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Parties/celebrations

Whether you're planning a birthday or a hen do, you'll find plenty of ideas for your celebration on our Party forum.

Original poster

party ideas for ds9, dd7,ds2 4 all have birthdays over a thirteen day period

14 replies

mummag · 22/01/2011 14:54

these are the ages they are going to be. This is the first year we would like to do something for ds2 as well as for the other two children. We were wondering about doing a joint party at a local church hall or whether to do separate ones given the ages of the children.......Money is tight of course, but we are thinking ahead and saving as this is not until april. Last year did joint softplay for the older two and poor ds1 had a few no shows and a few no presents from the ones that showed up, dd got loads of lovely things and the difference was quite sad really. Any ideas and suggestions gratefully received.

OP posts:
Ponders · 22/01/2011 15:03

Do you know what they would prefer? It may be that DS1 would like a small group on an activity of some kind, but DD would prefer an actual party with more people?

I have DDs 3 years apart (also April Grin) & they had joint parties several times, eg a huge gym party one year, aged 9 & 6, & an outing to the theatre aged 10 & 7.

We have a younger DS too ( also in April - 3 birthdays over a 15-day period - I used to heave a huge sigh of relief when April was over!); he always had his own party.

(They are all grown up now. phew)

Ponders · 22/01/2011 15:11

I'm trying to think which parties were most successful but my mind has gone blank! Confused

We did swimming once at a leisure pool, with pizza at home afterwards. (We had pizza at home before the theatre trip too)

With an older boy we did 5-a-side football at one of those JJB stadiums, with burgers afterwards.

Cinema can be good if there happens to be a whizzy new film on (this is where having all the birthdays around Easter, in the holidays, is more of a blessing than a curse Smile)

There are various crafty/baking/pink & frilly parties you can get for girls, if yours likes that kind of thing. They can be expensive though. Or pony riding?

Or what about an animal roadshow? (If you wanted 1 party for all 3 that would be good)

Ponders · 22/01/2011 15:15

\link{http://www.uk-entertainers.co.uk/org-details.asp?OrgID=653\this sort of site is helpful!}

Original poster
mummag · 22/01/2011 15:19

ds1 really wants a whole class party followed by a mixed sexes sleep over! we dont live in a mansion so really we would be hard pushed to have many extras for a sleepover, and the mind boggles at having boys and girls (do these things happen or is my son just odd). ds1 has expensive tastes wants to take everyone to lazer quest. Dd is keen on soft play but wants loads of friends and ds2 is pretty unaware of such things but we really want to do something for him, I just dont know whether to try and do a joint party as mentioned which would save us money or just fork out for three separate ones. We also do a huge sigh of relief. Easter is also an issue! I am trying to be super organised so that i dont end up trying to financially recover for the rest of the year. I love the sounds of some of your ideas and will ponder them ponders!!!!!

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Ponders · 22/01/2011 15:43

oh yes, we did lazer quest once - it is v expensive, & the food was horrible at the one we went to! They had a good time though.

Mixed sleepover at 9 is unusual I think...mixed party, plus boys sleepover, would make the numbers easier (& raise fewer eyebrows Grin) - what sort of party though? Pass the parcel kind, or activities?

Soft play dead easy to organise & not wildly expensive so that sounds good for you!

For 4-5 yr-old boy we twice had a steam train outing for a handful of friends; just the ordinary weekend trains but one of those Thomas & friends events might be good, if you can find one locally (assuming he likes Thomas?) There are others too like Ivor the Engine & Postman Pat.

\link{http://www.heritagerailways.com/events.html\UK Heritage Railways} lists events although it looks in need of updating, there are usually lots on over Easter. Whereabouts are you (roughly)?

Original poster
mummag · 22/01/2011 15:58

i know i was v hmmmmmm about mixed sleepover, not something i would ever do, not cos i think anything would happen, just seems really weird to me. I think the problem with a joint party in a hall would be the whole party games aspect which would be tricky to cater for all ages, unless we just played loud music!

We are in sunny stafford, not much goes on here. Hello to anyone who has figured out who i am.

OP posts:
Original poster
mummag · 22/01/2011 15:59

not that i am famous or anything!! that sounded really pompous of me...

OP posts:
Ponders · 22/01/2011 16:30
Grin

(did you used to have a sort-of-similar name...???)

I think \link{http://www.foxfieldrailway.co.uk/index.htm\Foxfield} & \link{http://www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk/groupsparty.php\Chasewater} are the nearest to you

Foxfield's site is still slumbering after Christmas but Chasewater is up & running - \link{http://www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk/timetables.php?monthID=4&yearID=2011#ttable\steam service Sunday 10, 17 & 24 Apr & Mon 25}

What things does DS2 like doing?

madamimadam · 05/02/2011 16:19

I've just seen this thread and just wanted to say how fantastic Foxfield is. We took DS (1yo) there for his first train ride and it was perfect - just long enough (5 miles) and really friendly (it's run by volunteers).

They also have Percy the engine from the Thomas books in the museum section (DS a bit frightened of Percy, so we did n't explore further)

The only slight negative was the food (chips and bangers) which, again, is made by the volunteers and to be honest that's probably only because I'd got caught up in the romance of it all, got above myself, and expected the cafe to be like something from the Orient Express Hmm.

But yes, if anyone's reading this, I can't recommend it enough for a family outing/birthday treat. (We also got a certificate, saying DS had been on the train. A really nice and unexpected touch.)

Original poster
mummag · 20/02/2011 19:02

hello couldnt come on here for a while, but we thought we had decided to do parties at home. However my dd went to a magic party today and loved it so now we are pondering that as a possibility. I wonder if anyone has a clue how much one might cost, i have emailed the man that did todays in the hope he is affordable.

OP posts:
thirtysomething · 20/02/2011 19:08

Was going to suggest a swimming party for all of them, but see you have different ideas now! (Our local pool can be hired out for around £100 and they will allow up to around 80 kids in the pool with some parents staying in the pool too. Good mix and match for all ages and you can usually hire a party room for tea and cakes and a round of pass the parcel or musical bumps afterwards).

Whenever we have hired a magician it has been around £120 for up to 20 kids plus hire of local hall etc.

Original poster
mummag · 21/02/2011 14:41

it will be 190.00 for 30 kids + the hire of the hall and food, and then that starts to be outlandishly expensive, we have the issue of the joint party again and Ds perhaps not getting presents from everyone. I may just have a breakdown and cancel all of this foolish chat of parties.
Its just so much money all in one month and then we pay catch up till summer hols and then we are trying to get straight for xmas. I was thinking just do it then we have nothing to organise but frankly food for 30 kids and tidying hall after is quite alot isnt it.
I would do the swimming thing but ds2 cant swim and would be attached to me the whole time, also dp is very not fond of swimming.

OP posts:
lowprofile · 22/02/2011 19:24

This suggestion becomes a long day for you - but I know it has worked fantastically for friends in the past:

Hire a hall - normally relatively cheap

Then have

party 1 11am-12:30pm for ds2 with something like bouncy castle or play equipment - then get a friend to take him away

party 2 12:45-14:15 magic party for dd - may consider a friend taking dd away

party 3 14:30-16:00 magic party take 2 for ds, or disco party or something else

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