Is a 9am birthday party too early?

[december2020]

It is DS's birthday in the next couple of months.
He has been really keen on a trampoline park birthday. The majority of guests would be between 3-5 years old (DS included).

The only time slot on a weekend they offer kids that age to have a trampoline birthday party is 9am. It lasts for one hour with 30 minutes for food after.

Which means they'd be having 'lunch' and cake at 10am and home at 1030.

Please give me some perspective - this sounds ridiculously early for a birthday, even for kids aged 3-5. Am I totally delusional and this is in fact the norm and a totally standard accepted birthday party time?

Would you book this?

I'm not sure what the issue is. We were often meeting friends at soft play or something at 9am when mine were that age and used to moan about the National Trust place where the car park didn't open until 9.30.
I would have been up since 6 so would have had plenty of time to get up, ready and travel there

Way too early sorry. 11am as a pp said is OK. 9am is crazy early for a party.. My kids never even got out of bed til about half eight to nine on the weekends. Sometimes later... (From 3 and a half, to 4 y.o.)

Why on earth are they only offering a 9am timeslot for the trampoline party?

Also it sounds a bit dangerous for 3-5 y.o. children anyway. I would go for something else @december2020 If you go ahead with this, expect loads of no-shows.

It is a little early but also I'd avoid if it is the Saturday as Saturday mornings are often booked up with clubs so you end up with a lot that can't make it.

But that is you. Other people’s children don’t necessarily get up that early. When my kids were that age, they got up at 8am. Unless they were ill, they would never be up for the day at 6am. And if my kids had woken at 6am I’d have told them it was still nighttime. Families are all different.

DGD had a 4th birthday at soft play recently 9.30-11.30. I thought it was very early but the parents I spoke to loved it as they said it left the rest of the day free, stopped them spending hours listening to “when are we going to the party”, and they were up at sparrow fart anyway. Around half the kids came with their dads as they said Sunday was a chance for the mums to have a lie in. We do live in Aus though where early rising is the norm.

No. And unless it was a super close friend of my dc I doubt we would attend. But that's just us, maybe your child's friends are early risers.

If it’s mostly 3 year olds they are probably already up . If it’s a 5 year olds with your 3 year old too early .

YES too early

It is too early.

I'd go.. but I wouldn't be in the slightest bit happy about it

Do they sell decent coffee??

Honestly, people with 3-5 year olds aren’t exactly getting a weekend lie in after a night up clubbing. Young children are up early and I wouldn’t really be put off by a 9am party. We’re up anyway and I’d be grateful you didn’t clog up the middle of the day.

I wouldn’t serve a ‘lunch’ at 10am though, it’s definitely too early for chicken nuggets and chips. 🤢 I’d only do it if it was snack type food, fruit, crackers, crisps, slice of cake.

Yeah, they really aren’t all up early that’s a myth. Without an alarm mine is never up before 8.30 and likes to start the morning with a bacon sandwich in bed watching Saturday Kitchen or Gardeners World with her dad.

If she’s not coming with me to do ponies she isn’t dressed before 10. She’s naturally a 9-9 person and she’s not the only one in our friendship group, only 1 is an early riser!

Exactly. As I said earlier, my 2 were in bed til 9am and sometimes later - from 3 to 3 and a half years old. (At the weekend and in the school holidays.) I know some people whose toddlers/infants were up at 6am every day til they were 7 don't like to believe it, but it's true.

The time wouldn’t be a blocker for us- 9 am in principle would be fine but the clash with activities would be a bigger issue. I would skip activities for best friends but not for bigger parties where one of many.

I also think the trampoline park idea will work better for older ones so in lots of ways it’s been a lucky escape. First time we attended a party at that sort of place for mine it was total carnage and lots of tears. I can see why they want younger ones in an early slot. In general I find parties much easier to manage when they’re contained and not mixed with other members of the public. With a trampoline park you’d have some parents dropping and going (even for little ones). Once you get to know the kids better it is much easier to supervise in a place like that properly as you know which ones to watch, which ones might need a bit of reassurance, confidence to tell some off etc.

Yes DD happily sleeps till 8.30/9 on the weekends. In fact it's usually us that get her up to make sure bedtime is doable that evening

The issue is plenty of us don't get up at 6! Especially at the weekend

To be fair, DS likes a lie in and probably would struggle for 9am too, unless he gets fuelled by excitement and ends up getting up early.

While I understand 9am would be quieter at the trampoline park and therefore a bit easier for kids his age, I don't see how it would be a popular birthday party option. Rather, just an activity you do as a family or with a close friend.

I am currently looking at trampoline, inflatable obstacle course and bouncy castle parties at the local leisure centres (all still suited for 3-5 year olds) and with much more flexible time slots. I am hoping for something around 11-1, not too early but gives the afternoon free for guests. Fingers crossed one of them works out and people attend!

Can you tell this is the first birthday I've hosted? 😅

I've taken DS to a 9am birthday party before. It was awful.