To half-arse these parts of DD's party

[Carrotsurprise]

DD is going to be 7, she wants a science party (entertainer in a hall). I think this is cool and I want to do it for her but it's pretty expensive so I'm thinking of cost cutting in other areas. One thing is that as part of the science party the kids make their own slime and make their own sweets which they take home in a named pot. Do you think it's okay to say the slime and sweets is the party favour and not do party bags?
The other thing I'm thinking of doing is having the party mid-afternoon so it isn't mealtime, and do cake after the entertainment is finished but no other food. Do you think that's alright as long as I mention it beforehand? My experience of parties these days is that the kids are going mental and don't want to eat anyway!

I think party bags are awful and often just create landfill. Quite a lot of parties I’ve been to recently don’t do them, that they take something home is more than enough. As for food, wouldn’t bother me either.

If you do something like 2-4 yeah you can swerve food. Also, I HATE slime so if it’s cheaper not to make that I’d be binning that off too 🤣 sweets are fine as a party favour!

Sounds perfect to me. IME the cake often gets wasted because there is so much other food.

Dispensing with party bags is fine.

Not providing food is unacceptable in my opinion.

I think you can swerve party bags but I would still do food

for the party bags-

brown paper ones from Amazon, they can decorate and as they make things they pop them in to take home. As they leave pop a slice of cake in. Job done.

Id provide some jugs of squash and some bowls of crisps and that sounds ideal.

10-12 or a 2-4 party tike slot.

i think you’re totally right with the party food.

Food wise, I think maybe have some snacks/drinks but no need for a huge buffet or anything.

We’ve been to a party that was exactly this, and the sweets they made all got eaten during the party, and the slime making was fun but some got mixed with others, some didn’t work as well and there was only a few that managed to take theirs home, so I wouldn’t rely on those for party gifts. You could however not bother with actual party bags and just give out sweet cones or bags. I do think you need to do party food even if it’s mid afternoon, but you could do something cheap like cake, homemade sandwiches, apples and crisps, or cut up some cheap pizzas to go with the cake. Cake go to Costco instead of an expensive option, they are £18 for a huge one that feeds loads.

Just write "come and make your own party bag" on the invitation, then add a slice of cake. Job done

I think your idea for party bags is great. I’ve never been to a kids party that didn’t have food, no matter what the time. I wouldn’t care personally as DS doesn’t tend to eat much but other parents may feel differently.

Also hunt around for different providers of the science party, I’ve seen some charging £300 for 1.5 hours of arty, but others only £200 which is far more reasonable for a party.

You can make a sandwich box fairly cheap, ham sandwich, bag of crisp and a cookie- probably less that £2 a head.

Party bags are the vein of my life, bags of small bits I’m paranoid will choke the dog or child. The slime and sweets are a nice touch. Mine have mostly received a sweet cone instead of a party bag, fairly cheap £1-£2 a head. My children aren’t overly fussed.

In all honesty tho, I wouldn’t bat an eyelid at not having food at a party. It’d be nice for them to eat the cake rather than being left to go soggy in a napkin.

Sounds like a great party! Have a fab time.

We didn't provide food at our most recent birthday party here, just tea and cake. We had snacks left out of the table as a free for all, crisps, biscuits, bars, etc but no other food.

I think both your suggestions are fine but re the food

1. you definitely need to make it clear there won’t be a meal, to avoid kids turning up hungry

2. check the entertainer is ok to provide entertainment for the whole party duration. Often they assume there will be a 30-45 min gap for food.

Or cheaper still in asda. Seen large cakes under a tenner

Do a bag with sweets and cake and slime, then as they're leaving, stand by the door with a bin bag held open for everyone to just bung it in there and then. Cut out the middle person 😀

I think the sweets and slime would be a good party bag, I might add a cupcake.
I would have some food, just cheap and easy. Perhaps some food in little brown sandwich bags so dc can eat it or take it home if they want. Or slices of pizza.

Is there a different option to slime? I don’t know any parents who want it in their house!
I would definitely do a snack table with bowls of crisps etc, it fills some time if they eat and I think most kids have some kind of snack mid afternoon.

Agree with the poster suggesting to check timings. Both my children have done science parties and we did similar with the things they make being the party bag (the entertainer included them decorating a paper bag as part of the activities so it was quite obvious when they left they still had a bag to leave with).

I would however provide food. Kids expect it whatever time of day. I am sure the science party we did wasn't that long either (not even sure it was an hour and a half) so the risk is what do you do if the party finishes and you still have 45 mins to fill if parents drop and go expecting it to be 2 hours? (Assuming you are suggesting 2-4).

With 4 children I’ve lost count of the number of parties they’ve been too over the years and until very recently each and every one of them has come home having had something to eat and with a party bag full of tat, Like all the other parents I’ve gone along with providing the same.
Most of the parties have been at places were hot food is included in the package price, but those that have chosen to cater for themselves usually give a heads up as to what there will be to eat
About a month ago one of the parents was brave enough to buck the party bag trend, and another was brave enough in the Whatspp group to thank her which brought forth lots of other comments saying the same.
News obviously travels fast in my part of the world as since then 2 of my older children have been to parties and come home with nothing more than a piece of birthday cake

I do snack bags for a non meal party time - so get paper party bags and pop in a juice, crisps, wee chocolate, fruit snack and if I’m feeling ambitious a string cheese and piece of fruit. Super easy to prep beforehand and not expensive.

No slime allowed in my house! But I’ve never cared about a party bag and have almost always just done a sweet cone as the kids leave.

Definitely fine! They get to take something home, it's perfect. I don't see why people need party bags anyway. You've already given them a party!

Dropping the party bag is fine imo.

I would give them some sort of savoury food

I imagine they will just be making a couple of sweets each.

I think sweets and slime in lieu of a party bag is a really good idea! But I'd provide food personally, I think kids expect it AND it gets them to sit down and calm down for 20 mins! We've done buffet food ourselves for kids parties and I was dreading it and thought it'd be hideously expensive but tbh I did it for about £30 or less with Aldi stuff; couple of pizzas pre-cooked and cut into loads of small slices, loaf of bread's worth of sandwiches, obligatory party rings and french fancies, big bowls of crisps, some breadsticks and token fruit and veg.