Birthday ideas 4 year old (with newborn baby in the house)

[SkyBlue1987]

Hi all. I am scheduled to have my baby next week by c section (if he doesn’t come earlier) - exactly one week before my 3 year old turns 4. He is really into parties at the moment as he is just starting to get invited to friends parties and can’t quite understand why he isn’t having a party with friends. In hindsight we should have booked him an early party at an indoor play centre - I thought about it but was worried baby would come early and we’d have to cancel it. Any ideas of what I can do to make his birthday special and not over shadowed by the new baby? I thought about having a little family party (grandparents, few cousins) the weekend following his birthday (so 1.5 weeks after c section) but not quite sure I’ll be up to it.

Just a standard tea party at home with lots of games and presents. Can dad / grandparents take him out for a treat too leaving you some time to rest?

Maybe a party a month later with friends over weekend so family can help?

Can he have a little party at the park with some of his friends that his dad sorts and takes him to? I have been to a couple of park parties and there has been cake, a little picnic and party bags. I know the weather's a bit iffy but if it's wet they can wear waterproofs and get party bags from the car at the end?

Oh god please don't make parents stand around a freezing cold damp park. That's hellish.

No wouldn’t make everyone stand around a cold park :-) But also we are in the southern hemisphere so it’s warming up here (weather still too unpredictable for a park party though - raining one day and sunny the next). I think I have unfortunately probably left it too late for a party with friends - I find people tend to give out invites about a month in advance here and that takes us into the lead up to Christmas where everyone seems to be busy.

I would go for a quiet family based birthday on the actual day but maybe consider planning a "proper" birthday party for when the baby's about 4 months, you're recovered from the birth and through the hardest (to my mind) first few months. That would give him something to look forward to?