dds 4th birthday party help!!!

[nikcola]

dd hasnt had a birthday party yet and this year for her 4th she is, so far its 20 kids maybee more as friends from old nursery and new,

i cant decide between hiring a hall, bouncy castle and doing finger food myself or

having it at a adventure playgroung at nealry £8 per child

what do you think ???

we we're looking into this for dd's nxt party as it's her first one with nursery friends - the adventure playground things are often good as they tend to provide the food and obviouslt the entertainment and they clear up after - most halls insist you clean up your self after.

I have booked a soft play party at our local leisure centre. Need to do food myself, but uts cheap

Hire the hall a much better option and more cost effective.

We had 35 kids last week, I hired the church hall and had play dough out with dd cutters and things ( playdough was £2 in our half price shop)

Bought some fuzzy felt in our cheap stationers buy ine get one free (£2.00) again.

Bought a huge jewellry making set (half price in woolies £5)

Rolled out sheets of old wallpaper reverse side up for kids to doodle/draw on - free

Photocopied some disney pictures ( free dp did it at work)

Spent about £35 on art and craft stuff - ordered crowns, aprons, party bags from party pieces. Some cut out shapes from a mumsnetter, as well as glitter, material scraps, gummed shapes from our craft reject shop.

I also put up dd bouncy castle,her tents my mum and a friend did face painting and we set up a baby corner using dd old toys.

I did my own food ( cost me about £80 but I fed 35 kids and their parents and the food was amazing.

For party bags I just bought books from the book people, bought 40 for £20 and had some spares to give away as prizes for pass the parcel etc.

The party was much cheaper than a soft play option at £7 ahead and much much better. And I had loads of art and craft stuff left so i am halfy way to next years party.

£245?????

I did 4th birthday party at home for ds1 a couple of weeks ago (boy were we lucky with the weather!)
I got a party 'organiser' book from Asda for a couple of quid - included suggestions for ice-breaker, hide and seek. Buy cheap animal snap cards, tape coin/sweet to half and hide then hand out the matching cards to children. Was great fun, really pleased.
Also did biscuit decorating - needed lots of mums to assist, kids all decorated one biscuit for party bag and one for their party tea - even better fun.
Dh made party game of fishing - large piece of blue paper in shape of pond. Cut out small fish and attach magnet (sticky magnet from art shop - buy in long strips). Then tie something like a metal bolt to stick and string fishing line. Again, prizes (mixed toys and haribo type sweets) were for eating now/party bag.
But, as we were lucky with the weather, and most kids just loved the space to run around and shout a bit, do try to arrange a couple of mad running around games. Eg (We never got round to playing) the 'sit in a circle, one person runs round the outside of circle, taps another on the shoulder, who has to chase/follow first person as they race round circle to be first to sit in the space left. Like musical chairs, but everyone is always involve...
Friends recent party included bubble machine permanently blowing bubbles and music to encourage dancing...
Good luck

I done a couple of parties in halls, our sports centre does a good deal that includes the castle for about £45. Its great because you can set up the food tables in the entrance hall outside the main hall.

The trick is to get good helpers and delegate duties.
DH:- Bouncer, snot wiper, bouncy castle tester and games distrupter.
BIL:- Bouncer, DJ, bouncy castle burster, riot inciter and games cheater.
FIL:- Photographer.
MIL:- Set out food and drink wine.
Friend:- Tear wiper, games leader, balloon hater and level head.
Me:- Greeter, Ice cream factory supervisor, gift securing, cloack room attendent, cake carrier, party bag ditributer.

I was all set up with crafts for DS's 6 birthday but they were to busy dancing, bouncing and chasing balloons to bother so freinds older kids made a huge poster to play Pin the Spaceman on.

You should have seen us getting the balloons to the hall, 2 kingsize duvet covers filled up, thankfully hall is just accross the road .

PPS

£8 a head is pricy. DD is going to have a make a pizza party in Pizza Hut with 8 frinds this time at £3.99 a head which is quite good value I think as this includes making own pizza refill drinks and unlimited Ice Cream factory. All I am doing is running 3 kids there, providing cake and party bags. (Shh can it be this easy!).