Is 6pm-8pm too late for 8yo birthday party?

[laserpartyplanner]

Posting on the app so can't do a poll but..

My son will be turning 8, this year he wants to have a laser tag party at a soft play venue. They do 'regular' parties during the day but laser tag is only on in the evenings, 6pm to 8pm, we'd have full use of the space. Hot dinner would be included and there is always plenty of food and it's nice.

So not really an aibu but is that too late? My son goes to bed around 9pm so he'd be fine with that. DH is also worried people won't want to drive their kids around as it will be on a Saturday evening. It's a 20min drive from our town but that's a normal distance to travel to a kids party in our area.

Yes totally fine

Annoying for those that don’t drive. Or single parents that may have to bring other kids to the pick up.

It's a normal time for activities like Cubs/ Brownies and they're on a school night.

Presumably being 20 mins away from the venue, you're not all scattered around the countryside so people can sort lift shares if that's more convenient to them.

Fine - nonissue for the kids . A bit irritating for the adults time wise though

I'd swerve because Strictly sorry. Weekend stuff I prefer to do in the day time.

I'd be fine with this. Makes it feel.like a really great treat.

I'd be fine with it personally, but DS goes to bed later than he should probably. Offering refreshments so adults can stay if they want might help those who don't want to have to do the journey twice at that sort of time.

I think it's fine, though I'd probably offer pickup and drop off too as some parents might not want to be driving on a dark Saturday evening this time of year.

My 7YO goes to bed at 7.30 usually but I'd be fine with it as a one off on a weekend. He would love laser tag.

I would have struggled with that when mine were that age as I have younger dc who would struggle being up that late, as a single parent I'd have had to bring them along. So that might have meant I'd have said no. My dc also would have struggled with that time as was usually in bed much earlier.

I think it's fine! Better than it being in the middle of the day.

I’d be fine with it as a one off and think my DC would enjoy but be tired. As others have said many will be in cubs, brownies or other activities and around our way those finish 8/8:30 which I do class as my DC’s “late night”. I think I’d prefer if it was on a Friday night though if possible rather than a Saturday which for us is more family night then kids asleep and adult peace from 8ish. As a one off though go for it if it’s what your son wants.

6pm to 8pm on a Saturday is fine IMO. (Even for an 8 y.o.) Mine would have happily gone to parties at that time, and enjoyed the excitement of being out late.

I’d say it’s a little late yes, even for saturday.

Totally fine

My kids are older now, but I would have hated that on a Saturday night!

No. It's a Saturday. They'll be fine

Totally fine!

I would say it depends. Will the laser tag place be open to the public at the time of the party?

Our local one is in a bowling alley, so even if there are no strangers doing the actual laser tag, there would still be a lot of people around at that time on a Saturday night. Even in the afternoons some of the drunk/rowdy behaviour I’ve seen there would not be a great environment for a children’s party.

If everyone is dropping and going, it’s a lot to be responsible for in that environment at night time.

We had to do it once as it was booked out 6 months in advance (they only do it three evenings a week). There was a lot of talk on the little WhatsApp group we set up- one lady said her child goes to bed at 8 and a few followed suit. We had apologised in the invite and apologised again. All came but while brilliant I had a few comments after about how wired the kids were etc. I’ll be really honest, I regretted it more and wished we’d just done a morning soft play/ bowling but that’s just me

No, sorry, I wouldn't be coming out in this crap weather on a Saturday night in the dark, to hang around (because 2hrs is too short to drop off, drive home and return) an 8yr olds party.

It's not suitable. I think lots will decline, and can you even do it if, say, only 3 turn up? Also, DS might wrongly think his friends don't care when it's actually their parents aren't up for this palava.

For us, yes

I don’t think the time is an issue from the child’s point of view. Most 8 year olds are up way later than that at the weekend anyway. As the adult having to take them and potentially stay at the venue I would find it a massive pain in the bum.

Being honest unless it was my child's best mate or whatever I'd probably not. When you work all week you don't wanna be driving 20 mins there to drop off, then the same to go home, then drive back 20 mins to pick up and then home again. Almost an hour and a half in driving on a Saturday night for laser tag (or me having to hang about for two hours doing nothing) just doesn't seem worth it.

Too late. DS would be an overtired ratty mess and it would totally disrupt bedtime / evening for everyone. Are any of his close friends younger too? DS was usually asleep by 7.30 when he was 7!