Page 8 | What's the worst kids party you've been to

T181 · 2022-05-27T17:41:10+00:00

Please give me some examples of the worst kids party you've been to?? Im hosting one on Sunday for 25 children and actually am so worried about it I need some real life stories to calm my nerves

SammyScrounge · 28/05/2022 02:19

and winning little prizes. And then the birthday feast. It was dark when the party ended. The little vampires streamed up the road with their Hallowe'en lanterns glowing and their cloaks billowing behind them. So much more fun than than a venue.

TomPinch · 28/05/2022 02:33

The reality is that venues are easier and there is less time to organise parties now.

Lauraa7 · 28/05/2022 02:37

Went to drop my 10 year old off and walked into a crime scene, they had drawn round the daughter on the floor like you see in the movies and had then written RIP with the kids name. It was weird

waterrat · 28/05/2022 03:19

@T181 You need to give kids lunch ! 10 tol 12 is a party time thst has kids lunch in it. You can't just give them crisps. I would find that odd as will the kids. Get those mini card boxes and give each child one with sandwich fruit and crisps.

Also lunch is the nice calm bit after they run around.

ShirleyPhallus · 28/05/2022 05:26

T181 · 27/05/2022 19:49

Oh God some of these are truly horrendous!!! ok that makes me feel better
We have a 2 hour soft play party from 10-12 with a few light snacks(crisps cupcake and an alpen bar) drinks provided. And hot drinks for adults But there is no hot food the place has no kitchen currently (parents are aware of this) we have birthday cake to cut (and another cake incase we run out of the 1st one ) and party bags each which consists of bubbles, 2 glow sticks, a sticky climbing man thingy, and then a little bag of sweet- a lollipop, a dinosaur jelly sweet, a jelly sweet that looks like pizza/hotdog/burger or chips and small kinder chocolate bar.

I've stressed my self silly so much about this party I hope the kids all enjoy them selfs and don't get bored

You definitely need to feed them more! Crisps, a cereal bar and 2 different cakes isn’t enough at all!

SoaringSkiesAzure · 28/05/2022 06:19

Years ago, most parties seemed to be in a sports hall with food provided by parents, enormous bouncy castle or larger play type bouncy thing and maybe party games and / or entertainer.
All the class were invited to one, and the only food was a few marshmallows with a smarty on top, crisps, and the smallest, undecorated cup cakes I’ve ever seen. Oh and some juice.
Nothing else, and there wasn’t much for 30 children at all. We had to keep shushing our kids when they asked where the sandwiches were.
Fairly affluent parents of the birthday child, so quite surprising.
The children all had fun, but the parents were very surprised at the time.

Herejustforthisone · 28/05/2022 06:43

One I went to when I was nine. It was a swimming party of a child we Jose mother was notoriously highly strung.

The duration of the party was due to last…35 minutes. By the time a class full of nine year olds had changed and got in the pool, it was not even ten minutes before I was being told to get out - ten minutes early - to to change. This was a pool with flumes and fun things and none of us got to do any of them. Some kids had gone straight to the biggest flume and were still in the queue for it when they were called back! They weren’t even wet!

Then we were hurried out with a slice of cake so thin you could see through it, in a sandwich bag. The icing had fallen off mine so it was even more miserable.

Such a weird party. So much so I’ve never forgotten it.

stayathomer · 28/05/2022 07:10

Soft play there was always the option of something and chips as well as cake, would agree you need food although keep it to that (we had two children get sick because of all the running about when we decided to bring a few extras for them!!)

stayathomer · 28/05/2022 07:12

ps the best parties are generally like the best nights out, those special ones where everyone just gels and gets along, they can be in someone's house with nothing planned, in a venue etc, enjoy op!!

CoverYourselfInChocolateGlory · 28/05/2022 07:12

I am guilty of one of these - when DD was turning six my mum wanted us all on holiday in rural Ireland over her birthday. It was a place we knew quite well so I had this idea that we could have a little party in the pub garden for DD and I could invite some people in the village to attend. DD got wind of this and spent the week really excited asking every random person we met at a tourist attraction or shop to come to her party. On the day, ONE mum and her daughter turned up with a present for DD (very sweet). A random holidaying group with four kids turned up at the pub and I practically jumped on them and begged them to come and play some party games. They agreed and were lovely, so we just about got away with it from DD's point of view and she had a good time but it was so stressful and I felt so utterly pathetic!

Flatandhappy · 28/05/2022 07:20

Have been to and hosted lots of great parties, misses were -

DS aged 10/11 went to an outdoor party where the food was BBQ, when he lined up for a sausage he was asked “which sausages did you bring”, no idea he was supposed to, party mum refused to give him one of the many sausages on the BBQ.
Party at a beach, kids around 5 so all parents stayed, someone spotted a little boy still in the ocean when everyone else had got out for food. Mum had dropped him off in the car park without telling the host mum and none of the other parents realised he was there!
Had a “wilderness woods” type party for DS’s 8th birthday in England in November, it was pissing down and freezing, one little boy arrived with no jacket wearing thin plimsole type shoes.
Party invites handed out at school, DD given one, checked the date and saw mum was still in the playground so went over to say x would love to come. Mum looked at DD, said “I thought she was a boy” (Irish name, but a pretty common one) and snatched the invite from DD’s hands.

letsnotdothat · 28/05/2022 07:28

DD’s friend arranged a pyjama party at home once when she was four so friend’s fifth birthday, in reception. When I turned up it was just all of the parents sitting around with the children in pyjamas, I didn’t realise I was supposed to stay and get involved and I definitely wasn’t wearing pyjamas . Luckily for me DD refused to go inside, she started screaming and being four years old I wasn’t going to force her so we left. I was honestly exceptionally relieved even though I’d wasted the time getting there and on a present. It just looked so awkward.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 28/05/2022 07:29

Just asked DS1 - he said it was one where he was only 1 of 2 boys, and he didn't know the other boy. The girls just basically ignored him, and he didn't know the mum at the party well enough to say anything - so he just sat it out for the 2-3 hours of the party. He was about 8, so past the age where I would stay if I didn't know the parents. I felt so bad for him!

PriamFarrl · 28/05/2022 07:45

Beancounter1 · 27/05/2022 20:01

I'm old enough to remember when the hosting parents organised games: pass the parcel, musical chairs or bumps, sleeping lions, pin the tail on the donkey, oranges and lemons, and so on.
I just find it a bit sad that now its usually soft play or a hired entertainment show. All the traditional games are dying out. There's nothing special about soft play, most kids go frequently enough that it just doesn't make a party special.

Don’t forget the jelly and ice cream.

pollyglot · 28/05/2022 07:58

The one when DD (aged 7) and I didn't go to. Her "friend" (I'd looked after heaps, being a teacher, and the mother had trouble with childcare) said she wasn't having a party, family issues, so DD and I decided to drop off a little birthday present on the way past. Except when we got there, the friend was indeed having a party. The whole class, except my DD. The mother obviously was very embarrassed, and immediately asked DD to stay. I smiled sweetly, put the present on the hall table, and we left, heads held high. Next stop was a girls' afternoon tea at a lovely café, just the two of us. Apparently a mere teacher's daughter didn't deserve to be included among the offspring of the town's elite.

notanothertakeaway · 28/05/2022 08:00

WithAnXXHere · 27/05/2022 20:35

This thread is brilliant!

I've never been to any party, adult or child, that's been as eventful as some of these.

I was once at a funeral wake in a pub, and there was a kids party going on in the function room. At one point, a conga line (it was the 90s) came through into the wake, which was quite funny to witness.

@WithAnXXHere a kids party going through a funeral wake did make me chuckle

Tothepoint99 · 28/05/2022 08:00

T181 · 27/05/2022 19:49

Oh God some of these are truly horrendous!!! ok that makes me feel better
We have a 2 hour soft play party from 10-12 with a few light snacks(crisps cupcake and an alpen bar) drinks provided. And hot drinks for adults But there is no hot food the place has no kitchen currently (parents are aware of this) we have birthday cake to cut (and another cake incase we run out of the 1st one ) and party bags each which consists of bubbles, 2 glow sticks, a sticky climbing man thingy, and then a little bag of sweet- a lollipop, a dinosaur jelly sweet, a jelly sweet that looks like pizza/hotdog/burger or chips and small kinder chocolate bar.

I've stressed my self silly so much about this party I hope the kids all enjoy them selfs and don't get bored

Aren't you providing lunch for the kids?

ManorMouse · 28/05/2022 08:12

RocketAndAFuckingMelon · 27/05/2022 22:17

Mid 80s, 8th birthday party, the "party games" consisted of watching video-recorded episodes of Countdown to see if we could beat the contestants. Party child was an infant prodigy who mostly could, possibly because his mum got all pissy when he missed one ("Oh Robert! That one was EASY!"). The rest of us were completely bemused and just sat there watching Robert. Party mum then gave us each a vitamin tablet of some sort with our party tea to repair the damage that might have been done to our eyes from watching television.

I had a similar one aged about 10 with a birthday party for a boy in my class.

The sole "Party Game" was his father putting on classical music and opera records for a few seconds and asking "Who can tell me what it is?" The birthday boy and his sister answered every question while the rest of us looked on in bemusement.

There was no cake, no crisps, no sweets. Just some sweaty organic cheddar in homemade bread sandwiches and the weakest of the weak orange squash.

It was then that I understood why the birthday boy had a (deserved) reputation for going mad other other birthday parties and devouring as much sugary food as he could.

His DM was a teacher (not in our school though) and it showed as we might as well have been in school she was so strict.

Danascully2 · 28/05/2022 08:13

One I organized where I had lots of games planned which probably would have worked well but the hall was so echoey none of the children could hear my instructions so just went wild. Also any party longer than 2 hours for little ones. Had to take my 4 year old home early from the last 3 hour one....

Tothepoint99 · 28/05/2022 08:13

maryberryslayers · 27/05/2022 20:47

I think you're going a bit light on the food if I'm honest. My little boy would be ravenous after 2 hours running around and eats lunch at 11:30/12. Personally I'd add a sandwich and a piece of fruit per child to that and lose the alpen bar, it's quite a strange thing to give a child in the middle of the day, a small yoghurt might be better.

Show quote history

I agree! An alpen bar is an alien object to a kid! Sandwiches, crisps, party rings, cut fruit (strawberries and melon do well at parties without going brown) and bread sticks should do it.

kierenthecommunity · 28/05/2022 08:17

I’m with the posters who are saying a bit more food is needed. A massive spread isn’t necessary and getting all the four year olds to sit down will be like herding cats. But presumably at that age the parents will be stopping? So I’d do a lunch bag which I’d give to the parents, with something like

Jam sandwich - I’d cut them into quarters and give each child 2 quarters each
Bag of crisps
Bag of mini party rings
Box of raisins
Babybel or cheese string
Fruit shoot (not capri suns as these get knocked over and leak everywhere)

or similar

Everything packaged (well, other than the sandwich) then they can take home what they don’t have

We had one party where I took hotdogs in a slow cooker (and some veggie dogs in a flask) that was dead easy. And then just had a bag of crisps and fancy biscuit per child on top of that.

I can’t see many children being thrilled about cereal bars at a party - mine literally only have them in packed lunches where there are instructions not to have chocolate (like school trips) They’re not very ‘party’

I would also give the children a package of crisps each not decant them in bowls. Even pre-covid the thought of all those 4 year old child fingers in bowls was grim

ChocolateHippo · 28/05/2022 08:24

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 28/05/2022 07:29

Just asked DS1 - he said it was one where he was only 1 of 2 boys, and he didn't know the other boy. The girls just basically ignored him, and he didn't know the mum at the party well enough to say anything - so he just sat it out for the 2-3 hours of the party. He was about 8, so past the age where I would stay if I didn't know the parents. I felt so bad for him!

Oh, your poor boy! I can't believe the birthday mum didn't notice and have a word with the girls. I would at least have put the TV on for the boys/ given access to video games etc., if the situation really was unsalvageable. And apologised hugely!

Tothepoint99 · 28/05/2022 08:29

kierenthecommunity · 28/05/2022 08:17

I’m with the posters who are saying a bit more food is needed. A massive spread isn’t necessary and getting all the four year olds to sit down will be like herding cats. But presumably at that age the parents will be stopping? So I’d do a lunch bag which I’d give to the parents, with something like

Jam sandwich - I’d cut them into quarters and give each child 2 quarters each
Bag of crisps
Bag of mini party rings
Box of raisins
Babybel or cheese string
Fruit shoot (not capri suns as these get knocked over and leak everywhere)

or similar

Everything packaged (well, other than the sandwich) then they can take home what they don’t have

We had one party where I took hotdogs in a slow cooker (and some veggie dogs in a flask) that was dead easy. And then just had a bag of crisps and fancy biscuit per child on top of that.

I can’t see many children being thrilled about cereal bars at a party - mine literally only have them in packed lunches where there are instructions not to have chocolate (like school trips) They’re not very ‘party’

I would also give the children a package of crisps each not decant them in bowls. Even pre-covid the thought of all those 4 year old child fingers in bowls was grim

Wow! Hot dogs in a flask! That's clever. Will be trotting that one out in the future!

Original poster

T181 · 28/05/2022 08:32

Thanks all for replies. Its 6 years not 4 years of age.
Also the place doesn't allow you to bring your own food in nor does it currently do hot food and its the only soft play in our tiny village so we didn't have much other option. Im going to phone up later and see if they can provide sandwiches though also now. Also the alpen bar its a strawberry cereal bar maybe I worded that wrong

OP posts:

JudgeRindersMinder · 28/05/2022 08:33

What is it with competitive under catering at kids’ parties! A proper children's party spread involves sandwiches, sausage rolls, wee Willie Winnie sausages, crisps (multiple bowls) chocolate crispy cakes, top hat cakes and tray bakes.
I’ll let you off with jelly and ice cream as that’s just a faff!