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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Party at home help!

33 replies

Acunningruse · 05/09/2022 06:58

DD is turning 6 this week and what was meant to be 'have a friend for tea' has somehow morphed into an actual party at home for 6 kids, eek 😬
So pleased we have just redecorated and got a new sofa. Anyway.

DD has requested pass the parcel (whivh I can't even remember how to do. Are you meant to put sweets in the layers now? I feel old.)

She has formulated a menu which appears to be dictated entirely by the letter 'P' - pizza, pasta and Pringles. Hmm

AIBU to ignore her requests and go full on retro with a cheese and pineapple hedgehog? Tbf I actually think she would love it.

Please send wine tips for a party at home? I am the least child-entertainer type person ever so this is my idea of hell and serves me right for trying to save money. Next year just take my money soft play!

But I'm thinking with cost of living crisis etc we will see more parties at home this winter so maybe I'll be a trendsetter and others can learn from my mistakes-

Mainly any tips on a) how to make the time go quickly and b) how to stop them wrecking the house?!

OP posts:
44PumpLane · 05/09/2022 07:12

Stick a bag of mini haribo or a moaam in between the pass the parcel layers and have a bowl spare so that when the game is over everyone who didn't get a sweet can come get one from you.

Play corners (4 coloured corners, music stops and you run to a corner then organiser pulls a coloured straw from behind their back and that colour is out......those out get a sweet).

Play musical bumps (music stops you sit down, last down is out and gets a sweet).

If you need more activities, buy some plain cookies/cakes and get icing tubes and let them ice a cookie/cake.

What's your budget.....hire a bouncy castle?

MonkNun · 05/09/2022 07:26

You might not be so happy about the new sofa when six kids have been on the rampage 😂

zoopigi · 05/09/2022 07:36

I used to have all my parties at home, start with a craft-stickers to cover a plant pot or money bank etc (this doubles as their goody bag at the end of the party).
A few games (always have a number of games planned-as some go much quicker than you expect!) Pass the parcel, musical bumps or statues, the game where you have to dress up with hat, scarf,gloves and cut a piece off chocolate from the fridge if you roll a 6 is always a good one.
If you have a garden you can have throw the bean bag, relay races, egg and spoon race, three legged race etc. Pinatas is always fun-but make sure you hang it up somewhere as if a parent is holding it up, they may be battered inadvertently!
Neon disco-get glow stick necklaces and a cheap lightbulb that changes colour, turn off all the rest of the lights.
Lastly-good luck!!!

Orangesare · 05/09/2022 07:37

Buy one of those stretchy sofa covers from Amazon. If you are worried about drinks spilling out a waterproof mattress cover underneath

00100001 · 05/09/2022 07:42

Awww no, do Pizza, Pasta and Pringles. The kids will bloody love it!!

00100001 · 05/09/2022 07:43

Also, get them outside to minimise the chaos if you can.

00100001 · 05/09/2022 07:44

MonkNun · 05/09/2022 07:26

You might not be so happy about the new sofa when six kids have been on the rampage 😂

Fairly certain that OP was being sarcastic 🤪

NameChangeNamaste · 05/09/2022 07:45

Homemade pizza dough is amazingly easy (and of course there’s always store-bought or naan or tortillas)! Maybe they could top their own mini pizzas as an activity?

Rainallnight · 05/09/2022 07:45

Six is an ok number. You can do this!

Have a very clear end time on the invitation. Two hours max.

Are you happy for parents to drop off or not? Be clear with them.

Yes to sweets between the layers of pass the parcel.

You must have party bags (I know we all need to end the party bag obsession but it doesn’t sound like this is the time 😂).

Have the food as a sit down, rather than a running buffer. Helps fill the time!

Do you have a DP/H/an adult who can help? Helps to be clear on who is doing what at what time.

Have loads of bin bags.

Decode beforehand whether presents are to be opened at the party or later (later is better - have a spot to put them away in).

All the six year old parties I went to last year, the kids were pleased with really simple stuff, and after a few organised activities, they’ll be happy to just rampage around after some balloons with the music on.

Rainallnight · 05/09/2022 07:46

Oh yeah, think your daughter’s menu sounds great! You’re only 6 once. Chuck in some party rings too - kids round here are obsessed with party rings (the iced biscuits)

Rainallnight · 05/09/2022 07:47

*Decide beforehand, not decode!

Doingprettywellthanks · 05/09/2022 07:47

AIBU to ignore her requests and go full on retro with a cheese and pineapple hedgehog? Tbf I actually think she would love it.

don’t ignore
just do both 😐

TheChosenTwo · 05/09/2022 07:47

I think you should stick with her P theme, you’re only 6 once!
some kind of craft activity would be helpful here, a focus. Then some standard party games like pass the parcel (we do a sweet in every layer and then the main prize in the middle, for this age group it could be something as simple as bubbles or a one of those mini Lego sets), musical statues, could also get them to do hide and seek. If you’ve got a garden and it’s dry throw a load of balloons out there - should waste 10 minutes when they arrive just letting them charge about and run off some excitable energy.
Keep it to 2 hours, the second half of the party time is almost dominated by the eating part so food then cake, let them just eat the cake there so you don’t need to figure out pudding (unless dd has already thought of this!) and then hopefully back out in the garden.
It will be fine.
we did a couple for the dc at home although I massively preferred the ones where we booked something elsewhere!

Doingprettywellthanks · 05/09/2022 07:47

And pineapple begins with P!

Womblesaremyfavouritefood · 05/09/2022 07:55

Modelling balloons. Blow them up beforehand. Store in bin bags. 6 year olds are more than capable of twisting them together. Prize for strangest creation.

Mask decorating (use stickers if you dont want pens).

If your budget allows, get one of those cardboard houses to decorate. That'll use up some time.

Flatandhappy · 05/09/2022 07:55

At that age I would do something crafty like make your own necklace/bracelet or decorate a t-shirt then that gets taken home with a slice of cake rather than party bags. Kills time and saves the bag of tat at the end.

Iambouddicca · 05/09/2022 07:57

Make a pineapple porcupine! Keep it with the theme. Make sure there are enough layers in your pass the parcel for every child to have the same number of opening opportunities.

yes to waterproof bed mats and a washable throw over the sofa

have a proper sit down party tea.

lots of ballooons - if you have outside space do as much as you can outside

a disco and/ or musical statues - just dance on the games console if you have it.

think carefully about it being a drop and run party. Most kids are much better behaved for a relative stranger than their own parents! It also frees up space , stops extra siblings turning off and you don’t need to be constantly making tea and coffee for adults.

whatbitme · 05/09/2022 08:01

Fruit sticks with melty choc they could make own fruit kebabs

Rule of nobody upstairs

Paper plates etc all in the bin

Wine wine wine

bigbluebus · 05/09/2022 08:03

Pin the tail on the donkey was always a favourite at parties when I was a child. We did pin the horn on a triceratops for my dinosaur mad DS. Just need a drawing of a donkey without a tail and a separate tail and a blindfold. Put blindfold on child, turn them around a couple of times in front of the donkey then let them try and get the tail in the right place. Nearest the right place wins a prize.
I hope you've got more than one adult to help with this party!

Maray1967 · 05/09/2022 08:14

Chocolate game - should work well with six. You need a large bar of dairy milk, woolly hat, scarf and gloves plus knives and forks ( they need their own set to be hygienic). Throw the dice, when child gets a six they put on hat etc pick up knife and fork and cut off choccy square. They can keep going until the next child throws a six, she then puts on hat etc and starts to eat. Best done after savouries and maybe set a limit if you’re worried about anyone eating too much. Set the chocolate on a plastic tray .
Another one is the chocolate mountain one - but this is messier. Plastic tray, pile up a flour mountain and put a chocolate on top. Have several chocs if you want for multiple goes. Kids take it in turns to slice off a part of the flour mountain with a blunt knife. Whoever slices when the choccy falls has to put their face in and pick it up with their mouth, no hands. Have flannels ready to wipe up floury faces.
cover sofas with throws!

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 05/09/2022 08:19

At that age if you do the chocolate game they find it less frustrating if you do minstrals and a spoon (one for each child) as some found knife and fork too tricky.

Another game is don't eat Tommy's smartie - you can change the sweet and the name of the person to suit - e.g Voldemort's Skittle. You put six sweets on a plate. One child goes away while the others all silently agree on a sweet to be 'Tommy's smartie'. The child comes back and has to one at a time eat the sweets. When they touch 'Tommy's smartie' everyone else shout's 'Don't eat Tommy's smartie' and their turn is over. Sometimes they are lucky and get to eat five sweets other times they get none. They should all get a number of turns so it does even out.

Another thing we found good was a build a bear type thing - they each get a small toy to stuff. That becomes their party bag- might be more than you were planning to spend.

Treasure hunts they find fun, or a wool maze - have three teams, three different colours cheap wool and set it up ready for them when they arrive, in teams they need to follow the wool around the house which is all tangled with the other teams wool. They then get a treasure at the end. They can't just pull the wool because it makes awful knots!

TeenDivided · 05/09/2022 08:25

90mins max. Less is more.

e.g.
11am Guest arrive, free play (DD to have hidden new presents, anything she doesn't want to share) (With only 6 can open presents as they arrive, or leave until after they have gone)
11:20 Decorate party bags with stickers, glitter, whatever, named.
11:30 Party games - prizes go into party bags, lots of prizes for funkiest dance, best pose etc

  • musical bumps
  • corners
  • musical statues
  • simon says
  • pin the tail
  • finish with pass the parcel (keep track so everyone wins a layer or 2, then 'blind' for final winner, but not your DD)
12:00 Food, including singing happy birthday and cutting the cake 12:15 or whenever, free play 12:30 guests leave 12:31 Collapse.

You need the party game section to be as short as you can as games don't take long.

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 05/09/2022 08:26

We used this company for build a bear, with the invites we said to choose the one each guest wanted and then ordered them. We made our own passports to cut the cost a bit.

Workinghardeveryday · 05/09/2022 08:28

All great ideas.

don’t forget the party bag to go home with….

inappropriateraspberry · 05/09/2022 08:35

Keep it simple. Pass the parcel, musical statues, pin the tail etc.
Food wise, pizza is great, maybe some little sausages, crisps, and always party rings!
Have lots of balloons around and a bubble machine. All children are happy with bubbles and balloons! It's only 6 children, so not a massive party. You'll be fine.