to think that I can't do a child's party for under £450?

[alfabetty]

I know I am

Come and give me some ideas on how to cut costs!

Plan is to do a leaving party for my 2 DCS (3 and 6) as we are moving house and leaving the area. Will be 50 children (2 classes) plus any siblings.

Costs -
£150 entertainer (as I'll be on my own, DH will have gone on ahead to new house)
Hall - £60 (also essential as packing/no DH etc)
Food - £100 (£2 per head? bearing in mind siblings and tea/coffee/biscuits for parents)
Party bag/sweets - £3 a head so £150

How can I reduce the cost? With 50 children even the party bags/sweets etc add up.

Actually I wouldn't expetc any parents of 6yo to stay at a party.

I guess it depends what we are doing - if it is a kids' party, I don't really want to eat between (say) 2pm and 4pm anyway!

Some good ideas, thanks

Do you really think a leaving party will unsettle the children more? We'll be coming back to visit family and friends during the time we're away, so we will try to keep in touch with some of the children.

Perhaps a smaller trip to MacD's for their closer friends might be better (prob no cheaper, mind...!). But their close friends vary day-to-day at their age.

There is no way you will need to spend £2 a head on food.

Get a couple of boxes of cheese and tomato pizza from Lidl (they are excellent as bases - DH italian chef so trust me they are great!)

add some additional grated cheese, ham if you eat it or whatever, and chopped tomato and cook. each box of 3x pizza costs less than £2.

Cut them into little squares and there will be tons of it to go round.

some bags of frozen sausages/chipolatas, sandwiches 2x quarters each, crisps, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese cubes. Chocolate fingers and bits and bobs and some squash with fizzy water.

Agree the hall is a bit pricy. Entertainment is a good idea, but you don't need a cake and you certainly don't need party bags.

Set your budget and work well within it. It really ought not to cost that much.

Your dc won't see these children for two years. Small do for close friends and money to spend on some outings with new ones far more important IMO. If you go ahead - no party bags - not a birthday.

I have reflected. Are you sure that tis party is about the children and not about you?

It will be a hard time- you will be adding stress and expense at a time when everything will be changing. The party may seem exciting but you may dedicate so much time to it that don't have time to give to preparing them for change.

At 3 and 6 the expectation for a party can only have come from you.

Won't a close friend host a small goodbye in their home?

We do live in an expensive area, I've done parties (with fewer children) and costed halls, entertainers etc, and done the games myself (after which I swore I'd never do it again!).

So not such a problem with the hall & entertainer costs (high though they are), it's the add-ons - food, drinks/biccies for parents, party bags - all really add up when there are so many children.

£150 for an entertainer! £75 per hour! Surely not!

Ditch party bags. Even if you decide to do them make it £1 maximum.

Food should be no more than £1 a head. 3 year olds will eat a handful of crisps and a chicken nugget IME.

Good luck!

We have been to a nice few Sunday pm family house parties- an open house- when people are moving. Guests will bring wine and even food if you ask.

Simbacatlives - we're doing adult leaving drinks for us.

DS will have his birthday just after we move, so we'll do a day out for him on the day, but no party as he won't have started his new school by then. DD is getting invited to her first parties and keeps talking about her party - and similar to DS, we won't have been in our new are very long when she turns 4.

But even with close friends, with their siblings a small gathering would be 20-30 people (inc mums) which is too many for home and quite expensive/logistically difficult to take to eg MacD's.

Just turning over the possibilities, always get good ideas on MN so grateful for all your thoughts

And yep, my pretty extensive survey of entertainers has shown than £75 an hour is the going rate. Utter madness, I thought, till I tried to run a party myself. Now I can't help but feel it is good value for money!

I would agree that an entertainer is a good idea for that many children. I also always employ my cleaning lady to come to the party and make teas and coffees for the grown-ups. (she also helps with the setting up).
Food wise - I do open sandwiches. Just half and butter some rolls (For DD's party, there were 24 children so I only got 16 rolls, half a roll each plus a few spares). A few packets of thin ham (waitrose essential is good) and ready sliced cheddar. The children then take half a roll, add cheese or ham and some sliced cucumber. It's easier than making sandwiches, the children get to eat what they like and there is little waste. All I add to that is sliced watermelon, grapes, crisps and a fairy cake each. I think that you could do all of the food for about £50. Order a box of biscuits for the parents or buy mince pies or something.

Would agree that party bags are un-necessary for a leaving party. Perhaps each of your DC could stand at the door with a basket of sweeties and the children can take one from each and say goodbye?

FWIW, I spent about £350 on my dd's last party, (I did party bags and had platters of sandwiches from Waitrose for the parents) if you can afford it easily and don't mind then go ahead but I know that it seems to mount up so quickly.

We did a joint 3rd birthday with about 30 odd children. We hired a bouncy castle and bought along garden toys, paddling pool with balls in it. Kept them all amused fine. Can you get any friends to bring along little slides/rockers etc?

That is a good idea littledawley - plain rolls and help themselves to fillings.

I could ask my MIL to come along to help with teas etc for the adults. Sure she wouldn't mind.

Turning all the options over in my mind....!

Where do you live BTW? We have used entertainers from here several times and they are brilliant. (about the same budget that you were thinking of).

Thanks, we're in Greater London, so will give them a call.

I held a birthday disco for my Dds 6th birthday, she shared it with a friend so they had about 60 children alltogether.
We couldn't do party bags for that many so we trawled pound stores, Asda etc for lucky dip prizes, nothing cost over £1 and each child grabbed a gift at the end!

Sounds like you like the idea of a big party, lots of friends, entertainer and hall (necessary for so many people).

So......hold the party from 2-4pm.
At 3pm, have a drink and biscuit/bun. Could have a few bowls of crips around the place too but not necessary.

It's not a birthday, so friends won't be spending money on presents, so ask closer friends to bring a plate of cakes/buns/biscuits.

Nominate a couple of friends to be in charge of teas/coffees to keep the Mums happy (and friends feel needed).

Take a big photo of all the kid together, then get one printed out for every child and put a sticky label with 'thanks for coming to our party, will miss you lots, our new address/email....is' and give them out as thank you's later.

Roughly £220 pounds saved.

Phone your local nursery (or college) and ask if they have any students who would be interested in helping out with a large party. We had our babysitter help when we did parties and it was great.

Party bags are a bit OTT but if you want a souvenir, what about the kids doing something like picture frames as entertainment and take home treat.

McDs for their nearest and dearest does seem smarter, plus you used to be able to have a party there I bet you still can.

I do understand why you are doing this, but TBH no one will mind if you don't.

Thanks. Will turn the idea over in my mind a bit more.

Agree it could be a load more stress, with me packing the house and DH gone, but I thought it might be nice for the DCs.

Can see some good ways to reduce the cost - I've accepted it won't be cheap as I'll need to make it as easy as possible, but prob not quite as much as I'd feared!

If it is your sons birthday don't you just need a party for him. By combining it with you other child and leaving you are making the birthday less important.

Her birthday will be a great chance for a party at new place.

not all 50 will come surely?

and come to think of it I cant imagine a large group of 6 yos wanting to play with a large group of 3 yos. Cant you just have the party for the 6yos?

Quite a lot of them are siblings as my 2 go to a combined school and nursery so lots of family groups in the same class as my DCs. So not worried about mixing them, esp with an entertainer. A free-for-all might not work so well.

sorry, think you are utterly utterly utterly mad

why in Gods name are you doing this? for a 3 and 6 year old?

tell them to pick 2 special friends each and take them out for the day.

in a years time your 3 and 6 year old will not remember any of them.

Sonotboden, your post made me laugh!

Do you think it is mad? I take the view that pretty much everything I do with them is forgotten in fairly short order, but so long as the enjoy it at the time, it's worth the effort.