When did your ds/dd first have a 'play date' (hate that term) in reception -either hosting or going?

[tortoiseshell]

Ds has struck up a friendship with a little boy in his class, and has invited him to come and play! He is adamant he wants him to come (he's been at school for 2 weeks), but am really nervous about either having a child I have never met, whose parents I don't know over, or ds going to a strange house - what is the accepted procedure? This is all new to me! TIA!

Well we've being going 2 weeks too and i've invited a little boy and his mum next week. They did go to same pre school but different sessions so didn't really know them before. I'm unsure about having a child I don't really know hence inviting his mum too, they are coming for lunch and I know she will have to be back at school at 3 for the older sister, we'll see how it goes!

Do it as soon as possible, with any child your child even vaguely likes. Otherwise someone else will beat you to it, and it really helps the children cement friendships.

The protocol is (at our school, at least): chat to child's mum at school gate, then invite child, with mum in tow the first time. If all else goes well, you can repeat without mum next time. Return visit usually appropriate within a couple of weeks. Alternatively, you and the other child's mum can arrange to join up to take the children to a local playground after school, with a picnic tea.

As a guideline, I give children a snack straight after school, then cooked tea/supper or whatever you call it c. 5pm after which children play for a bit, then visiting child taken home by about 6pm. Personally I usually go for an obvious crowd-pleaser like sausages and oven chips the first time, organic if you want extra brownie points -- save the mung bean fritters for when you've got to know them properly.