To ask the ideal children's party time?

[Onthedowns]

Looking at doing class party either a sat or sun 2 hours, been to a few at different times but can never decide which is the best time I know over tea good or lunch? 3-5? Throwing it open as always conscious of people's weekend lives!

I don't like morning parties, too hard to get everyone organised when they just want a lie in and we have morning sports most Saturday and Sundays anyway.
I also find the DC are stroppy for the rest of the day, coming down from the sugar high and have bad attitudes from hanging around their friends (nothing wrong with their friends, lol just the going from having fun in a big group to having to come home)

I usually do 1-3 or 2-4 and just do snacks (veggie platter, fruit salad, party pies & sausage rolls)

DD just had her 10th birthday at an arcade and we did 3-5 which worked out perfect, the arcade was pretty much empty at that time and I only served lights snacks & birthday cake and most people got tea afterwards from one of the nearby restaurants/take always

12-2 would be ideal as it would cover lunchtime, but not too early on a weekend to get organised either

someone said 11-1 means they won't do lunch - but that is exactly lunchtime!!!

If I sent a chidl to a 11-1 party, I would expect them to come home having had lunch!

I prefer afternoon. I do 3-5, and feed them tea, but not hot food, so cocktail sausages, sandwiches, crisps and cakes etc

Steppe - we never have lunch before 1pm, so 11-1 party i would assume parents would feed kids when home. Same with 3-5pm party, who eats dinner at 4-4.30pm? I would just serve some cake and snacks and expect parents to feed own children once home at dinner time

Ds1 will turn 7 next month. We have booked his party 5.30-7.30pm. 12 children. All have accepted. Will do food at 7pm when it's more like dinner time