3rd birthday party at home

[MondayMartini]

We’re hosting a 3rd birthday for our son at home in a few weeks.

It’s for a couple of hours in the afternoon for 10ish children. Praying for good weather so we can be in the garden but any ideas for activities?

There’s a company nearby that does soft play hire so wondering about that?

I would hire an entertainer if you have the funds - even something simple like a magician for an hour. Unless you are a skilled childcare practitioner, entertaining 10 three year olds would be quite an ordeal!

How much space do you have? At that age parents will be staying, there may be older/younger siblings involved as well. Can you physically fit that many people in your house if the weather is bad and you can't be outside. Do you have a gazebo or anything you can put up in the garden?

Is there any sort of theme you want to go for? A few basic games like musical chairs/statues, sleeping lions, pass the parcel, may be good. Blowing up some balloons and letting them run around with those is peak small child party entertainment tbh. Same with a bubble machine in the garden.

I haven't been to a huge number of small child parties in people's homes, but generally at that age people seem to mostly just get out all their own DCs toys. In terms of activities, pass the parcel and perhaps putting on some music for a bit of a disco is probably fine. Agree with pp you need to be happy you have enough space for all SC and 1-2 parents each (sometimes both parents seem to stay especially for only children) if it rains.

Have a few simple games like pass the parcel, musical bumps and sleeping lions with prizes lined up, a craft activity that you can throw a sheet on the floor and they can do there, music of course and some suitable toys for the beginning as people arrive and after the food as people drift off.

So we used to do:

Toys
Musical bumps or similar
Pass the parcel
Craft
2 more games
Food
Toys

Toys
Balloons
Pass the parcel

Do you have enough space inside for parents too if the weather is crappy?

We did all our kids parties at home till about six. At that age I did a simple craft activity around the kitchen table - one time I cut crown shapes out of different coloured card and had tape ready to tape the ends together once decorated. Baker Ross is good for stick on gems, stickers, pens etc. another time I bought baker Ross own cardboard swords for a pirate party and then they decorated them. That took about 30 mins and allowed everyone to arrive. My husband then took them to the sitting room for simple games like pass the parcel and pin the tail on the donkey and I think musical statues. Then back to the kitchen for party tea and cake. If time one more game afterwards. They were autumn parties so couldn't rely on being outside.