To try to get twelve 3-4 year olds to sit at a table at a party?

[ilikeyoursleeves]

It's ds1's 4th birthday party soon & I'm not sure what to do about eating. The party is in our house & I'm planning on trying to sit all the kids at our table for a retro kid food fest. But I think they might end up just running about with food anyway. Do you think it's worth a try anyway or should I just put the food on the table, like a buffet, & they can sit on the floor or something?

I just did this. It went perfectly, though I think it helps that we live in France so all the kids are now in their second year of school and know to do what they are told.

We did a craft activity at the table to start with to allow for people arriving at different times (decorate your own crown with stick on stars, glitter glue, stick on gems); then musical cushions (next year I will choose something that does not require people to be 'out' as it didn't seem fair one the kids who got out early - maybe musical statues instead?). Then tea: skewers of real strawberries with the odd Haribo one mixed in, one per child, and cucumber sandwiches (for the Englishness and curiosity factor, mostly), then a big cake which hardly anyone touched because they were off playing. Left them to it for 10-15 minutes til the noise got too much, then pass-the-parcel in which everyone got some sweets (unknown in France so v impressive), and then back tot he table to decorate a fairy cake each. I got lots of little glass bowls from Ikea and filled them with silver balls, hundreds and thousands, chocolate sprinkles etc, and gave each child a coloured icing pen so they could cover their cake in icing then as many decorations as they could fit. This was the bit they all loved the most. Finally as they were leaving there was a lucky dip (reusing the p2p paper) with Playmobil tinfoil-wrapped figurines for everyone to find, to add to a party bag (pencil plus wiggly monster on top, bubbles, Haribo.)

Lastly and most importantly, there was Champagne for the adults. Usually kids are just dropped at parties here, from aged 2 onwards, so I needed something to persuade a few of them to stay. And of course we needed the rest of it once they had all gone home.

Good luck!

I'd skip the monkey nuts just in case, the rest sounds great.

15 children at DDs fourth birthday all sat at the table to eat. Definitely possible.

Oh yeah hadn't thought about nut allergies

I did this with eight 3yos, the eating was supervised by 3 adults (one at each end of the table and one hovering). They behaved beautifully.

Just make sure that you have enough adults to ensure that the children get everything they want/need without having to start hopping up and down from the table - once one escapes they'll all make a break for it.

Much better to sit them on chairs. Let them get down if they want to and have an activity BUT don't let them get down with food.

they are more likely to sit still if you sit them on chairs than if you picnic on the floor. That's my experience having tried both.

But generally at that age you just have to chill and accept some kids will not eat much.