Please help a party virgin with a 5-th birhday party

[justaphase]

Right ... I have to bite the bullet now and organise DS's first proper birthday party. Please, please, please help me by answering these questions:

1. I am inviting the whole class of 30. How many are likely to turn up?

1. Are the parents likely to stay?

1. Most kids seem to have younger sibling - are they likely to turn up too? What do I do about party bags for them?

1. What day is best - weekday / saturday / sunday?

1. What time is best - 10.30am-12; 11am - 1pm or 3-5pm?

1. Can anyone recommend an entertainer and or venue to hire - I am in greenwich / blackheath area.

Any help greatfully received.

Please ...

1. depends how far in advance you send the invitations and when it is (term time/school hols/bank hol wkend??)

but normally i send say 17 invitations to get at about 12-15 guests.

1. again, depends on local norms. some will stay for first few reception age parties, others will expect to leave kid as they would at school.

1. perhaps if single parent and the parent is staying. may depend on venue too.

1. ime sunday is best. saturday tends to be a swimming lesson/football sort of day. sunday a quiet family day.

1. 3-5pm

1. I am inviting the whole class of 30. How many are likely to turn up?

Hard to say - for DD2s birthday this year (she was 6) I invited the whole class of 24 and about 17 turned up.

1. Are the parents likely to stay?

Some will but not all.

1. Most kids seem to have younger sibling - are they likely to turn up too? What do I do about party bags for them?

I don't mind siblings being there if it's a party in a hall but not if I'm paying per child invited eg at soft play parties. If doing a soft play party I tend to invite about 10-12, not the whole class. I don't do party bags for sibs, only the invited child.

1. What day is best - weekday / saturday / sunday? IMO weekends are best, Sundays tend to be well attended as less going on than Saturdays.

1. What time is best - 10.30am-12; 11am - 1pm or 3-5pm?

I tend to do 11-1 or 12-2. Too late in the day they get tired and with those time slots it incorporates lunch (albeit a little late for a 12-2 party).

1. Can anyone recommend an entertainer and or venue to hire - I am in greenwich / blackheath area.

Can't help you there I'm afraid!

Thank you very much for your help.

Any other views?

I am sure this thread will help other people too :)

My advice?

Book a party somewhere they do all the work and all you do is pitch up

Seriously, doing a party yourself is hard work and costs more than you think. But can be really special.

Don't over cater - kids hardly eat anything at parties. Don't try and be all good and healthy - parties should be about party food eg cakes, biscuits, crisps, jam sandwiches etc. But do have some fruit eg grapes and strawberries, and veg such as carrot and cucumber, maybe with dips (children love to dip).

Don't go mad on party bags as 95% of it will end up in the bin. I tend to do a piece of cake, a balloon, a mini tube of bubbles and a little toy. Party Pieces do some little bits and bobs as do Yellow Moon

Don't organise too many games, they prefer to just charge around like loons popping balloons. Get some other adults to help you especially if inviting lots of children. Don't forget matches/lighter for candles especially if using a hall. Don't book anywhere that doesn't have toilets, or running water.

Remember the batteries for your camera and enjoy it!

I can recommend a great entertainer we used Dan for DS1's 4th and 5th birthdays. He has a couple of other entertainers who also work with him and a friend used one of them for a christening and he was good too, I think he was called Blake. They are young and energetic and I liked the fact that although they do do some "static" stuff like magic and balloon modelling it was a very active party which I think is important for this age group.

I'd be wary of a big party after school at this age, I think it could get too much for everyone! I wouldn't sweat too much between Saturday or Sunday though if your son has any "best" friends it might be worth finding out when they are free.

I actually think a traditional 3-5pm party works well for this age and will interfere less with other arrangements parents might have than a party bang in the middle of the day. It also means you don't have to get too hung up about party food as they can have something extra/healthy when they get home.

Some parents will stay, some won't and I think it's actually quite rude to bring siblings (unless they are also friends) without asking so I don't think you need provide a party bag for them, though a piece of cake might be nice.

Thanks guys, this is very helpful

DD is going to be 5 in a few weeks time and is having her party at a soft play place. She is inviting the whole class, but as there is staggered entry this will only be 11 children, plus DS and a few more friends.

We moved here in June and DS has been invited to a few parties since then. Where we were before a few parents stayed at 5 year old parties; here virtually everyone stays to 6 year old ones so I am assuming everyone will stay to DD's party. The soft play place has free adult entry for parties which helps.

Next year I will have a smaller party with a few good friends but feel it is a good starting thing to invite the whole class. Although if it had been a class of 30 I might have rethought a bit .

I am not expecting any siblings to stay - am not sure if I do need to explicitly say it, but I wouldn't expect to take a sibling to a party where I know there is a cost per child. At a village hall type thing it would be a bit different.

When is your DS's birthday? DD is getting very excited about hers

Have no idea how many will come. I have to have at least 10 - I do have some spare friends/relations who could be used if necessary, or I will just absorb the cost IYSWIM.

I'd highly recommend mrmarvel.co.uk - covers most of London & metro area. Particularly the 3 business partners are fab, I have seen them all.
I second the mention about a home party. I did one at home and it works out v expensive although they do have a lovely feel to them. 10.30 - 12.30 was great, as all the kids were fresh - although you will get more takeup in the morning I would say.

Noah, DS's party will be in October some time. The entertainer that was highly recommended to us can only do Sunday but it appears that no space venue can be hired in Greenwich / Blackheath on a Sunday. Oh, joy ...

Good luck with your party!

And thank you very much to everyone else.