Has anyone noticed this about Childrens birthday parties?

[monroecontrols]

More and more people are going 'extra'

So many people who a few years back now do.

Examples are...

Balloon arches
Donut walls
Flower background drops for pictures
Cakes that are personalised and 2/3 tiers
Themed characters coming to the party
Everything co-ordinating and matching

I've seen influencers do it on Instagram, but not in real life. Except we did have a character appearance but it was just included in the venue.

Well if you’ve got 35 kids attending and you’d like a bit of cake to take home to share with the family I’d like to see you stretch a Colin to that many portions @mrsfoof

Ds2 asked for a "party" party for his recent 9th birthday. He wanted traditional games and fun! We did Kim's game, pass the parcel, beetle drive, dancing with balloons, musical statues, the flour game, hot dogs to eat. It was really good fun and a reminder that most kids actually enjoy more "basic" old fashioned parties. Added bonus was it only cost about £40 as we had it at home.

2/3/4 Colins then. At around £5/6 each to serve 12, still much cheaper than a multi-tiered bespoke cake.

Not at any of the kids parties I've attended this year (5 year olds)

Village Hall, entertainer and then music, buffet lunch with sausage rolls, crisps, pizza and fruit, party bags. Standard party.

I've always done this, starting from when my teenager turned 2 (14 years ago and wayyyyy before I was on Instagram or Facebook). Her 2nd birthday was a fairy theme with a balloon display and decor that took me 6 hours, themed games, three tier cake, themed bouncy castle, home made craft kits for all the kids and a tinkerbell visit (my cousin in a home made costume). She had an amazing day and it made me so so happy to make it so special for her - I enjoyed every step of it and even though she doesn't remember I always will. I've got 3 kids and every party has been similar. I've got absolutely no money so I spend ages making everything myself, but even with the really professional looking ones there's worse things people could spend on so let them crack on

I’ve never been to a kids party that had any of that stuff…
i have maybe noticed more year 2 ‘whole class’ parties Dec - April as those kids have had 2 lockdown birthdays basically

There's a large Colin the Caterpillar cake designed to serve 40. (Which as we know means v tiny pieces). Costs £45 though.

What’s a donut wall ?!!!

None of the kids parties I have been to included any of those things (except one tiered cake!).

Wow. Nothing like that around her (and we are in an affluent area) yes to personalised cakes but not multi tier - some home made some not. Parent catered tea and a terrain we/ activity. Whole class invited but I would say people almost go out of the way not to be extravagant !

Nah..soft play with a cake at the end. No balloons, no fancy things.

Not here. Last one we went to was just a riot in a church hall and everyone caught covid.

Oh yes.

I live in a deprived area and we have a special shop on the high street for all your balloon arch, pick and mix and photo booth needs.

The last time I was in the cake aisle in the supermarket there was a woman and a boy of five and she was agog at the fact you could get a birthday cake for only £35. She thought is was £150 from a cake maker or nothing.

Not enough time to cut it and get it into party bags.

I haven’t seen that around here. I think it must be an Instagram or class thing.

Yes it’s getting crazy. Massive balloon arches, personalised birthday t-shirts and pyjamas, three tier cakes. Fortunately most of the parties my daughter has gone to with school friends have been pretty standard but a number of my friends and family have been doing all of the above for their children.

I have noticed it here and there but i don’t care.

At my best friends wedding we went to the venue the day before to drop something off. Massive barn complex inside a golf club. There was a child’s party being set up, and it was like a wedding dedicated to Frozen. The entire barn was decorated in blue and white flowers, table ware changed, bouquets of flowers on the tables, cut outs of Elsa and Anna, huge glitter snow flakes hanging from the ceiling, tables of party bags being set up, it looked like a wedding you would see in Hello.

It’s crazy, yes, but do I care? No.

The last time I was in the cake aisle in the supermarket there was a woman and a boy of five and she was agog at the fact you could get a birthday cake for only £35.

£35 is still ridiculous tbh, im a £12 special or make it myself!

You missed out parents dressed like they are off clubbing or to a wedding. Have just been looking at the photos in a balloon are for a second birthday. The heels and skirt combo doesn’t look even slightly child/bending friendly!

Where does this end up? Endless over prepped celebrations for all sorts of shit with endless tat and posing. I really hope their is a move away from this trend.

I took DS to one of his nursery friends 4th party today

• slush machine
• popcorn machine
• candy floss machine
• chocolate covered strawberries
• candy cart
• face painter
• balloon arch
• bouncy castle
• tattoo station
• professional DJ

Lovely party and loads of food but kids would have been just as happy with just the bouncy castle maybe the face painter and an Alexa for some music

Yes! What is that about? My DS has been a couple of parties where he sadly told me that the fancy cake wasn't for the kids, just family, and and the kids were all given a Tesco value cupcake. So weird.

My preference is the old fashioned method of baking a cake in a roasting tray, which of course burns on one end and sinks in the middle, thus requiring 2-3 tubs of frosting and several tubs of sprinkles and a few packets of Smarties to make it appealing. Kids seriously go wild for that! Not quite as insta worthy unfortunately

The stress these parties must create and the over excitement for the children must be a lethal combination.

I know exactly why you mean though!

Once one does it, they all follow like sheep, from being a 5 guest party to inviting the whole neighborhood for fear of upsetting someone! Ridiculous.

The cakes are extortionate cost for a child’s party - save the money for education / car/deposit or similar!

Mine had tea parties, then a few friends from school/cousins.

They had event parties when they were KS2 - cinema/Go ape/trampoline - quick tea and maybe one sleeping over.

Glad they’re all 18 and sort themselves out.

My kids past that age now but I have noticed it on local Facebook pages a lot of balloon arches etc are offered a few days after. At least they get reused I suppose. I used to just hang a couple of balloons off the tree in the garden so people could find the house easily.
Also big for first communions around here, along with Balloon Crosses

Even round here (arse end of Somerset, no jobs, no money) a couple of people have gone proper ridiculous for kids' parties. £100+ on a cake, awful photo props (like the balloon arch/flower wall you mentioned) brand new "mother of the bride" worthy outfit and shoes, mother and daughter "pamper" sessions to get matching blow dries and manicures. One mum even said she'd had her botox touched up early especially - WTAF?!!

But the vast majority of us still do the tried and tested village hall + bouncy castle + Colin the caterpillar (or knockoff 😉) winning combo 👍🏻