Birthday Party Ideas - 4yo

[countrymummy13]

My DD will be 4 in April. I know this is a long way off, but it's slap in the middle of Easter.

She'll be starting nursery in September so this will be her first 'proper' birthday party (rather than family and friends with kids). If she wants to invite all if her nursery 'friends' they'll be no more than 16 of them.

I had thought about pottery painting. We've got this really beautiful kitsch studio near us. She does nice food, milkshakes and has an 'old fashioned' sweetie shop there too. I've taken DD before and we've have loads of fun.

But... my DD is very grown up for her age. Am I expecting too much from other 3/4 yr olds to want to sit down and paint pottery without breaking stuff / running riot??

Is this a really bad idea?

I think you'd be lucky to get 16+ 3&4yr olds ready for that kind of party to be honest. If I were you I'd go for something a bit more active fun, like a bouncy castle, soft play type of thing, or hire a hall and get a music/dance entertainer, face painter etc. The more simple the better for that age really, with plenty free form run around time. I have done the pottery thing and I suspect its more fun for 1 on 1 time, or maybe smaller parties for older children. If I were you I would wait and see what kind of parties she gets invited to once she has started and take your lead from there. Good luck.

Having been to countless 4yo parties in the last year I feel I can talk with authority.

1. Choose either hall + entertainer or hall + bouncy castle

1. Think how much food you think you'll need and halve it

1. Make party bags because they signal "home time" better than anything else and if you don't you will have 20 children asking their parents loudly "Where is my party bag?" as they refuse to leave.