To do a child’s 5th birthday party from 4pm to 6pm on a Sunday?

[Definitelynotagladiator]

Hi, really struggling to find a venue to host in Winter. And have been offered 4pm to 6pm on a Sunday - is this too late?
My gut is saying it is but I’m running out of options.

It's fine. We've just accepted an invitation to one in February with a 4pm start.

Absolutely fine, why would it be too late?

I don't think that’s too late if the venue is reasonably local. If you’re providing food then people can get their children home before 6.30 and get them to bed at a normal time. It wouldn’t have put me off taking my daughter when she was that age.

Some people might feel that firing five year olds up and funnelling sugar and e numbers into them before bed on a Sunday evening when they've got school the next day not ideal, maybe it's that angle.

OP people can either accept or decline, depending on travel time, don't overthink it if that's the only choice.

It's fine.

I’d worry the same if i were the host but as a guest I do think it’s absolutely fine! It doesn’t clash with daytime plans, it’ll sort their dinner, and it’s not as if 6pm is anyone’s bedtime. If that’s your only option just do it!

I wouldn’t love it but I’d let DC go

yes this is how I feel.

I'd have declined for Ds1 and accepted for Ds2. Due to their personalities.

It might be fine for some but not others 🤷‍♀️
When mine were that age I’d had declined it unless it was a best , best friend.
It would have been too late in the day/ too close to wind down time and bath time.
Up to you though. Most should be cool with it.

I would say it’s a bit late, but if it was a good friend of dcs i would go.

We would attend. They play & teas done then home for bath & bed.
No problem

It wouldn’t be my favourite but I wouldn’t decline as long as food was included.

I dislike late birthday parties for young ones because they’re looking forward to them all day and also that mine get pretty tired and cranky by that time.

It wouldn’t be my favourite but I wouldn’t decline as long as food was included.

I dislike late birthday parties for young ones because they’re looking forward to them all day and also that mine get pretty tired and cranky by that time.

unless it’s local for my kids it would be too late. But my kids are early sleepers and risers.

but as long as you accept some will and some won’t, that’s fine

I think it would be fine provided the kids are fairly local and there is proper food towards the party. 6pm finish, back by half 6 having had tea so no cooking needed is fine. If food is at 4 or just snacky that would annoy me because the kids might need to be fed something else before bed and that would be quite late if we weren't in till say 6.30. Or obviously if it's like an hours drive or something, it wouldn't be good.

Personally I find 4-6 Sunday pm parties annoying - kids don’t eat a proper “dinner” so invariably start pestering for food right about bed time - it’s the night before school on Monday morning so bedtime in my house would be 730 ish so by the time you’ve rounded the kids up to leave the party and got home it’s 630 at the earliest and you’ve got an hour to calm them down and get ready for bed

We did that at our local soft play because we had left it late to book. Then we realised. ..

• it gives families chance to do stuff in the day without the party dominating.
• food was served at tea time not the awkward 'too early for tea but too late for lunch' slot. We did pick the warm food (pizza / nuggets and chips) option so children were getting a meal - albeit beige food.
• the soft play place was getting quieter by that point so it was almost like having a private booking (without the cost).

We booked at the same time slot for future parties there.

This would be a disruptive time to have a party.
Kid would fall asleep in the car on the way home, cry upon waking, bed time suddenly accompanied by crying and a big deal.

I really wouldn’t like this. I’d probably accept but have to assess on the day whether we could make it work or not depending on how it was going that late in the day and might give a last minute apology due to illness if I thought it would be too much.

Fine, as long as substantial food included ie not just crisps and cake, and party venue is fairly local. Even if it’s pizza (sufficient to count as dinner), veg sticks etc.

Do substantial food with a mix of stuff so all the kids actually eat tea and it’s fine. The only way it would be annoying is if you get in at 6:30 and DC is starving because they’ve only had a fistful of crisps and a packet of haribo.

I think it's fine - provide a proper dinner though.

When mine were that age we'd often take them out for a walk / small hot choc etc at 4pm on a Sunday. Very lively twins who always needed to be active!

We did a couple of parties at this time in early years/KS1 as it was the only time you could get exclusive use of the soft play. The vast majority of children came and they all had a great time.

I like at 4pm start, means you get most of the day to yourselves. We don't get home till 6pm three nights a week anyway so what's one more!

The worst parties are the middle of the day ones. Completely interrupts the whole day, puts meal times up the wall, it's always mega busy in soft play centres too. The worst.

It would have been a godsend to me especially in the winter. Sunday afternoons were full of whining about "I'm bored" but too cold and dark to do anything outside so all they did was goggle at the TV while I got chores done ready for Monday.

Proper meal and home tired out and ready for a nice bath at 7ish.

The other thing I'd say is as well as proper dinner, do a party bag that isn't full of sugar. Do something else. A book, a bath bomb (this could be nice if they are all hot and stinky and about to go home for a bath). That way they have pudding at the party and then aren't' having, or whining for another sugar hit before bed.