To not cater a children’s party?

[Littlejayx]

My little girl will be turning 3 in may and I have booked a local art studio (think small independent place doing crafty bits and painting) I have booked this for 1 and a half hours but will not provide any food, except drinks.

Instead after a hour of craft and half a hour of party games, I will give out party bags song happy birthday with cake and out we all go.

This is the same day as our local food and drink market (small village) and will be eating out and about and people can join us or go do their own thing.

Is this acceptable? We usually have soft play centres and everything just gets left and it seems so wasteful 😩 tell me if I’m being unreasonable and I will change this (not much mum experience)

But if the party giver forewarned you you could take a bit of something yourself? People are soooo entitled these days!

And while we're on the subject of parties, one year everyone just got one of these arm slinkies and a piece of cake (rather than a tat-filled bag). That went down well. I used to spend a fortune on bits of plastic shite. Glad they're older now!

www.amazon.co.uk/TOROIDZ-Flow-Rings-Official-Velvet/dp/B01N7C2EUO/ref=sr_1_2?crid=7GQRCNM10R53&keywords=arm+slinky&sprefix=arm+slink%2Caps%2C190&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1580578097&sr=8-2

I have never been to a Childrens party that was uncatered TBH! Some sandwiches /cakes /water/juice is fine .No need to go mad but need some sort of refreshments !

I'm from Australia and I find it unbelievably rude when people don't cater for the adults. Two hours of my life for a cup of tea? It just would not be done at home.

I always feed both children and adults, it would embarrass me enormously not to.

You must provide some food. People will expect it, whatever is said on the invitation (most people don't read them properly anyway).

In many years of going to children's parties, I've only been to one that wasn't catered, and you should have heard the mums bitching about it afterwards.

Well I presume OP is in GB and it’s not expected at all over here. I have 5 dc’s and have never been to a party where the parents have been catered for - parents would at most eat what the kids left over.

It’s 2 hours fgs - you can’t go without a meal for 2 hours?

In many years of going to children's parties, I've only been to one that wasn't catered, and you should have heard the mums bitching about it afterwards

They sound nice! I’d be glad I didn’t spend money feeding people like that. Prob the kind of nasty cows who’d find something to bitch about no matter what.

I love the idea of party boxes

You might want to have a think about heading off siblings from coming too, or finding out how many there might be if you want to include them. Its difficult to make party boxes stretch to extra dc.

I've never been to a children's party that was catered for adults beyond in a soft play where one place used to do a token for adults get a hot drink.

I wouldn't have had an issue with no food, unless I hadn't know. 15 hungry children are not pleasant.
Little boxes are good. We used them a few times and it saves on mess as well.

How far away is the Macdonald's?
As if a quick walk, do afterwards.
No mess, no work £20 for the lot, would cost you that in shopping.

@SeatoSki

Yep, there's always a few extra! The best thing about the boxes is that you don't get greedy Johnny piling his plate high and then leaving most of it. But yes, best to take a couple more than you think. Boxes worked out a much cheaper way of catering for us.

I did lunchboxes for DS's 2nd birthday. I put in a sandwich, Pomme Bears and some sweets and had large jugs of juice on the table.

I totally get your attitude and personally think it is OK, but people will talk. All these years later I still laugh with my sister about a friend's 8th birthday party. The affair was definitely under-catered and kids were offered 1/2 a hot dog each. That 1/2 a hotdog became synonymous with tightness in our village.

Regardless of type of party we’ve had or been too there has always been catering for the children.

Whilst under drop off age, we would always arrange cake and coffee for the adults staying as hosts. Only polite imo.

Sounds great to me - more time for them to do craft is better than trying to feed them things they probably wont want or someone will be vegan or allergic to everything.

Children's parties always have food.

It's fine not to cater if outside a meal time and everyone's aware (DD had a skating party at 10am) but at age 3 and at that time of day they will be expecting something.

A lunchbox/bag is a great plan - something easy and portable and made aherad of time. I've done them for lots of parties over the years and they are economical and easy.

Age 3 they have such small appetites at parties and are so easily distracted, you wouldn’t even have to bring much! One big plate of mini sandwiches, a pack of halved grapes and a big crisps would probably be enough for the lot of them. Maybe throw in some Babybels if you’re feeling generous!

I went to a kids party recently where the mum brought a cheese board and some bread for the mums who decided to stay, she had this on a separate little table away from the kids table. I wouldn’t expect it but it was appreciated and it doesn’t take much effort if you just get one of those pre packaged cheese selections. And it also made it feel a bit more sociable for us mums too.

A party without food isn't a party!

there is going to be food - read the updates

Yeah do the box idea...give them half a sandwich, some slices of cucumber or halved grapes and a biscuit. The whole lot probably won't cost more than a tenner.

Definitely boxes, that way they can take leftovers home. We usually do something like a sandwich, a babybel, bag of crisps, a clementine and a sweet.

We have to feed the adults here as well, otherwise all the dads get grumpy.

It sounds a nice party, but definitely make it clear on the invites that there'll be no food!
I've two kids, been to tons of parties over the years and they've always been catered for, even if it's a craft type party.

Sorry, just seen your update and that you're now doing food!
Agree there's no need to cater for adults though, that's definitely not the norm in my experience

Personally I would not be considering any catering for parent's, it is a party for children, that is enough to deal with as well as the expense.