No birthday cake allowed at party venue, how would you handle it?

[Familygal1]

I've booked a party for my almost 7yo for him
and 13 other chn. The venue does have party packages but, to keep costs low, we used their summer deal which made the 'party' half the cost. As a result though, we're not allowed the bring our own food inside the venue which rules out a birthday cake too.

I was planning to make a pull apart cake (cupcakes) so the venue wouldn't need to cut it and they could go straight into party bags to avoid being consumed on site, but it's still a no.

What would you do in this situation? Not sing happy birthday? Sing without a cake (somehow this feels odd)? Take the cake and sing outside of the venue - which is in a larger building so 'outside' is in an open space inside the main building but not the party venue?

No food - the party is an activity/experience for an hour so invitations stated no food is provided.

One of those wooden cuthbert cakes that aldi were selling a while back to sing happy birthday? 🤷‍♀️

Then smuggle cupcakes into sealed party bags

I would skip that cake/singing at the party. Chuck some good sweets in the party bag. Have family cake at home. No one will miss it if they have 2 different types of haribo and a lolly, most kids only lick the icing off anyway.

I was thinking something along these lines... and might make a 'dummy cake' and put cupcakes into bags.

Might look at wooden ones though🤔

I'd just put cup cakes in party bags and not bother with a cake. It seems tight of the venue though.

Ice a polystyrene cake, stick in candles, sing.

Or go vintage, we had a cake tin at school our teachers punched holes in for candles for birthdays.

You had the option to book a party, but you didn't. You can't have it all ways!

@stichguru
Why is it 'tight' of the venue. The OP knew what she was getting when she booked the half price, no food, experience. She won't be the first person to have tried this with them.

I think this is what I'm leaning more towards. Thanks 👍

Thank you for your really insightful and helpful comment. 🙄

We had the biscuit tin with holes punched for candles as well! (With birthday biscuits inside)

I’d do a dummy cake, sweets in party bag, real cake at home. It’s not a massive issue for kids.

I'm not 'trying' anything. The party option wasn't within my budget and it's the activity my son asked to do. This was a budget friendly option that mean the kids could do something fun 🤷‍♀️

I'm not asking to bring pack lunches for all the kids! 🙄 It was a cake that wouldn't even be eaten on-site for the purposes of singing!

Presumably you knew that when you booked though?
And it's very unfair of other posters to say to leave bad reviews.

So are you paying for them to go in as you would just do normally as opposed to a party??
there is a big place in Nottingham that does this you can buy a package with entrance, food, party host, cake etc,
dedicated party area, and if you pay to just enter you can’t bring your own food in regardless of the circumstances

Are you going to pay for food and drinks from the venue to feed and water the kids and eat in the standard eating area? If you are it’s mean of them to not let you bring a cake but if you aren’t doing this - from the venues point of view they offer a party package and you’ve chosen not to book that but also if you aren’t / maybe go to McDonald’s or something after and have food and cake there???

I'd save the cake for home with family later that day or on his actual birthday if it isn't on the day of the party. Don't get het up about the singing - your DS is getting to do the activity he wanted which will mean more to him than his friends singing Happy Birthday. Save it for later and make the celebrations last even longer for him.

I've paid for a couple of games of the activity and a slush for each child. It's early in the morning and only an 1.5hrs so we'll be done before lunch. Therefore we're not providing any food; I've been very clear to those invited that this is the case.

I'm not complaining that I can't bring a cake and if you think that's the point of this post you've misunderstood. I'm simply asking for opinions as to whether or not we should still sing happy birthday and what's the best option for this that doesn't violate the venues policy.

But they don't allow it. It's outside of what you paid for. You got a good deal without it so their brand wasn't cheapened, but they still got a booking. Everyone won.

I wouldn't go ahead and bring one anyway as some have advised. They could boot you all out. Or just create a scene. That would be excrutiating.

Just put cupcakes in the bag and skip the singing. No six or seven-year-old is going to go home from whatever experience party it is and say: "Do you know what was missing and spoiled the day? Singing H B to Freddie with a cake."

Don't make a big deal of it with your son. He gets an experience he will enjoy, with his friends. And the VIP cake treatment with family. He won't care if you do it right. If you're disappointed he will be too.

Because it's just really tight not to allow a cake at a party. Especially as they don't supply their own as an alternative. It's no loss to them to allow it, just dickishness

Are you meeting the other children/families at the venue? Could you meet slightly earlier outside and do cake first before you go in? That way they can run off their sugar rush.

It’s not incredibly mean, it’s business. You want a birthday party you pay for a birthday party.
Years ago I used to work in a play centre and cakes were always sent back outside of people turned up with them. The rules were no outside food because we had a cafe. People won’t turn a blind eye to that and risk their jobs. Would you turn up to a restaurant with a Tesco meal deal and sit and eat it?

I think you move away from the cake entirely. Get one of those birthday hats pop they on then sing or big party popper and you sing then birthday boy pops it.

a separate cake and candles at home

Most places won’t allow you to light actual candles due to health and safety. Do you need a focal point or could you all just sing and then cheer

Are you not feeding the kids at the party then?

Personally I would put cake in a part bag and I would sing and have a candle in a play do or other pretend cupcake.

What about a toy cake or something funny that you make out of a cardboard box and decorate and then cupcakes to go? How about a knitted Colin The Caterpillar and mini Colins to take Home?

OP hasn't booked a party, she's booked an activity without food.