To think it’s impossible to do a whole class party on the cheap?

[Andjustgo]

Is it possible to have a party without spending close to £500? (I’m talking around 25 kids here, there isn’t really a way of inviting fewer guests.)

Definitely absolutely do not want to host at home, it wouldn’t be practical as they are young children so parents would have to stay. And the thought gives me the shivers.

So local soft play / inflatables / role play cafe either charge per head at around £20, working out at around £500, or you pay for exclusive hire of the place for a bit more money. Both these options include food etc.

Or I could hire a hall (but then would need entertainment and bouncy castles seem popular 😱) or a magician / princesses or something. That’s around £200 plus hall hire, food and party bags. On the face of it cheaper but a lot of work involved.

I don’t mind paying but I’m just wondering if this is typical now.

(I do get a large percentage of MNetters wouldn’t dream of anything as vulgar as a kids’ party - this question is for those who do!)

When I think of entertainers I think of Julia’s party for Ivy in Motherland with only cats called Animal Man who was no good! 🤣

Do you have a tenpin near you? We’ve been to
some class parties there. It’s £12.50 per person including everything so about £350 altogether once you’ve bought a cake.
Really easy. But yes, class parties are expensive!!
Hall parties are the worst.. you have to organise and bring everything and there’s not much atmosphere and parents stand around bored. At least at a soft play, bowling or other activity it’s all there & done for you.

Someone in DC class recently had a cinema party and they went to see the cheap movies for juniors showing, about £3? And provided some snacks (£3 probably) All the kids were really happy. So that would have been a total of about £200.

Very reasonable costs. The cafe is a bit basic but they have toilets and inside areas, it’s like a Tardis inside! Cafe also provides West Indian food, soft drinks, crisps, ice creams.

When I was a child we went to a community centre party and they had small tables and chairs. Really great set up.

DS is in Reception and he’s just had his party. We hired a soft play/inflatable place for 2 hours. There were about 30/35 children and all in with food I think we paid somewhere around £750. It was excellent.

In Reception they nearly all have full class parties in part to help everyone get to know each other. I doubt they’ll be as big in future years.

The way I look at it, £750 covers around 30 parties throughout the year. That equates to about £25 each time which I think is perfectly reasonable.

Previous suggestion of a joint party is probably the best way to keep the cost down, so with another child/children in the same class and invite the whole class. Then each host can invite a few friends from outside school in addition.

There's no way I'd pay anywhere close to £500 for a kids party - there's just no need.

How small are the children? Hire a hall - our local community centre does 3 hours for £60 including use of the kitchen. Just play party games - sleeping lions, pass the parcel, musical statues etc, have basic party food - sandwiches, crisps, pizza, sausage rolls, biscuits, juice boxes or jugs of squash etc. Party bags can just be stickers, sweets and a slice of cake.

And keep it short - 1 and half hours is fine, 2 at a push.

Decoration needn't be complicated, just party tableware and a load of balloons.

When they are young, these parties are fine - they don't need anything fancy, they just want to play together. If parents are staying, then get them on side to help by getting their kids into the right place at the right time for the games.

These parties can be very cheap - around £150 max for the whole class. Wait for the more expensive ones when they are old enough to just invite half a dozen kids.

Any colleges or universities near you with sports facilities? When my DC were little you could book the sports hall of one near us with one or two 'party hosts' - think they were teacher training students - who would do an hour or ninety minutes of running around games with them. Kids loved it. No need for bouncy castle or any other equipment. Then party tea done by me - easy stuff, sandwiches, crisps, squash, cake. Those were the cheapest birthday parties I ever threw and they were always enjoyed.

Hall parties are the worst.. you have to organise and bring everything and there’s not much atmosphere and parents stand around bored

But the kids, in my experience, love them - they hardly ever play traditional games anymore, so the novelty of this can be great. Even just some music playing and some bubbles blowing can entertain them for ages. The organisation isn't too bad - and worth it to save the money if you can't/don't want to spend £500 on a kids party. And quite frankly, you're not putting the party on for the parents, it's about what the children enjoy, surely?

The tears when they lose the games is what puts me off!

So it does look like if you’re going to drastically cut prices it involves a LOT of work yourself - which I’m not sure I’m up to! Not sure DC would be keen on joint party either, plus this only works if you want to invite the same guests?

No family help so my bank balance is going to have to take the hit I think!

Brilliant. I had a friend who did this at every party😁. Best memories

The first thing OP mentions is that she absolutely couldn’t do it at home.. and the first response is ‘we just did it at home’

🤦🏻‍♀️

We hired our village church hall for a couple of years, just for the afternoon each time. Cost was (IIRC) around £50 per time - wasn't much at all. Did our own catering, spent a couple of hours making sandwiches, and unpacking sausage rolls, etc - nothing fancy nor expensive, just a basket of basics from Asda probably £50. Hired in a local guy who did magic tricks, balloon blowing and a simple kiddy disco for £100 or so for a couple of hours. Made our own party gift bags buying the stuff from the pound shop. Max spend was £200-£250, and that was for the entire class of 30+ and a few neighbours' kids.

She says it ‘wouldn’t be practical’. Then she says that the idea of parents staying gives her ‘the shivers’. I’m merely pointing out that this is a cheap option, if she can bring herself to overcome her shivers.

Having self catered a meal for 100 adults including alcohol and hall hire for under £500 I would say yes it's easily possible.

You'd have to do it outside, at a park. Tons of crisps, sandwiches and a couple of Colin the Caterpillars

Honestly, I genuinely would struggle with twenty five children at home. And our house is spacious enough; it isn’t a mansion but four bedrooms, big garden. But twenty five kids and parents? Fifty!? No!

Plus, I don’t think DC would be thrilled about it; I mean, they are at home every day so it isn’t special or a treat particularly.

See if some other parent in the class has a child with a birthday around the same time and would do a joint birthday at a venue to split the cost is the obvious saving.

My friend had a "rule" with her kids that they could have a party ( at home usually) with as many friends as their age ( so 5 invitees for age 5)

For whole class parties we hired a hall and an entertainer and did our own catering. I then had activities for the time after the food and entertainer.

I attended a good one where they hired a hall and had a series of stations like a funfair, with parents manning different stations.

We did a gymnastics party for DC one year at her gym club, it was about £125 and could have up to 25 kids. They had at least an hour in the gym with some coaches playing games with them and using the equipment then we had a room after with food we provided so wasn't too expensive.

Why don’t you just invite a few children your child has been playing with/mentions. This whole class
party isn’t good for anyone - parent/organiser too
expensive and ridiculous to organise, children - overwhelming too many parties each weekend and don’t remember anyway, children’s parents - ridiculous amount of gifts and time taken out of precious weekend time to attend these parties where your child barely knows the party child!

Do everyone and the plant a favour and do a party for 5 at your house. Job done. The other parents will love you forever 🙂

I’ve already explained - not meant to sound arsey, just not sure if you might have missed it. I think the whole class parties have been enjoyable, and I’m just not OK with deciding who not to invite. If people don’t want to lose precious weekend time then they don’t have to come, I’m not leading them away in handcuffs! 😂

YABVU to feel the need to invite the whole class. I have two children who are now 19 and 23 and inviting the whole class was never a thing when they were at school. They both managed to survive and are lovely young adults

Not sure if it is the same where you are but we have done whole class parties at our local sports center soft play. Hire about £200 and then bought snack food (crisps, biscuits, fruit, juice etc) and cake.

The reason I invited the whole class and allowed siblings is because some kids never get invited and some kids are restricted by siblings not being allowed to attend because they require supervision by a familiar adult. I didnt want everyone (or anyone) to leave their kids anyway.