To have said yes to DS wanting a party at home?

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DS is 4 next week and wants a party at home! I've said yes but now I'm panicking!

There'll be around 10 kids, age range from 2-8.

I have a garden and I've booked entertainment. There parents will be with them.

I'm worried about space!

What about food!?

Please hit me with your best tips! And tell me it'll all be ok.

It’ll all be ok. Until not all that long ago most children’s parties happened at home - and they didn’t have entertainers either!
Google some old school party games as kids love them.
Food - sandwiches, crisps, choc ices.
A cake.
It’ll be more than fine, it’ll be great!

Piñata maybe?
Cheese/ham and jam sandwiches
Bowl of strawberries
Sausage rolls
Pom bears obviously
Pizza slices
Crudités wirh hummous
Birthday cake

Treasure hunt in the garden, pass the parcel, musical stature etc.

Hope you get lovely weather

Statues

It will be great! ... musical chairs and bumps, finger food ,fruit, individual packets of sweets and crisps (tip) , balloons, poppers and silly string if you don't mind the mess...(getting carried away )

My fondest memories are my party's at home, if this helps. My mum sat with us during pass the parcel and would man the music for musical bumps and statues. I can see now how it must've been hard work but I certainly appreciate it. I had other party's at McDonald's play areas, farms and sports centres but looking back I cherish the ones at home :) good luck!

If you do pass the parcel remember to put a sweet or little prize if you don't do sweets in every layer to avoid 4yr old breakdowns.

We've ordered sandwich platters from M&S and Sainsbury's before for the adults. It's cheaper to do it yourself but it took a bit of the pressure off.

Thanks for the tips!!

Don't forget some form of tinfoil covered polystyrene contraption spiked with cheese and pineapple that nobody wants and a Colin the Caterpillar cake.

erm you mean a foil covered grapefruit MrsRuby

It’ll all be ok. Until not all that long ago most children’s parties happened at home - and they didn’t have entertainers either!

This.

We've only been to one party at a home rather than hall and it was actually lovely. Just prepare sensibly - either enough chairs round the table for all kids or blanket on the floor for kids to sit on and eat. Obviously all food prepared well in advance (I did Tesco sandwich and veg platters and then the junk stuff because I'm lazy. Don't bother going all pinterest with the food the kids don't care) . Think about what drinks or snacks you're going to offer parents (and it doesn't need to be fancy tea/coffee and a plate of biscuits is a great) will someone be on tea duty? - is there somewhere for them to drink and put down their tea away from sugared up kids who will knock it over?

Make sure all precious toys are locked out of reach - decide well in advance what is off limits (obviously your bedroom is no go but what about DS's room?). Move bulky furniture (e.g. rocking chairs, coffee tables etc) upstairs out of the way. Get a piñata if you like but make sure it's actually possible to open without a chainsaw (you can get ones where everyone pulls a string but only one string actually releases the sweets).

The tiny kids might get bored and wander off from the entertainer so have back up stuff to keep them in the room and engaged - if you can get a cheap bubble machine those are great!

large dog cage with a padlock they cant undo, bottle of gin and some of those M&S chocolate teacakes

ah it will be fine. You have the adults and an entertainer.

food - depending on budget you could have it cateredby m&s but otherwise sandwiches (jam, ham, cheese), grapes (chopped in half), carrot and cucumber sticks, sausage rolls, chocolate fingers, party rings and 2 types of crisps allow for 1.5 slices of bread per child (i.e. 3 quarters of a sandwich) - you will have leftovers but the adults can polish them off. ( remember to check dietary requirements and cater accordingly ) If its hot instead of the normal sweet things you could get ice cream cones in maybe two flavours with some strawberry and toffee sauce. Have jugs of squash and water available throughout but out of reach of the children!

Have tea, coffee and as it's hot some soft drinks for adults. You don't need alcohol but can get fancy soft drinks if affordable. You could have adult nibbles but not necessary.

You are lucky - all three of mine are autumn/winter born so we are stuck in the house if we have a home party. Hope it goes well.

I thought this was a post about a teen 🤣.

It’s exhausting but will be a lot of fun and happy memories.

Top tip ask someone else to take photos

oh and go to poundland (or equivalent) for cheap party plates/tablecloths/balloons etc.

no-one cares if the plates and cups match the theme

I did this a month ago. It was great. I gave each child a bag with their own picnic.

A sandwich, drink, crisps, fruit, biscuit.

Ice cream for pudding, adults got that too.

Loads of inside toys outside and the outside toys.

It was great.

Fab tips! I love Mumsnet

I may get it all catered from M and S. I do like the idea of getting the individual boxes and letting them have a picnic in the garden....

I have already brought themed decorations and tableware

Don't go to m and s. Save the money and get something nice for YOU. It doesnt need to be expensive. Also the piniata was awful.