What do I do at a party?

[Rainalldaylong]

Hosting my DD’s first proper birthday party with some of her little friends in a few weeks. It’s at a small restaurant with outside playground space & and a small bouncy castle. The restaurant are preparing a table with snacks I’ve requested for the children-sandwiches, fruit, cupcakes etc. The adults can obviously consume the food and order extra/different drinks from the bar if they wish. I’m also bringing bubble wands for the kids and probably party bags to take home.
What else do I do? Do I walk around sort of directing things or is that basically it, sit back and chat with the mums? Do I organise any games at this age? I’m just not sure how much of a role I need to take? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yes, do cake 30 mins before then put into party bags. I'd bring them out and put them on the table. Once it gets to 1 start handing them out. My ds loves to hand them out to his friends himself.

I wouldn’t offer drinks for the adults. Everyone knows to just get their own when a party is held at a place like this. Just start bringing the party bags out 5 minutes before the end as the signal for everyone to start leaving!

@Balloondog Sorry yes the table and drinks at the table are for kids and parents too, there’s a fair amount of food for everyone. That’s why I wasn’t sure about coffees etc? I mean I can say put it on the bill and hope people don’t order booze 🙈🤣

*Food, not table

o you bring all the bags out or wait until people say they’re going, then give them a party bag?

Start giving party bags when you want people to leave.

LABEL all the party bags.

Been to a few 3 year old parties recently! I would add a couple of party games - pass the parcel for example. You just need a phone for the music! 2 hours with a bouncy castle and food is slightly long without more structure. I would do games after an hour/ hour and 15 mins. Then get the teas and coffee done/ refreshed for the mums.

@Twintwix Hoping my phone is loud enough 🤣party starts at 11, inevitability people will be late (always the way here, can be an hr later 🙈)
So perhaps if I were to do a quick pass the parcel at 12.15? Followed by dancing around (don’t know how they’d do with musical statues at that age 🤷🏻‍♀️) then start on the cake shorty afterwards at 12.30? We’d eat the cake then and there, not in party bags

@Twintwix Any other ideas for party game along with pass the parcel?

@khakiandcoral I’m going to put the same toys/treats in the bag, do I need to label?

Should I get them all bubble wands or should it be a small bubble machine?

If there’s other people in the restaurant and you don’t have you’re own room you can’t do party games inside involving music - that would be inconsiderate on the other diners. I know you said it’s usually quiet but even if there’s one it’s not fair.

Sorry don’t mean to be a kiljoy

@Idontgiveagriffindamn

If there’s other people in the restaurant and you don’t have you’re own room you can’t do party games inside involving music - that would be inconsiderate on the other diners. I know you said it’s usually quiet but even if there’s one it’s not fair.

I assumed this was happening outdoors. Obviously you shouldn't play games with music if there are other people it could disturb. Also, you can get a very cheap speaker for your phone, or put it in a bowl to channel the sound.

I am having a little trouble understanding how this set up is going to work? The people dining in The restaurant can still use the play equipment will their children be helping themselves to cupcakes etc from your table? What about if a child not in the party wants to join in with the games you are thinking of doing?

If I saw something like that in a restaurant I would think it was for all the children and that the management had put on entertainment for the kids as some kind of fun day

I think I'm getting grumpier, as my first reaction to this thread is quite major annoyance that it's in AIBU...then wondering why you need quite such intensive input to organise a 3 year old's birthday party.

[quote Rainalldaylong]@khakiandcoral I’m going to put the same toys/treats in the bag, do I need to label?[/quote]
I think it's a good habit to get into. It's more about knowing who had a bag, and who didn't...

It's also easier to explain to a child "Oh look, this bag belongs to xyz, THIS bag is yours" when they are little. even if they are too little to read but their parents can!

CassandrasCastle

You are getting grumpier

Once you have been to 1 or 2, you KNOW what to do and expect, but you forget what it's like when it's new territory, and the first person to organise is not one with older siblings.

I wouldn't do loads of games as they'll just get confused. I'd just do Pass the parcel and play music on your phone or via a Bluetooth speaker if you have one.
At that age they'll be happy just to run around. I always say balloons and bubbles are all you really need! A bubble machine is good if you're allowed one, then no ones stood there blowing them all day!
All you need to do is make sure the adults all have a drink, make sure the children are ok, arrange the pass the parcel and gather them round to sing Happy Birthday!

I think that sounds like a good plan. You could do musical statues but they just have to sit down when the music stops. Or you could do things like Ring a Roses / Sleeping Bunnies/ Head Shoulders etc and get the parents to join in. Even one party game would be enough if that sounds too much and then get the cake out :-)

@Idontgiveagriffindamn @Flowerlane It’s outside, a couple of large tables for us facing the outside play area. We’d do the pass the parcel (if I decide to do it 🤷🏻‍♀️) in the play area, a small bouncy castle there for the kids too. The time we go, there has literally never been anyone else there aside from one couple, once, who sat outside on the other side of the restaurant.
The restaurant said it’s fine as is a very quiet time, so I’m guessing they’re not expecting many other diners, if any. If there did happen to be other children there with their family, they would of course use the playground if they wanted and I’d be fine with them joining in and using the bouncy castle, The restaurant has ok’d it all, it’s fairly common here.

khakiandcoral I'm just a grumpy git!

Actually, DD (1) is my first, so maybe I'll be eating my words and hopping back on here when birthday party arranging comes up...

Small bubbles in the party bags to take home, bubble machine during the party.
I'd definitely get the adults a drink on arrival. Run a tab and ask them what they want on arrival, order it yourself then settle up. If they want a second drink, they can get their own.

I think it sounds like the children will have a great time, whatever!

@khakiandcoral Thank you 💐 yes, she’s an only child and due to covid hasn’t been a party since she was a teeny babe and they weren’t really proper parties

And remember they're only 3, they don't know what a birthday party is yet!