To think this is actually reasonable value for a child’s party?

[neverplaywithasmoo]

I am paying £750 to exclusively hire a soft play for two and a half hours.

Included in that is obviously use of the facilities for an hour and a half then an hour with all food and drink (including the cake) napkins balloons etc with a theme we want. (DD wants princesses of course but there are others available.)

All guests also get a free return visit to the soft play and party bags are included too.

I can’t see how we’d do it much cheaper really.

@neverplaywithasmoo as someone upthread mentioned - be prepared for some of the guests to not turn up.
You could be paying all this and only 15 kids turn up.
When it's a "whole class" type party people aren't always that loyal to go because it's just another party of many rather than a party for your child's close friends.
But as I said earlier in the thread.... it's your money so you can do what you want.

Tbh I can imagine it coming to a similar amount round our way for private hire.

I haven’t actually done it but I can see how it could.

We’ re in London though - albeit outer London

That is one thing that hugely puts me off parties in the park, even if I was so inclined 😬 you can’t really control what others may do within that space.

Oh I completely understand. Personally I wouldn't spend £750 combined for all out kids parties 😂 But the difference is I'd never ever consider 30 kids. 10 kids maximum limit.

The teen gets even less now because he wants pricier parties (2025 was an outdoor inflatable waterpark that cost £45 per head for the food & activity).

You generally go get one or two no shows but I know the invitees fairly well - it would be a genuine illness or similar. It isn’t my first kids party but it’s the first ‘big’ one for DD; DS has had three though.

I was £310 for private hire of soft play for 2 hours and I thought that was expensive. £750 is insane.

In a perverse way it may become less as thy get older and parties or celebrations become a bit more exclusive; shall have to see. For now though it’s everyone or no one.

It’s interesting how the expectation in some places is that the whole class has to be invited. It has never been that way with either of my DC and their friends. So other than one whole class party for one of them in year1, all the others have been a maximum of 12 actual friends. Makes it much cheaper!

Soft play is not a novelty any more

This is really relevant- in winter we take our kids to the soft play about once a week because it's an easy way to be active in bad weather.

So basically all the attendees will have been to that soft play multiple times before. It's not worth treating them to exclusive use of it for £750, it'll just be like another Saturday afternoon for them but with cake.

Don't get me wrong, I have done soft play parties and will continue to do them, but not for the price of a second hand car. It's just too everyday for that kind of money.

For that kind of money I'd expect a memorable experience

Whereabouts are you?

We are rural and not fashionable and whole class parties can be easily had for £2-300.

Our local leisure centres offer a range of organised parties - bouncy castles, or nerf wars or swimming pool inflatables or football for 20-30 kids for about £120-150. They give you room and time for food but don't necessarily cater but you can order in Dominoes or party platters.

Our local trampoline place does a party for 30 kids for £275. Again no food but you have catered options (or don't do much food!).

Our local outdoor activities centre does loads of fun stuff and none of it costs as much as your soft play! We have done kayaking and canoeing, we've also had a forest school party somewhere else. We also did a clip and climb/climbing party but that wasn't for the whole class. We have also had a very sweet one at an activity farm (I know you said you weren't keen but they did animal handling and pony grooming and there was a play area).

I wouldn't dream of spending £750 on a party. I can’t afford it and also don't see it as a good use of that much!

My dc have had parties every year (except covid) and I have a regular savings DD to be able to pay for them. But they don't remember much about their early ones now they are older! Nor could they name a lot of the children who came back in the day!

The exclusive soft play centre near me would cost £280 for 1.30 hours including food (no cake or party bags) for up to 35 kids.

You are getting an extra hour, but it still sounds expensive, cake and party bags can be done cheaply.

Also 2.5 hours is quite long for a soft play party , most are capped at 2 hours which is usually more than enough!

It does make it cheaper but it isn’t just about cost; I know the thread is about how much it costs but that’s on the assumption that you do have a whole class or at least a big party, if you see what I mean … obviously if you don’t the costs are lower.

We have a group of six from my NCT group; the original six babies plus myself and one other who had another child. So eight children. Then my children are at a very small village school with only ten to twelve children to a class so that makes it difficult not to invite the whole class. I really wouldn’t feel comfortable inviting seven children from the class and excluding three; I’d hate it if it was done to my children (though if it was I wouldn’t dream of saying anything but it would sting) and so I wouldn’t do it to another child. Then two cousins. So the numbers do stack up.

If you’re in a more typical class of thirty or so it probably isn’t such a big deal to invite seven or eight children. But it is in our school.

This! Also... I hate having every weekend taken up by some random kids I've never heard my child talk about birthday 😂 If I invite 30 kids... I then have to get gifts for 30 kids throughout the year so the cost doubles again.

@FakeTwix i actually did a pony party last year! I don’t mind an actual party, but the poster up thread was urging me to just pay £7 and have a class run amok at a farm. I do think parties need some structure. DD and friends got to dress up some poor patient ponies with glitter and the like, then had a wee ride around and then lunch in the adjoining cafe; it was lovely but cost £350. Far less children involved though - only ten.

Well, I’m not forcing anyone at gunpoint; they are free to say thanks but no thanks!

I love it when we get party invites; kids are fed and entertained for the price of a small gift, ‘tis marvellous … but we are all different!

OK this categorisation makes more sense.

I would probably do class party at softplay and then NCT and cousins for a tea party at home. At 4 yrs of age, they'll entertain eachother in the house anyway.

its Usually£20 a head here

I don’t really feel the need to be dividing them up like that; it’s a party for their friends and they are their friends, it’s no more complicated than that. As I’ve said, I’m going through this on the assumption it is a big party.

I thought you wanted a conversation 😂

I give up 😂😂

That’s still £600 for thirty children.

Seems completely reasonable to me if you can afford it. The village hall for whole class parties are huge amounts of work for the parents (it used to take me a full 24 hours to recover from the stress, chaos and hard labour) and often not much cheaper.

I hope your DD has a blast!

I have genuinely enjoyed reading the thread and seeing what others do, pay, go for. Honestly, the endless ‘do this, I would do this, you should do this’ start to wear a little bit thin, I think we established a while ago you personally wouldn’t spend this much and you personally wouldn’t invite so many children. All those are totally valid and I don’t want to sound as if I’m suggesting they are wrong; they aren’t, but at the same time it does seem you have a bigger family than me so that is a factor. I’ve been clear from the start the size of the party is a non negotiable, so it might be good if you could accept that.

We have a few different party options around here - there is one Softplay which is around £500 for exclusive hire for 2 hours and food, but no cake or decorations so we have to take balloons, plates, tableclothes etc, and party bags. I expect that’s not far off £750. There’s another softplay which is open to the public at the same time, I’ve never hosted there but helped at other parties, it’s a nightmare finding the party guests and getting them into the party room for food. That’s £400 including food but without cake. decorations and party bags. I chose to pay more for the exclusive hire place for less stress on the day.

Whole class parties were popular when my DC was in year 1 and 2 because it was immediately after Covid and kids had missed having parties for those years.

I think this is it; if you’re absolutely set on inviting a large group I’m not sure there’s a way to do it for much less than I have.

If you’re not set on a large group or if you don’t have parties at all and think they are a waste of money, that’s a totally different situation and probably thread!

Taking 30 kids to the park is not for the faint-hearted, you'd need a lot of adult help and not everyone has that. Generally for birthdays you won't get the numbers if you try to be spontaneous, people have meticulously planned family lives.
Mine loved playing in the park and played out after school several times a week all year long - but they also loved a chance to go to a party with manufactured fun.
We never had all class parties though, 10-15 people and not more than £200.
Prices have gone up massively since mine were primary aged. 10 years ago, the local trampoline park was £12 a head for a party, now the Bronze tier party is £25!