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Original poster

Sweet station at kids party

36 replies

TeemBun · 01/10/2023 05:36

I'm organising a party for my son who turns 3 next month. He has asked repeatedly for a sweet station (about 5 jars of sweets, tongs and lots of paper bags) which I'm open to having on display at the party venue so his friends (or their parent/s) can choose a bag of sweets, but I'm just trying to get a feel of how this would be received by mums of 3 year olds? Would you allow your DC to go home with a bag or would you skip it altogether because of the sugar? I suppose I don't want to be in a situation where I'm paying extra for something no one will like or have a mum potentially being frustrated by its presence because their DC won't move away from it. Appreciate any feedback!

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user1492757084 · 01/10/2023 05:41

No. Have him make up bags with a reasonable number of sweets per bag - fifteen - and a balloon.

newstart1234 · 01/10/2023 05:45

I'm not sure I believe a 3 year old would ask for such a thing at a party so I'm assuming you may be doing market research? Sorry but I think it would be a massive distraction at a party. They would crowd round and get upset when things get finished. It would just take away from the fun parts of the party. There may be some parents who don't want 3 year olds to eat sweets. A cake is enough sweet treat at a party for a 3 year old.

cariadlet · 01/10/2023 05:46

I haven't heard of a sweet station but definitely wouldn't have wanted one at a party when my dd was little.

Toddlers aren't renowned for their ability to self regulate and there's a danger of them wanting to spend all their time at the party scoffing sweets instead of playing.

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Howtosolveit · 01/10/2023 06:06

newstart1234 · 01/10/2023 05:45

I'm not sure I believe a 3 year old would ask for such a thing at a party so I'm assuming you may be doing market research? Sorry but I think it would be a massive distraction at a party. They would crowd round and get upset when things get finished. It would just take away from the fun parts of the party. There may be some parents who don't want 3 year olds to eat sweets. A cake is enough sweet treat at a party for a 3 year old.

Agreed.

SoSad44 · 01/10/2023 06:07

No way! All the kids will be distracted by it and fight over it. As a toddler parent I would hate it. Don’t give them sweets at the end either, cake is enough at 3!

chocopuffs · 01/10/2023 06:11

Out of interest how does he even know what a sweet station is? My DC is turning three soon and would not know to ask for this, so I kind of agree with PPs. I would not be a fan either and agree with the comments above - it just feels a bit unnecessary as a toddler's birthday. And I'm not that precious about sugar either.

NynaeveSedaiOfTheYellowAjah · 01/10/2023 06:12

How does your not even 3 year old know what a sweet station is??
terrible idea for 3 year olds!!

namechanged221 · 01/10/2023 06:13

This is more a wedding thing? Not for 3 year olds... stick to the carrot sticks and homemade pizza 🍕

WandaWonder · 01/10/2023 06:14

A 3 year old has the ability to ask for all this, I would first contact Mensa

If they were 6 or so I would say fine

Althenameshavegone · 01/10/2023 06:15

that would cause absolute carnage, most 3, 4 and 5 year old parties I’ve been to don’t really have much sugar on offer apart from a plate of party rings and the birthday cake. I’d be pissed off if that was put out at a party my kids were attending, toddlers aren’t known for being able to self regulate, it would put parents who limit sugar in a difficult position and it’s setting a bad precedent for future parties.

Plumful · 01/10/2023 06:36

Absolutely not at three years old

Kaill · 01/10/2023 06:40

I would bag them up and hand them out. Otherwise CFs will take more than one bag! At my party there was one grandma who I had to speak to because she was filling multiple bags to take home for all of her grandkids, and there would be no sweets left for my actual guests.

Stripeypyjamas · 01/10/2023 06:43

My 3yo wouldn't care less about a sweet station, he wants to run and run and climb and run. It's also a nightmare for anyone with allergies.

TulipsTulipTulips · 01/10/2023 06:51

Oh god no. I can just see the horrific behaviour around this.

Thequeenofwishfulthinking · 01/10/2023 06:55

Make your own age appropriate bags/cones to hand out at the end. They will all eat them straightaway and be hyper as f*.
They won’t eat your party food and there is a chance a child could choke if they are eating a jelly sweet and running around.
Mine all have sweets and chocolate as treats. I think 3 is a bit young for some sweets for health & safety reasons tbh.
I’ve had a sweet station at a party previously for 7 year olds.
I think a book and a packet of chocolate buttons at the end would be better.
If you have the budget there are sweet places that make personalised chocolate lollipops on very small sticks. I’ve hired a sweet cart in the past with 40 white, pink and milk chocolate lollipops with my daughters name on for £40.
It was a massive party for 40 children and it worked out cheaper than anything else. It also looked beautiful. I just got a supermarket cake and together they were the gifts at the end for the guests.

prescribingmum · 01/10/2023 07:07

A 2 year old has asked for this for their 3rd birthday?! It concerns me that they know what it is - if we went to a wedding with one, they were kept away from it when under 4, not allowed free access.

Absolutely not for any pre school birthday. My children were not allowed those types of sweets at 2 or 3. Ice cream and cake were the normal sweet items at a party and many parents restricted portion sizes for that too. Rest of food was veg sticks, fruit, humous etc.

reallyworriedjobhunter · 01/10/2023 07:10

It's a terrible idea for such young children.

letspopthekettleon · 01/10/2023 07:11

newstart1234 · 01/10/2023 05:45

I'm not sure I believe a 3 year old would ask for such a thing at a party so I'm assuming you may be doing market research? Sorry but I think it would be a massive distraction at a party. They would crowd round and get upset when things get finished. It would just take away from the fun parts of the party. There may be some parents who don't want 3 year olds to eat sweets. A cake is enough sweet treat at a party for a 3 year old.

This

Goldbar · 01/10/2023 07:11

Nowadays adults like to keep things like this for themselves😂. Lovely at a wedding, would be out of place at a kids' party for that age group, I'm afraid. And yes, they would all crowd around it and stuff their gobs until sick while their frustrated parents tried to haul them away. A bag of pom bears and a piece of cake is about as exciting as it gets food-wise for that age group at most of the parties we go to. In your place, I'd spend the money on some fun games or soft play pieces.

If your son is set on it, could you buy him something like this for his birthday and let him choose a few sweets at a time: https://www.casdon.com/product/pick-mix-sweet-shop/

Yourebeingtooloud · 01/10/2023 07:16

Goodness no! I would have been very surprised & unimpressed with one of these at a 3yo’s party. So much opportunity for carnage.

AegonT · 01/10/2023 07:17

No way for a kid turning 3. Some of the party guests would still be 2. A lot of sweets are choking risks even for 3 yesr olds. The sugar and free access would send them crazy and distract from the other food and games/activity.

BelindaBears · 01/10/2023 07:18

Absolutely not for a 3 year old.

Original poster
TeemBun · 01/10/2023 07:30

Thanks for all your replies. I thought as much but I had to ask as I'm hiring a venue that caters for kids up to 6yrs and this sweet station is one of its optional add-ons/upsells. I showed the venue's website to my DS which is how he came across it to ask for it. He is my only child so I had no reference point and having attended several parties in recent months, noted the presence of sweets and chocolates served so wanted a sense check as to what's the norm and what mums would think. The venue also provides optional sweet cone bags and sweet cups so that led me to think parents actually offer this at parties or that the venue provides it because there's a demand for it (which didn't sit well with me, so again, thought I'd ask). Thanks again to all.

OP posts:
Stripeypyjamas · 01/10/2023 07:59

I'm surprised you were served sweets and chocolate at a kids party. Around here it's competitive organic offerings, the sweetest thing they get is a carrot and the party bag is a paper bag of seeds to start their own allotment and a recycled wooden pencil to draw on the bag (which is recycled, recyclable, fair trade and the profits of which go to helping orphaned donkeys)

Tiredandstressedmum · 01/10/2023 09:51

I don't think at 3 this is a good idea, maybe for older kids but 3 years would probably go a bit wild with the options. Agree with other posters of getting DC to help make up a little sweet bag for each child to take home after the party? Where we are kids get a pa ty bag usually with little bubbles, crayons and one sweet item like a little bag of haribo or fredo bar so not a lot of sweets