London - Christmas Children's Party

[IlanaK]

It was suggested today at the summer picnic at Coram Fields that a Christmas children's party would be a nice idea. I am more than happy to organise this but want to gage opinions first. Coram Fields would be a great venue again assuming we could get it. Here are some questions for you to answer or put suggestions if you are interested.

1. Venue - would Coram Fields suit everyone again or can you think of somewhere else?

2. Would you want to attend during the week or on a weekend?

3)I was thinking of a bring a dish or two party (sort of like today) and we would decorate the hall all christmassy and have christmas crackers for the kids, etc. Also maybe some inside christmassy activities such as art stuff, games etc. Is this ok?

4. WOuld anyone want it to be more multicultrural - a seasonal party? I am Jewish so I would certainly understand if people preferred this.

5. OK - the big question is cost. I know that today was free and people just made donations to Binkie as the hall cost £32. However, for a proper christmas party I think we would have to charge. My reason for this is partly the venue - if say 15 families came (about what came today I think), that is £2 per family for the venue. Also, there would be some cost for the crackers, decorations, etc. How would people feel about this?

Ok, so, this is just an idea at this stage, but if we want to do it I am guessing we have to book quickly. If people aren't interested, then I will not be insulted! However, I am happy to do it if people want to come.

What do you all think?????

biketastic - i had already volunteered for pass the parcel but forgot to put my name on the list! I was just going to go to costco and get a big lot of small chocolates and wrap those. I know that the littlest ones can't eat them but it would be too expensive and difficult to find actual "gifts" to go in them. I was going to do at least 2 or 3 parcels to avoid the usual boredom. However, I am happy to pass some of this to you if you would prefer to do it or if you can think of a better way!

A guitar sounds fabulous! Does he know any simple nursery rhymes? I doubt we will progress much past wheels on the bus or twinkle twinkle!

IlanaK, I will bring bin bags and story books. And IlanaK, Kayleigh and prefernot, we have something in common...Oy vey.

I've just skimmed this thread but can we come? Can we? Can we????

Message withdrawn

Motherinferior and Onlineid - welcome and of course you can come! At this rate, we will be bursting out the seams of the room - but it will be lovely! As to what you can do to help - we still desperately need a Santa and also some decorations (no balloons or anything that makes a bang).

Here is the updated list with your names added:

biketastic
binkie
prefernot
lydialemon
cori
welshmum
tigermoth
sis
aelita
blu
marina
ks
merrygoround
hoxtonchick
prufrock
posey
zinger
yingers74
arabica
motherinferior
onlineid

Right. I'm going to ask DH properly about being Santa - will report back.

Not that I have a worryingly short attention span or anything but if there are others who want to help, I'd be grateful to share the biscuit decorating duties (I'll bring the materials) as I know I'll get bored if I have to awtch biscuits being decorated for 2-3 hour! At the summer picnic, I just left the stuff on the table and let the kids get on with it but I think some mums were are the table at all times (thank you!).

If noone wants to do a shift then, will some grown ups please talk to me? please?

DH has agreed to be Santa....can't remember - did someone say they had a suit?

Excellent Welshmum!! Well don to your hubby! I have a basic santa suit from nursery so I will borrow it for the party.

Sis - don't worry, I owuld just leave it on the table like last time - that worked fine. With the exception on face painting I am sure most activities can just be left.

sis, I think you will remember that except when out in the playground my two were permanent fixtures at your table ... so I think it is only fair (as well as fairly convenient for me) that I do a supervision shift. Maybe also be responsible for some of the ingredients too (since they ate most of them)!

oops crossed with Ilana - well I'll supervise if needed, then, plus bring some extra kit

Phew! Binkie, we could probably decide nearer the time on what to bring,but to be honest, I'm happy to provide the stuff as we are bound to have all the stuff in the house any way - in preparation for decorating gingerbread men!

hello all! please count me in too - along with DP and DS - what to bring?? drinks? crisps? or just tell me what's left ...

Susi

oh and have you got a map of the location? and is there a car park? and is there possibility to warm up babyfood?

Can I come with my boys, too? I'm not crafty, but will help man booths that need manning. If someone needs some specific, but none creative help, CAT me.

JJ and SusiS welcome! I can't believe how many are coming to this meet up now!!! I am not sure about warming facilities - I seem to remeber there was a kitchen somewhere? There is certainly a cafe so hot water would be available at the very least. As to what food to bring, we have not assigned anything - just asking everyone to bring a dish or two of something. This can be something you have made or just crisps biscuits etc. I am sure that between us there will be enough variety. Drinks is a good idea - but maybe someone could bring plastic cups?

Just a little worry - I think we now have about 25 families coming. This is fabulous! However, my dh (typical man) is concerned that we may be exceeding capacity for the room. It is the largest room available (the band room for anyone that was at the last meetup and remembers). I have not asked what capacity is - and I don't plan to incase it causes a problem. What does everyone else think?

Ok, updated details below for eveyone new:

List of who is coming:

biketastic
binkie
prefernot
lydialemon
cori
welshmum
tigermoth
sis
aelita
blu
marina
ks
merrygoround
hoxtonchick
prufrock
posey
zinger
yingers74
arabica
motherinferior
onlineid
JJ
SusiS

Activities:

1. colouring festive pictures (I will provide)
2. card making with ks and marina 3)decorating biscuits with sis and binkie 4)pin the tail on the reindeer with marina 5)possible face painting with prefernot
3. dancing to music with bubbles added (bubble machine - tigermoth) 7)pass the parcel 8)story telling/singng session (Ilana, Arabica and prefernot)

Decorations - tigermoth (streamers) and possibly cori?

Tidying up - arabica

Santa - Welshmum's dh (yippee!) Bring your own present wrapped and labled for your child and Santa will give them out.

Looks great! But please feel free to make suggestions.

IlanaK, I will call and ask about capacity and find out those things for you (I'll keep it a secret if the news is bad ). And I'll bring plastic cups/plates and whatever else like that you need.

And I'll help with the decorations -- have some Christmas lights.

Thanks for doing this!

IlanaK, when I did the summer thing they were very relaxed about numbers - told me the official capacity is 150 - of course that's sitting in rows. They certainly would never do a headcount and charge extra.

That said, you do have a lot now (congratulations, you are a much sparkier organiser than me) - and I always felt the capacity of the room would be 30 families tops. I think it might be worth suggesting people let you have a contribution by cheque as confirmation, and, once you've got a list of 30, further people could go on stand-by?

I know it's a pity, as the new last-minute people are always the ones we want to encourage, but I think needs must this time. And there'll always be people who at the last moment can't come after all.

Thanks JJ and Binkie. I think 30 families probably sounds about right. If we have that many, contribution would only be just over a pound per family so I don't think it is worth getting money in advance. However, I will keep the list of families under close watch. If we get to 30 before the do and more people want to come, I will put out an appeal to those on the list to really think about whether they will make it or not. Then we can be more sure.

Hi Ilana, I keep peeking at this thread to see how things are coming along. Hey, we have a Santa!! I also wanted to remind yuo that I won't be able to face paint as dp most likely can't come. Just wanted you to take that off the list in case I end up disappointing 30+ toddlers .

Oooops! SOrry prefernot! I will take that off the list now. Things are looking really great for it. I was just wondering whether we should do some organisation with the food and drink or not? I was just thinking that we made need 3-4 people to bring drinks.

Revised activities list:

Activities:

1. colouring festive pictures (I will provide)
2. card making with ks and marina 3)decorating biscuits with sis and binkie 4)pin the tail on the reindeer with marina
3. dancing to music with bubbles added (bubble machine - tigermoth) 7)pass the parcel 8)story telling/singng session (Ilana, Arabica and prefernot)

ks - christmas cakes would be lovely What do you think we should do about the food? Leave it loose or assign specific things to bring?

I don't think there were tea/coffee facilities there, though there was a cafe. Personally, I am not comfortable with lots of hot drinks around young children. However, I would be willing to go with the majority on this.

There is a kitchen - that is, a hob and a fridge. No kettle, because (so management told me before) it gets nicked. Cafe is ideal source of tea & (good) coffee, though.

They do have strictly enforced rules of no glass bottles & no alcohol though, so we'll have to go on elsewhere for our gluhwein ...

IlanaK, how about a listof foods that people could choose to bring from if,like me, they can't think what to bring and if anyone wants to bring something different then that could be fine too. It could avoid a Christmas party with 200 bags of crisps and not much else!