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My little boys 5th birthday in a week, help needed :)

18 replies

forestfly · 19/03/2004 09:40

I have hired out a hall for three hours and invited tons of people. What do i do in the hall without spending much money, starting to think it was a silly idea

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popsycal · 19/03/2004 10:02

party games (with cheap pressies), music........, erm.......
SOrry am not at all helpful - I dread having to organise birthday parties!!

Someone with older kids may be able to give you some ideas

forestfly · 19/03/2004 10:06

ooooh thanks popsy

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LIZS · 19/03/2004 10:06

How many kids ? Is there any theme ? If you can, plan a few sports day type games (egg and spoon, obstacle course etc) and something like a treasure hunt. Also things like musical bumps, statues, and just dancing can be good entertainment. Are adults staying as we found a few extra pairs of hands invaluable for crowd control and to alleviate stress of doing food/games etc.

forestfly · 19/03/2004 10:10

Thanks liz, no, adults are not staying but four of my friends are. 25 children invited!!!! Thanks for the tips, good ideas

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GreySquirrel · 19/03/2004 10:33

I have similar dilemma - looking for something to do for a 3rd birthday party, with parents and children (joint party for 8 children who were all born within a month of each other, and we have met up every week since meeting at new mum classes) and we are planning to get a bouncy castle and hall, maybe bring our own food and some extra toys and games, cake etc. Splitting the cost makes it cheaper too of course!

Maybe that would be of less interest to five year olds, but then again I think bouncy castles are popular at most ages!

Otherwise I would try to organise some party games, pass the parcel, musical chairs etc and maybe get face paints or make it fancy dress for extra interest?

jampot · 19/03/2004 10:35

At one party (Harry Potter theme) we had tables of activities (magical theme) the kids spent 15 mins at each table then ate and had a magician for half hour. It was excellent.

tamum · 19/03/2004 10:44

I think you need to have a list of lots and lots of party games. You'll get through quite a lot in 3 hours (not that I want to worry you), and I would have thought you want some quite boisterous ones since you've got a whole hall. I think there are quite a few threads on party games.

One that my dad always used to do was quite good fun. You take two children, blindfold them both and give them a rolled up newspaper each (bear with me, it gets better ). They are taken to opposite ends of the hall and spun around. One of them is told to call "Tom" and the other "Jerry". They then have to shout each other's names and try and find each other from the sounds of the voices and then bash each other with the rolled up newspapers (with rapid parent intervention, natch). What's good about it is that it's excellent spectator sport as well as being fun for the ones doing it. If you let them all have a go it will take ages!

binkie · 19/03/2004 11:02

forestfly, look here and here . Very much agree with others, have a list of loads of games, so you always have something to go on to. You'll probably find your ds's party is the best one his friends go to all year!

Something simple with lots of group participation like "What's the time Mr. Wolf" can do brilliantly. Pinning tail on things not so good, too much waiting for one's turn & chance of disappointment.

forestfly · 19/03/2004 11:06

Thanks so much for your help it's great. Can't spend any money on magicians or bouncy castles i'm afraid. But will really try with the games. i think i underestimated my involvement. Poo. I'll need a drink after this

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tamum · 19/03/2004 11:07

Perhaps a good few drinks during

LIZS · 19/03/2004 11:08

Last year at ds' 5th bday party (pirate theme) we did "Port, Starboard ..." which I played at Brownies as a child. Lots of running around, everyone can play and would work in a large open space with that many kids.

forestfly · 19/03/2004 11:10

Do you think i can get away with greeting parents pissed. I might loose my only ever chance of getting on the pta

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Crunchie · 19/03/2004 11:27

Loads and loads of games. I have a party this weekend and I have a list of 15 games preprepared - I have made sure I have all the props needed. You will need some music - for pass the parcel/musical chairs type games. We are taking our CD player and my neice (aged 11) is organising the music. You need to allow approx 1/2 hr for mucking about 'letting off steam' - get tons of balloons and they can run about popping ballons and generally causing mayhem. Since it is mainly going to be boys (I would have thought) they will need this before they will stop and listen to games. For our party - which is mainly girls - I have drawn a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY banner which the kids will be able to colour in as they arrive, giving the shy ones something to do while the others scream around.

Then an hour of organised games, look at the other threads as I got loads of good games form them, including 'Make a mummy out of mummy' - ie wrapping up a parent in tons of loo roll Musical Hats - slightly less agressive than musical chairs (it's amazing how many silly hats you can find in the house). Flap the fish - a game involving newspapers and fanning fish shapes around the room. A variation of musical statues - giving them poses to do (the best cat, the best dog etc). There are loads more mentioned too.

Then you can stop for tea, it doesn't need to cost much and you can get nice cheap plates etc from Woolworths and other places. We are having marmite and jam sandwiches, Dairylea pinwheels, mini sausages, chocolate crispie cakes (mini ones) mini Fairy cakes, crisps and a few cucumber/pepper/carrot sticks for colour!!

Another 1/2 hr of running around games like corners, and its all over - and time for a HUGE glass of wine

Party bag gifts don't need to cost much, I found those finger monster puppets in Woolies for £1.99 for 12, added a balloon, some sweets, a cake and something else (girly thing for girls and can't remember for boys!) so each bag cost less than 50p.

Good Luck, and rememebr organisation is the key.

popsycal · 19/03/2004 11:34

wow crunchie - do you fancy being party organiser for my 2 year old in august - not done a party before since we were on holiday for his first birthday///

roisin · 19/03/2004 11:47

Are the children coming for 3 hrs Forestfly? That's quite a long time. Some quieter/longer activities which have worked for us in the past are:

A creative/food activity ... we had DIY fruit/ice cream sundaes one year ... provided loads of chopped fruit, sprinkles, squirty cream, and some ice cream. The kids spent AGES on them and really enjoyed them.
Or decorating biscuits.

You can also have a "colouring competition" ... set out some pictures, or masks, or something at the beginning for when the children arrive. They can have a bit of time for colouring then. But they can continue doing it during the party ... when they've been knocked out of a game, or if they don't want to play, or when they've finished their food early, or whatever.

Sitting listening to a story - maybe get them to join in with some actions or making animal noises, or something.

Also just singing together, or doing singing games ... like The Farmer's in his den, and In and our the dusty bluebells and similar tends to go down very well. Ask your ds which of these songs they sing at school in PE/music to see which ones they know.

Oh, also parachute games ... If you can beg, borrow or steal a parachute from school if you're on good terms with them, or a local Cubs/Beaver group, or youth group or whatever. They are pretty easy and tend to go down well.

How good friends are your friends? Can you make a list of games, and ask them to take responsibility for 'leading' a couple each, to give you a break?

In order to stop the kids getting too manic, make sure you alternate busy games with quiet ones. Once we brought mats/cushions for the children to sit in a circle whenever we were talking with them.

Also: Get them to sit down and listen whilst you carefully and slowly explain each game. Some of them may not be familiar with party games, and it also helps them to calm down a bit.

Crunchie · 19/03/2004 11:54

No popsy! This party have taken be the best part of a month to organise, I am really stressed about it as DH (who was supposed to be doing the games bit) may not be there. I have a list of jobs to do this evening which include make the cake, and ice it - with a mermaid figure on it, clean the whole house - my parents and in-laws are coming, finish their costumes x 2, ice 50 mini fairy cakes, make door streamers, cook coq-au-vin for 8 (for lunch tomorrow) Hopefully I'll getto bed by midnight

forestfly · 19/03/2004 12:11

Thanks soooo much, this is so helpful, a friend has just told me also, to go to pound stretcher and get lots of silly presents

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roisin · 19/03/2004 12:15

Forestfly - I am a bit worried about the 3 hours though. Is it too late to tell people that it's actually only 2 hrs, cos you need time to set up/tidy away? We're having a 1 hr 45 mins for ds2's 5th next month, and that seems plenty long enough for me.

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