young children went to?

If you've not done one before I'd do something with the least amount of planning involved. Have a look at what your local soft play centres offer. They will probs have a package you can choose. Then it would just be a case of bringing a couple of balloons to show where the party people are sitting, bringing a birthday cake and party bags. But some play centres might do all that too.

You could also see what party packages local farms or trampoline places etc do. Ask them lots of questions about what they provide and what you have to do yourself.

At that age parents will come and stay with their children but shouldn't expect to be fed aswell.

I hope that helps.

If you have money to throw at it, do. 3/4 yr olds are not great at party games but the best parties for kids of this age I've been to have been a bit like a festival/fete so bouncy castle, facepainting, some shite craft activity etc. A little treasure hunt to start off as people arrive - which is just collecting stickers you've stuck round the hall in really obvious places. Character dressed up as a Disney character goes down well too. Don't do pass the parcel but musical statues is OK if it's 'who's the funniest statue' not people getting knocked out.

Food can be pizza if there's a kitchen and it's easy, or some people do little packed lunch boxes which are a faff to prepare but brilliant for serving up. I never did food for parents but cups of tea are good.

Otherwise yes a play centre where they do all the work and you go home is best of all!!

Soft play is a winner if you don’t mind the price. They run wild, they get fed and there’s usually a party host to round them up.

Some of the best parties my kids have been to though are in the village hall (in the stage where you just had the whole class so it was 30 kids) with an old fashioned entertainer. We’ve got a couple of great ones that aren’t an arm and leg. They do proper parties games, silly stuff and just a lot of fun.

If you do that then the easiest food I found was cardboard cake box each - sandwich (cheese and jam seems to satisfy them all), crisps, fruit of some sort and fairy cake.

Never done more than tea and biscuits for adults, and usually an organised mum takes charge of this 😆

When mine were that age I always hired a hall. Setup some tables with a couple of crafty things (Baker Ross do some great things) - just simple colouring and making a crown etc, biscuit decorating etc. Some balls to play with. Maybe a bouncy castle if there is room and enough people to supervise it (deflate it at food time). Do that for an hour.
Half an hour for 'tea' - bits of pizza chicken nuggets, a few veg sticks/grapes etc, crisps, biscuits. Do cake. Chop up and put in party bags.
Half an hour for pass the parcel (for a whole class either split into three rings and each have a parcel, or have several parcels going round one big circle), lots of sweets wrapped between the layers, and make sure everyone gets some.
Then home time.

Parents get a cup of tea if they're lucky.

Definitely hire an entertainer or do softplay.

Soft play all the way. Tell the parents they have to stay and make sure you have a non wheelchair using teen/adult around who can keep an eye on your PFB who WILL get stuck.

You have to book a party session with soft play and they will generally offer to cater. Keep an eye on siblings. Make it clear to patents before hand if they are invited or not so that you can give accurate numbers to the venue. Make extra party bags including one for your own child.

You can generally bring your own cake. Open presents at home and keep a list as you open them so that you can send accurate thank you cards. Also write names on presents as if the card gets separated you won't know what is from who.

At that age assume parents staying but I would suggest getting a few of your friends/grandparents etc to help.

Just a few extra pair of hands makes a bit difference-even having someone cutting cake and putting in (previously opened flat) napkins to go in named party bags.

Beware of the dreaded sibling tag alongs.

At that age I also always hired a hall and had traditional entertainer-there are lots of different types-magicians, ones who bring animals always a hit.

I tended to have drinks and crisps or slightly more grown up snacks to make the staying more palatable.

Think about set up-extra hands helpful here too. will you have to get tables and chairs out? Use birthday paper table cloths, plates and napkins then all get thrown in bin bags at the end.

Do as much as you can in advance and make it simple for first one.
Hopefully there will be a few parties before yours so you can get some ideas.

Local Facebook pages always good for entertainer ideas

And presents straight in a bag and out of sight-absolutely no opening at party!!!!

I’ve just done a party for my 4yo, it was her first too. I asked preschool who she played with, hey gave me a list of names, 5 in total and all girls which made it easy. We just hired a bouncy castle at home. I did a couple of games, pass the parcel, musical statues & bumps, I did a few others but they weren’t interested in anything other than the music games. For prices I had some cheap dolls, Pom poms, anything little kids like and lots of haribos and lollipops. The rest of the time the bouncy castle kept them happy. I think they would have been happy with just the bouncy castle, it was my dd that wanted the games. For food I did sandwiches, cheese and ham, some fruit, crisps, cupcakes. They were so happy none of them wanted to leave. At this age don’t go mad. I’ve done the huge preschool parties for my older ones it just gets overwhelming for them and you. I can honestly say out of all the parties I’ve done this was my least stressful and I actually enjoyed it. I have chronic health problems and I didn’t want anything too draining, this was perfect.

We made up party bags a couple of days earlier, we did sweet bags and then put activity books, crayons, Princess bits in a party bag. But you can do anything you want as it’s your party.

As for adult food, parents don’t usually expect it. We just offered tea and coffee with biscuits. None of the parents decided to stay at our party which actually made it easier for us. A couple had a brew when they did pick up. You will find that if parents do stay they will happily just nibble on what you do for the kids.

You can do the big class parties when they are in school.

The alternative is a venue that dose it all for you, a soft play are is good at this age. You can just bring your cake if you want. Adults can buy their own food and drink. I would definitely ask parents to stay if you do this otherwise your left responsible for their children.

I forgot to say, we forgot to cut the cake. None of the kids, including my dd noticed. As they havnt never been to parties before it didn’t make a difference.

Soft play party, they get fed there,they get to run around and all you have to do is chat to other parents and dish out party bags at the end. Take a cake (I usually geta big traybake type one from Asda) and the staff will do the happy birthday and cut the cake for the party bags. Agreed with no present opening. Bring big bags to put them in then open at home

Just to add, disabled parent here and I find that type of party works well. Rope in a family member for anything physical such as bag carrying, going into the play area or assisting you

If he's only going to be 4 then most of the others will still be 3.

Don't do it would be my advice.

Instead invite 3 or 4 friends round to yours for a bit of free play and special tea. If you feel very brave try a short pass the parcel (prize every layer), or a bit of musical bumps.

90 mins maximum.