Would you send your 6/7 year old child to a woodland party in December?

[OhNoooooooooooooooo]

If your 6/7 year old (Year 2) was invited to a den building party in the woods in mid December.... Would you say yes?

DD is desperate for a birthday party in the woods where they can build dens, do s'mores, play on rope swings etc and have pass the parcel round the camp fire. That kind of thing. We'd have hotdogs for food.

However her birthday is 19 December. So would do party weekend before like the Saturday afternoon, 1-3 that kind of time..

Would be in our private woods behind the house, so no issues of access etc it's a contained area. It has a campfire circle already. Can easily get a gazebo through for rain....

Would you think adults would need to stay? I
Do you think I'm mad even contemplating this??

These sound so much fun ! Brilliant.

No.

Only because I’ve been to a few in my time (used to live in a very hippy ish area of Suffolk about 20 years ago and home educated and they were all at this sort of thing).

It was just wet, cold and miserable.

Never again.

@OhNoooooooooooooooo
I think this will be a marmite party, some will love it and some will hate it!!
My boys don’t mind being outside and cold but my daughter hates being cold no way would she entertain this!

Yes! Oh god, another ridiculous over anxious parent thread

your private woods?!?
proper jealous! we have to schelp out to epping with everything.

parents in my kids world are just thankful that someone is organising the fun,
and are up for a bit of mulled wine and good healthy outdoors fun.
i suggested they bring a flask with them.

but maybe if you live somewhere where everyone is in the woods all the time. then maybe it isn’t as exciting.

boy i reckon your child has a lovely plan and you totally should make it happen.

birthdya cake with “camp fire” inspired decoration - melted fruit glacé sweets make good flames, and fudge bars, chocolate matchsticks, and brownies can all be used to make the campfire.

Usually around 5C and below in December where I am in England. You must be somewhere south. There’s risks of torrential rain and dangerous wind speeds in winter.

Not in December.

Sounds fantastic. I'd stay if you needed help/ extra eyes.
They'll love it!!!

Absolutely.

The best days out we’ve had in the woods have been when it’s wet and muddy!

Sounds absolutely brilliant...I would enjoy this at 62! But bear in n mind the time of year and that people will be enmeshed in Christmassy activities

I would expect that everyone will say yes at first and then if it’s freezing or tipping down you’ll get a bunch of last minute drop outs. Nobody will actually say “we’ll come if it’s decent weather” but they may plan that or assume you’ll have a back up plan or call it off if weather is dreadful.

Honestly, I wouldn’t want to huddle under an umbrella or gazebo in horrible weather. Even with my big padded waterproof coat and winter boots. I don’t care if that makes me a townie wuss, I get cold very easily if I’m not moving and it’s just not enjoyable.

My kids would be happy in all weathers if they were well BUT it’s peak bug season and if they had a cold or other bug I wouldn’t send them out in cold and rain.

My son went to woodland parties in Feb when he was in year 1 it was great! Just make it clear they need warm clothes on invite.

Sounds fab! And jealous at you having your own wood!

Yes...

Well we did "bushcraft and hairdressing" for a January party once. It was awesome! (The hairdressing part was indoors).

I personally wouldn’t want the responsibility of a fire with other people’s children. Some children are badly behaved and have no boundaries so could be dangerous around the fire. You’d have to be absolutely certain you could keep it safe.
My children at that age would have loved that party!

They're good kids and the fire would be in a firepit inside.a circle of log seats :)

I did this for both my sons, admittedly in warmer months

i think it sounds great, particularly in December when everyone tends to hide inside

My DD had an outdoor party in the park yesterday. It threw it down with rain and was freezing cold. The kids were OK running about but were shivering when they stopped for food later. I wouldn't want to risk that in December.

How are you going to stop the wayward ones from running off or climbing up the biggest tree they can find?

My daughter attended one last year in November and it was heavily raining and didn’t stop all day. She was properly kitted out with waterproof clothing but she was soaked through and freezing by the time the party finished poor thing! So it’s completely doable but I’m not sure it’s particularly enjoyable if the weather is awful.

Yes to the party in the woods, but I wonder if you might struggle for availability. People seem so busy mid December with shopping/ Santa/ Ice Skating/ Christmas lights and every kids club seems to be doing a Christmas party. I might be tempted to have it very early/ last week of November time (but then my daughters birthday party was three weeks after her birthday this year because of Easter and availability, so we are quite relaxed on timings anyhow.

Could you not have the idea as a special treat if she’s done something good that can be done on a good forecast on the summer ? Like “good school report” and you can have some friends for a play date party ?

Well, the adults wouldn't all have to stay.of they didn't want to?

.... No.