To not have a birthday 'party' for DD (2) when DS (4) has had one every year?

[FrumpyPumpy]

Rather than soft play and all its cold pizza jam sandwiches small talk pleasures instead I fancy a day at the seaside with a beach hut, fish & chips for lunch (both DC love) ice creams and cake. All GPs, aunt (x1) uncles (x2) cousin (x1) invited plus maybe a nursery friend with an older DS by DS plays with (parents too!).

But its not a proper party, and DS has had 4.

Does it matter?

Will hopefully be a bit cheaper too, but is 45 minutes away, more for some GPs...

No it doesn't matter and it sounds BRILLIANT. My DS bday is in winter - this is what I would be doing if it wasn't.

I have never thrown a soft play party for DD, we do parties at home. It sounds like a day at the beach will be more fun anyway. As long as you make an equal fuss of them on their respective birthdays then I don't see a problem.

No, of course not. Its sounds lovely.

Fantastic idea, at 2 they will never know, when they get older you can have the pleasure of loads of soft play parties.

I plan to do something similar this year for Dts 3rd birthday.

agree with calllisto - and anyway - she is 2. She'll have a great time whatever you do.

doesn't matter at all. By the time you get to no 2 you realise that birthday parties are for 4-6 yo's and by 7 it is a few friends to the cinema type thing

No, I don't think it matters at all. And at the end of the day it's a celebration she will enjoy which is what counts. Incidentally I think parties for children under the age of about 4 are a waste of time and money. The kids aren't aware of the significance and barely socialise with one another and its stress central not just for the parents but for any other adult guests due to the noise/mess generated by the screaming toddlers. We have so far done special days out for dd for her first and second birthdays which we all enjoyed and I probably won't bother with a formal party for her until she is four or five.

YANBU. Sounds like a perfect choice. Especially for a 2 year old.

We didn't do "proper" parties for anyone under 4 anyway. Instead we had party teas for family and because my dcs had a June and December birthday, what we actually did varied according to the season. So ds1 often got a picnic or beach tea and ds2 had a tea party at home. Neither have grown up to resent the different style of party in their pre-school years!

Oh, and the other thing about small "improper" parties is that you avoid the potential horror that can be uninvited, much older, siblings who have very different (and sometimes destructive) ideas of what makes for a good party. I've still not forgotten just how much chaos was caused in this respect at ds2's 5th birthday party.

Beach hut booked. Invitations now...

Thanks vipers!

Sounds great, Have a great time

sounds like a party to me! If you don't mind I am going to steal this idea and take my 10 year old to the seaside for his birthday. Don't know why I never thought of it before.

That sounds lovely.

Can I come?

Steal away!
Are watercolour beach hut shaped invitations taking it too far d'you think?

Cake will be easy though!

Sounds fab.

The invitations sound lovely. My address is...............!! Now you have given me the idea of having a theme - gotta be pirates and treasure. I am going to have fun with this, thanks again. (no beach huts where we are )

Really looking forward to it, there is a little rill out the front where they can splash, if it rains who cares I'll take the camping stove and kettle. Yey!!!

Music - pirated theme sounds brill, will keep for another year! Party pieces do loads of pirate stuff if you want inspiration...