Birthday party for 4 year old

[NeverNoMore221]

This is the first year my son has said he would like a birthday party - he'll be turning 4 towards the end of the year. We'll be inviting the children from his nursery group.

We live in a very small flat with no garden, so couldn't host it at ours.

The weather is likely to be cold as it will be winter so can't do a playground / park.

Soft play is sadly out of our budget.

I found a hall to hire that we can afford, but they don't allow bouncy castles etc.

What do you do at a party with children in this age bracket? My son will be one of the oldest and some of the children will have only just turned 3.

I think barely 3 is too old for a lot of standard party games and had originally planned for a bouncy castle and disco. Now we can't have a bouncy castle or play equipment I'm worried about how to entertain them?

Help please!

Some kids music on in the background, disco light, balloons, bubbles, some activity tables set up.
They'll love it.
They don't need to be 'entertained' as such at this age they just like to have fun!

Regular wrapping paper, agree tissue would be too easy to tear multiple layers. Any friends/family with older children you can ask about the something in every layer/in the middle only? Here it's the big prize only.

There's been sweets in every layer in pass the parcel we've played over last few month.

And agree wrapping paper. Just alternate between 2/3

How many kids are we talking? We did parties in halls without bouncy castles or entertainers for both my kids 3rd birthdays and they were nice. Basically treated it like an at home party but with more space.

Ours were more family and family friends kids rather than nursery though, so we knew most well and it was social for the adults too. I think it would have worked with more of the nursery friends too though.

We had a table with colouring (printed sheets from internet if the latest popular kids films / TV) and all the crayons etc we owned. On one if them we also bought some colour your own superhero masks, I think from Baker Ross, which went down well.

We took every ride along toy / pop up play house / tunnel etc we owned and asked close family to bring some too if they had kids.

We had balloons and bubbles and kids music on. So a lot of time was spent just running around, keeping the balloons up, popping bubbles, hiding in tents etc.

As I recall we did do about 3 party games, I think pass the parcel and musical statues which was hard to organise with that age but parents get involved too. But not too many. Yes to something in every layer of pass the parcel. We tried to have enough layers for everyone and watch carefully when controlling the music to check they all got one, then turn around so main prize in middle was random. Cheap colouring/ activity book is enough for main prize, and similar for last standing in musical statues (I think we gave a sweet or sticker to each child who was out to soften the blow).

Eating food will take up a bit of time too.

It will be nice.

Am amazed there are no halls who allow bouncy castles round you though!

Pinata they take ages to break at that age
dont do loads of food it never gets eaten
1/2 sandwich per child
packet of crisps
some cucumber and strawberries cut up
if you want to do party bags: £10 for 10 books in the works and packet of haribo

Ask on a local Facebook group, there will be people who've had this problem before.

Do you have a Little City franchise near you? We went to a lot of those for 3rd/4th birthdays, the hall might be more likely to allow it.

@NeverNoMore221 When my ds was at primary in Epsom ( long time ago so don’t know if it’s still there ) I had a couple of make your own pizza parties at Pizza Express. They were fun, plus adults can stay and have a drink if they want to. Plus nothing to clear up! I wouldn’t have done it for the whole class, but that’s a different subject.

We went to a 3rd birthday recently so not a dissimilar demographic. It was in a church hall, lots of balloons, and the parents had asked a couple of favourite staff at the nursery to come along (they both also offer babysitting so we’re willing participants & charging their usual babysitting rates for a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon). The nursery teachers kept them entertained with fun games, singing and dancing and I think one did some very basic face painting. The kids were absolutely thrilled, I think sometimes at this age, the simple, familiar things in life can be the best 🤷🏻‍♀️

Limbo was a big hit when my kids were that age, just need a pool noodle and two adults to hold it!

Also if you want to save on food waste, individual pack lunch style boxes work well. Half a sandwich, yogurt, small treat, and crisps. Parents can take what the kids don’t eat with them as you can guarantee once the party is over they are hungry and will probably get eaten on way home.

Pin the....on...insert child favourite character

I did blanket on iggle piggle when my son was 3ish (is turning 17 in 2 weeks) but this can totally be adapted.

If you don't have the freehand drawing skills search for a colouring in image of said character print it in the largest format you can find and stick to a piece of cardboard box.

Or just letting them run around with loads of balloons

Been to lots of 4yo parties in the last year and none of them would have stopped for a game of pass the parcel, which was a hit when they were younger and less manic. They just want to run around being excited.

One recent party was in a hall with no bouncy castle or soft play, like yours. It had tables set up with:

Party food, obviously
Crafts
Blankets, board books and baby toys for younger siblings/shy kids/kids who’d had an ouchy
Face paint – parents took turns and some kids had a go
Duplo
Toy cars for ramming at each other
Toy tea set and teddies

Plus balloons everywhere to kick about, and a few foam frisbees/footballs/soft rackets and foam balls. Music on the sound system. That was it! The kids provide their own entertainment, which is mostly shrieking and spinning in their dresses or running around and falling over.

If you do temporary tattoos table just get loads so no squabbling – they’ll get used, DD came home tattooed head to toe recently 😂 And you can always give spares to take home as a party favour with a slice of cake.

I think pass the parcel is better once they've been at school for a bit and got into the habit of sitting still for a while and taking turns.

Our village hall didn't allow bouncy castles so we went for the hall in the next village across for my 4yo. Most hall costs are pretty similar, it's worth looking locally where will let you have one. His party went great, the kids basically spent the entire time on the bouncy castle/slide but we set up a table with some colouring bits as well and hired some little push car things. We didn't do party games I do think 3/4 years old are still a bit young for them.

Is there a certain character or theme he likes?

Do you have a printer? We printed and cut out different sized characters - Peppa Pig back then, for the kids to colour in. They then had the option of adding gems etc and gluing it to a popsicle stick to make puppets. Also made some labels to go on cheap bubbles.

hop on etsy or twinkle and grab a cheap party game in the style of 'pin the tail'

Get some cheap bean bags/hula hoops for games?

Do you have things around the house you could make up some sensory bins with?

decorate their own cookie station - doesnt have to be homemade

Hi. My son has recently turned 4 so have been to lots this year! I do agree, at the ones turning 4 more recently (so some of his classmates nearly 5), games have worked nicely - not so much at the start of the year. You have some lovely suggestions though. My comment is about food. The ones that have had buffets there's been so much waste. Some though have done individual picnic boxes (cardboard ones). When RSVP'ing we have been asked to state sandwich preference (options like ham, cheese or jam). Then each child gets a box with their name on, sarnie of choice, then e.g. crisps, frube yoghurt, piece of fruit, and a treat like a bun or mini roll etc. You then don't spend money over-catering, and people tend to just take anything left in the box home with them for their child's snack later etc. Also, don't bother with party bags, just plastic tat. A piece of cake in foil is fine, plus a little book if you really want to go all out 🙂

find your nearest pizza express - food and entertainment in one

Not sure if suggested as haven't read whole thread. Friend stuck tape to a floor and asked everyone to bring a ride-on toy. Keep the party short. 1.5 hours is fine at this age. Sandwiches, cake, squash, music, bubble machine if you have. Done. :-)

Should have explained. Tape on the floor was to make a race track. :-)

For my daughter's 4th birthday party we hired a hall and used the pre schools little soft play bits.

Also had a paddling pool full of ball pit balls the littler ones liked. Think we also had some craft tables (10 years ago so can't remember all of it). And I bought some cheap plain cakes and biscuits from tesco and had some bowls of icing and bits to put on top which they loved.

Home made messy play stations? Cheap blow up paddling pools from eBay, filled with different things-jelly with cheap ikea utensils and bowls for pouring/mashing/scooping, shaping foam in a can, food colouring spaghetti, cheap packs of plain cakes with different toppings, digger toys with cornflakes etc, tea set with teddies, water play with water beads…. can be as cheap or as expensive as you want!

My youngest is about to turn 3 and I'm doing a hall party for her. There will be some 4yos (friends from preschool and playgroups) and older siblings including my oldest.

I'm doing most of the things suggested on this thread: lots of balloons, a colouring table, temporary tattoos (DC loved this at an event we went to recently!), ride-on toys, music, bubble machine. I've also hired a ride-on rollercoaster from our local toy library for the princely sum of 50p Do you have a toy library near you?

I wasn't going to do party bags but they're easy enough, I've got punch balloons and mini bubble wands (cheap in Asda), sticker sheets (Amazon) and will add sweets and cake - job done.

Sorry but I don't think this is a good idea. There is usually a lot of clear up and not much time after a hall party. Messy play on top would be a nightmare!

For my lg 3rd birthday we hired soft play, her best friend had the village hall and stuff from home. I can honestly say her friends was the better party!
At that age I think any big party such as soft play feels like a rip off in hindsight. They play together a bit but broadly speaking they just go off and do their own thing, want parents to get in with them. I just felt like I'd paid a lot of money for some kids I barely know to have a morning out, the fact it was my daughter's birthday was almost secondary.

The friend's in the village hall was very simple, toys from home, e.g. ride on things, train set, cars, balls, dolls, balloons, basically just whatever they had which could transport. Some kids music on in background for those that wanted to dance. Parents were actually able to sit and have a cuppa and relax a bit, have a chat. Kids happily played with the toys and interacted. No organised games or anything and it was absolutely fine, they weren't bored and seemed to have a really nice time. The party tea they had done a grown up friendly buffet to so parents and kids all joined in for tea. It was really lovely.

People put pressure on and make you think you need to spend a fortune on entertainment but I really don't think you do. A few toys, some music and food and they were all quite happy for a couple of hours.

I would (and did) compromise with my oldest she’s 5 now. For her 4th birthday she wanted a party but I had a newborn and it was just to hectic so we had a pizza party at home (her fav food) and invited nanny’s and grandads then my sister over did all the themed decorations for whatever she wanted I think she actually had princesses for that one went out for the day to peppa pig world at the weekend she was happy with that