Party Invitations Before or After Summer Hols?

[apapuchi]

Hi everyone,

Hardly the dilemma of year but I hoped for some input if anyone would be so kind 😊

My son's 5th birthday is the 21st of September and we are having a soft play party for him on the 20th. I am wondering whether to send invitations in the last week of term (last week of school nursery prior to reception in Sept, same school) or first thing when they go back? It seems crazily early before the holidays but also seems to make sense.

I would probably send after the holidays if he was going from Y1 to Y2 or similar but he will be in a two form reception (yes it's the same building) and not sure yet how they'll split the nursery kids and new arrivals into the two classes. I imagine it's likely he'll be with some of his current pals and others will be in the other class. I want to invite the children from nursery as I don't think I'll have enough time to establish who is who and what's what between starting and needing to invite. Of course that means he might meet a new friend who I then have to invite last minute but can't really predict that at present.

If I send them around the 15th of July his current teacher will be able to sort out all the getting them into bookbags etc and she will know them all and it seems less faff. I just wonder if this is FAR too early, or does that not matter? Should I put a little note in explaining (my neuroticism) why they are so early or will that be obvious?

Thanks for any opinions, like I said I know this isn't a huge deal but I would like things to be as stress-free as a children's party and the associated planning and prepping can be. Any thoughts? Thank you in advance 🌻

After. Message Save the Dates to the people you have details for, and then give out the invitations when you go back in September.

After holidays.
And not on the first day back.
End of the first week.
Put an rsvp date on.

Definitely after. And I'd invite his reception class. These are the kids he is going to be with all year.

Thanks everyone, that seems unanimous that my thinking is wrong 😂 Would you just send in (number) of invitations for the number of kids in his class? I suppose that's a bit much asking the teacher to name the envelopes, maybe they'd give me a class list but I wasn't sure they'd do that these days 🤔

If there are children he's close to who aren't in his class next year then I could invite them additionally, but then I might be getting close to top numbers (30 kids are permitted) and there are a couple of others (two friends with children he's friends with from other schools/not through school through parental friendships) so I need to be careful not to go over the top numbers wise. Sorry I probably sound bizarre, I haven't organised a children's party before as my older son is severely disabled so we never went down that route for his celebrations. Thanks so much for the replies!

I'd do it before. Or even better during the holidays. But I'd try and do it directly not via messages in book bags.

Although as PP said, there is an argument for inviting the reception class instead of the nursery class.