to try and dissuade DD from a Soft Play birthday party?

[PennyHasNoSurname]

She turns four the week before Christmas, so who is going to have time to bring the kids?

The food prices at these places are a joke.

Im.not a People Person

She will want the whole class to come, at Pre School, and her closest friends there change week on week.

But would an empty hall with our own buffet and party games be enough to keep a bunch of 3/4yos happy? At least with softplay (private room), I wont have to entertain

Soft play is easier. A lot easier.

But a hall can be fun - lots of music and balloons on the floor will keep them happy. Or book an entertainer.

I miss organising parties

Surely you work out what you are happy to do, and offer her that?

e.g.
You can have 4 friends and we can go to soft play, or they can come to our house for a few games and a special tea.

Absolutely no need for a whole class party in pre-school (or at any other time), unless you want to.

We pick 2 choices we can afford/organise and offer those. I have done a whole class anything.

DD1 had a soft play for her 6th birthday 3 days before Christmas and it was a roaring success. We found that the dads brought the kids and the mums got something useful done!

I was knackered though!

Unless you have a lot of help, then it is way easier to do a softplay party, and you have to do a lot less entertaining of adults too.

Just tell,her she can invite four friends to soft play as she is four.

If you are not a people person, I don't think having to run a party in a hall is going to be easier than soft play!

I like the idea of having a couple of hours to wrap presents or shop for the last few items while DH sends dd. soft play might be fine.

Four is a lovely age, they are properly into the concept of their birthday and all that entails plus they are old enough to play together rather than just along side.

I wouldn't have the whole class, most of them won't be in her reception class next year and she'll have a different set of friends.

Just invite a few to your house. eight children is enough for a party. Persuade parents to leave. Children mix much better when they are not clinging to their parent. Just have one parent for moral support/help, Be prepared when one child goes to the loo, they want to go

Don't make the party too long, 2 hours with tea max. Have more games prepared than you need in case any bomb.

It will be great

DD is turning 5 soon. She mooted the idea of an all-class party when we had several every bloody weekend. I'd rather stick rusty pins in my eyes. She's getting a day out with us and another with her best friends instead.

You can hire soft play equipment and have at the hall?

My son will be 4yo close to Christmas, too. He has NO idea what kind of birthday party he 'wants'. He'll be getting cake in a park after school with however many of his school chums can make it (we are somewhere warm).

I wouldn't make him chose 4 friends, that's just mean. Some of his classmates don't celebrate birthdays, some don't have cars (school is a short walk for everyone, soft play bloody miles away). So I'd guess about 10/20 children would come, if that.

Can't you just sit back and relax at soft play? I'd rather that than organise games etc, total ballache.

That is true about a soft play being the easiest option, its just the crap "meal deal" at £4 a head that annoys me. There isnt anoption to do own food, so £80 for 20 kids to have a plastic ham sarnie, a fruit shoot and a yoghurt just seems stupid.

Ive seen a Party Bus type thing that comes to your house/agreed location, so I could always bring the softplay to us and piss off the neighbours for a couple of hours

Bloody he'll our local softplay is ;£9 per head for a party with food!

As someone who has a December Birthday I always make an effort to attend parties at that time of year.

As someone who has a December Birthday I always make an effort to attend parties at that time of year.

The whole class at soft play? It will be a zoo. You don't want that many children and parents around, particularly if you're not a people person. And the expense!

She is 4, I would think she will be more than happy with eight mates and the crappy food from soft play.

Pizza Hut parties are really good value. They all sit on a long table with balloons, they make their own pizza and that goes away to be cooked, after eating they get ice cream factory and then the cake which you bring. Simple easy and no fuss.

How about checking if any local sports halls have an option of hiring hall with bouncy castle - that went down well for my son's 3rd birthday.

Theres a place nearby that hires a room for very very cheap and you bring your own food/decs/games. It has tables and chairs and some sofas for the adults. It also has a screen incase we wanted to put short films/photos etc up

And it has max capacity 20 kids so thatd help with numbers!

You can do the hall party, they'll be be fine with party games. BUT it is about 6000x as much work as a soft play party. Also at soft play any number works so you could just do a handful, whereas 5 children running round a village hall could be a bit forlorn! And more expensive per head.

In the week before christmas IME everyone accepts, and I've run myself ragged sorting every detail of food, games, cake, drinks, table coverings, plates, drinks for parents, music etc etc alongside all the christmas prep that already makes those days the busiest of the year. Softplay is your friend IME and even nicer with a smaller number.

Softplay is super easy, I'd only invite 10 though.

no need whatsoever for a whole class party
however, soft play parties are OK value IMO
our start at £8 per head.
hall hire plus home made buffet, plus games prizes can easily exceed that. add an entertainer and you've gone way over. AND you have to do all the work before, during and after.

Soft play all the way! And 4 quid a head is a steal.