Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Original poster

Organising a birthday party

33 replies

Watfo · 02/05/2022 16:06

Never done this already finding it stressful. Weve found the venue soft play and booked its a whole class party plus extra friends and cousins roughly about 45 kids going to be invited
Whats do we need to do now?? do you invite siblings of the kids invited that I know off.
Its in the morning for 2 hours so I don't think food is needed possibly just some snacks is that stingy?
Party bags do people still do them ?..
Do we get anything else in like a magician or ballon artist ect

Do we decorate the place up or not bother

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
PinkSyCo · 02/05/2022 16:11

You don’t need magicians, balloon artists, decorations or even party bags necessarily but guests will expect a nice spread, and of course plenty to drink.

Beamur · 02/05/2022 16:11

Decide if you want siblings or not (and figure out how many extra that will be..) it's fine to say no siblings.
Some food will be expected. Plus drinks as kids will get thirsty.
Party bags - yes, doesn't have to be complicated. Usually cake and a toy./sweets. Or you could eat a cake as part of the party and just put some sweets/stickers in a party bag.
No need for any more entertainment and no need to decorate unless you want to. (I wouldn't)

Idontgiveagriffindamn · 02/05/2022 16:13

Don’t decorate the place - there’s no need.
What’s the starting time. Food will probably be expected at a kids party. But substantial snacks should be ok.
I wouldn’t invite siblings of kids invited unless you know the family.
And yes party bags will be expected

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Events & celebrations General parenting
Hugasauras · 02/05/2022 16:13

45 kids! Blimey.

Most soft play packages include food don't they? We've been to quite a few plus DD had her own party at one a couple of months ago and all have had food, either a buffet-type thing or lunchboxes for the kids. I think you'll want to provide something.

Hugasauras · 02/05/2022 16:14

Wouldn't bother with decoration or entertainment. Soft plays already look like a clown exploded and the soft play equipment is the entertainment!

NerrSnerr · 02/05/2022 16:20

Don't invite siblings- 45 is a mammoth party (I usually invite about 20-25 maximum so about 15 children at the party).

Is it a party within a public softplay session? If so parents can pay for siblings. If it is a public session you may want to ask parents to stay as keeping an eye on them all and making sure no one escapes or is terrorising other children will be tough with so many children.

How old is your child? My eldest is 7 and party bags are still a thing.

NerrSnerr · 02/05/2022 16:20

I agree that some kind of food will be expected.

MargaritasOnMe · 02/05/2022 16:31

If you've booked a soft play then no other enterainment or decorations needed. The only time we've been given food (I say we, I mean the children), is when the party has been held over lunchtime. Party bags round here are usually a slice of birthday cake and pack of sweets.

Beamur · 02/05/2022 16:34

45 is a lot. How old are the children?
Are you expecting parents to stay and do you have enough helpers if you have parents drop off and leave..
I had a soft play party for DD in Reception and some parents left their kids. It was also the rowdiest kids who were left unattended of course!

bakewellbride · 02/05/2022 16:34

You need to speak to the venue and find out what they provide. We had a softplay party and they decorated the party area and provided food except for a cake.

No need to bother with extra entertainment such as a magician imo. The softplay will be enough.

45 kids- wow! Our party only had 10 as that's the max we were allowed to invite (it was a third birthday party). Good luck!

coodawoodashooda · 02/05/2022 16:37

Party bags are a good way of saying 'go home'

TopCatsTopHat · 02/05/2022 16:39

Most successful leaving party gift I ever did for that age was a load of cheerful books, the kind that are square and bendy, big pictures and a nice story. Get yourself down to tkmaxx for a job lot at minimal cost. Works out cheaper and so much better than any amount of tat in a bag. So they choose a book and get a slice of cake and go home happy.

TopCatsTopHat · 02/05/2022 16:40

If you're not doing food it needs to be nowhere near a meal time and tell the parents it'll be snacks and drinks only.

Original poster
Watfo · 02/05/2022 17:08

Thanks all its 6 year old
its 10am-noon
I was going to provide squash for the kids and possibly a few bowls of crisps maybe some biscuits and small cake bars plus the birthday cake

Food isn't included at our soft play they don't provide it currently because they have no chef in the kitchen.

I've no idea if parents will stay unfortunately because of Scholes shutting and the kids are all year 1 we havnt really had chance to meet any of them hence holding the party so we get to know some of them and the children as my son has global development delay he doesn't tell us who he plays with so I would assume they would stay seeing as I don't know them

I know im mad arnt I! 45 is what were inviting I don't expect them all to come though

OP posts:
NerrSnerr · 02/05/2022 17:19

I wouldn't assume parents will stay. In my daughter's year (year 3) the parents have always stayed. I went to a Year 1 soft play party when it was also a public session and some parents dropped their kids off (a couple without even telling the party parents they had arrived, just chucked the kids in the soft play and left). It was very stressful keeping tabs on a bunch of 5 and 6 year olds and there was only about 15 of them.

If you want parents to stay you need to specify it on the invitation.

rahjama · 02/05/2022 18:42

I always hated party bags. Such an unnecessary expense. And I hate it when my child received them as well. It's all just plastic toys that they'll use once and then never again and it just gets thrown away. Or some sweets they could really do without. We stopped doing them. Just a piece of cake wrapped up to take home.

Idontgiveagriffindamn · 02/05/2022 19:24

If the party is 10-12 then yes I’d expect food for the kids.
You obviously don’t have to but I can’t think of any parties we’ve been to at that time where there hasn’t been sandwiches etc provided

SoftSheen · 02/05/2022 19:29

You should definitely provide lunch, the children will get hungry and this is expected. Sandwiches, crisps, fruit etc will be fine, plus birthday cake and plenty to drink.

You don't have to provide party bags, but is is usual- perhaps something very simple like a few sweets, considering that you will be hosting up to 45 (!!!) children.

Heckythump1 · 02/05/2022 19:31

I would think most parents would stay - I have a DD in Y1 and as they didn't have parties in reception because of covid, most parents still stay now in Y1, definitely at a soft play party!

NerrSnerr · 02/05/2022 20:26

Heckythump1 · 02/05/2022 19:31

I would think most parents would stay - I have a DD in Y1 and as they didn't have parties in reception because of covid, most parents still stay now in Y1, definitely at a soft play party!

This is genuinely what I thought but the soft play party I described was about a month ago (it was a younger sibling of my daughter's friends) and some idiot parents just dropped them off.

The party mum assumed they'd all stay so didn't state it in the invitation and it was very stressful.

CherrySocks · 02/05/2022 20:38

How many adults will be supervising? 45 children is a lot!!
What if they do all come!!??
You need at least five adults I would say.
Is the venue providing any staff?
I think you've invited too many - especially for your first party.
I did a lot of parties for my two but never invited that many.
Can you send round a message - "Sorry, forgot to mention, parents will need to stay!"
If you haven't sent the invites yet, I would drastically reduce the number.

Topbird29 · 02/05/2022 20:48

I would not invite siblings - 45 I enough already! Expressly state- no siblings, otherwise you'll end up with a 2 or 3 year old in with the bigger kids prob getting hurt. And ask for parents to stay if poss. If people do want to drop and leave, make sure you get contact tel number. Def provide some snacks - whatvyou diggest sounds fine. And for that many - I would suggest getting the big box of mr men books, or horrible histories or similar (never at full price) and splitting so give a book put (might work out a good price). Or just tube of bubbles (get a job lot somewhere) and slice of cake. Plenty of squash / water for kids as get sweaty at soft play. We did soft play party once, and taking done spare socks was good as think some arrived sickness (in sandals), and they needed socks on to play. Maybe just get some plain socks that can be used for school after.

WindyKnickers · 02/05/2022 20:59

I had a party for my 7 year old this weekend. Loads of parents just chucked their kid in the door and buggered off for 2 hours, didn't even tell the kid or me they were off. So fucking rude. Party bags are definitely expected as is some food. The other thing I was surprised about was the number of parents putting a tenner in a card instead of a present. That never happened with my eldests parties and instead she got 25 x shitty craft sets.

Best of luck - my top tip is to have a nice bottle of wine ready for when you get home. You will need it.

WindyKnickers · 02/05/2022 21:01

Sweet cones is a good alternative to party bags.