1st birthday, Get together for family, how to entertain older kids????

[memphis83]

In 5 weeks my DS is 1, We decided to get a bouncy castle and invite family that never manage to be togeher on the same day since we have had families, DS will be the one of the youngest but we have a few neices and cousins that are between 5 and 11, is the bouncy castle enough entertainment or should I do something more to keep them entertained, I know DS will be happy with his mini ball pit so I will have no problem entertaining him!!
Also will be doing a buffet lunch, should I be thinking of sweet things on it like jelly, cake, sweets? didnt even think of this and was thinking finger foods and mini sandwiches but now in laws have piped up that I should have treats too!!
thanks in advance!!!

Our DS' must have birthdays about the same time!

I'm having a 'garden party' with a bug theme but we have children aged 3, 5, 8 and 10 (all family). So, I have got them all a 'present' instead of a party bag, the food will be finger food but more 'fun' (bug shaped sandwiches, pizza, pretty cakes, etc) and for keeping them entertained, I've bought a game called Butthead which is silly and works for all ages, plus we have skittles, giant snakes and ladders and something else that for some reason I've forgotten. If I get the time I might invent a 'craft' for the younger ones to do with the older ones help. IME, if the children know each other, the older ones will enjoy looking after the younger ones and vice versa. If you have a bouncy castle I'm sure it'll keep them happy anyway!

Oh and I'm going to have bowls of sweets but, I know we'll have to monitor them or the children will eat nothing else....

Do what you want to do but ask parents if you're not sure. Personally, there will be more adults than children at our party but I'm working on the assumption it's a children's party as I know the adults will enjoy it more if the children are happy!

Good luck!!

Bouncy castle should go down a storm. We hired one recently for a communion celebration and I wasn't sure all the children would be entertained. 15 kids in total, all family and ages ranged from 1-13. They all loved it and spent over 4 hours on it. The wee ones were supervised but kids aged 3 to 13 seemed to all manage fine, without much supervision at all.

They were hardly out of the bouncy castle. I thought bouncy castles were old hat, but obviously not with my lot!!

The kids will have a ball.

I put sweet stuff out, like jelly sweets, chocolate buttons, fairy cakes. I try to wait until food stuff has been out a while before putting sweet stuff out though.

do a treasure hunt as well for older ones with cryptic clues!

thanks for the replies lots of great ideas!
shows how not with it I am I didnt realise bouncy castles were old hat!!! great game ideas so now the kids wont have to endure my game ideas like pass the parcel (I was thinking my party 25 years ago!!)

No buoncy castles are great, they love them! I wouldn't worry about entertaining the older one's really, just let them run around. Treats too are a good idea yes.