Please help! What do I need to know?

[ImNotAnsweringIt]

About to have a party for 30 4 year olds. Not sure how that happened but it has and here I am. I have a large hall hired and a bouncy castle booked. Do I need to plan anything beyond this? I'll have lots of balloons blown up and will have party food. Whole thing is 2 hours; I figure with bouncing, eating, and running around skidding and popping balloons they'll be happy. Is that really poor show? Should I have lots of games and organised fun?

I have other questions but will start separate threads!

I don't think you'll need party games no. I think if you have some dads/big brothers etc willing to play football that would be a popular diversion if some of the boys need a change of scene. i think i'd take a music player of some sort, then you can always play endless musical statues, musical bumps, disco etc if you need to.

I'd have a few activities planned in case you need them. Good ideas re musical statues etc - non competitive games are a good idea with this age group as they can get terribly upset if they lose!
Do you know anyone who might do you a spot of face painting or balloon animals?

tissues, and allow for the child who is petrified of popping balloons.
neither of mine are but at each party where we have had balloons there have been tears.
The other games that go down well if you feel you need them is wriggling worms, tis the opposite of musical bumps they start lying on their backs with legs in the air and when the music stops they have to stop and stand up.

Some parents wil stay, perhaps take a jar of instant coffee and some tea bags to have in the kitchen where you have hired, so that they can make themselves a drink.

Enjoy it will be fab!

"Some parents will stay"! Whadaya mean "some"? They'll all stay wont they?!

Thanks so much for the Replies, great ideas. I will try to rope in a face painter I know...

No, they will not all stay...some will drop and run and use your party as a bit of free babysitting! This came as a bit of a shock to me last year

Some will have other DCs to look after as they don't have another parent around all weekend to take them off their hands. Its not free babysitting, its life.

We may not like to 'dump & run' with our 4 year olds, but don't have a choice (unless you fancy having 30 x 4 year olds + 70 - 80 other assorted children ranging from baby to age 14 hanging around with their parents!)

You need to prepare for NONE of the parents to stay and have enough adult supervision on hand just in case - honestly!

Oh and p.s. this weekend I have to 'dump' DS at a party at 2pm, take DD to a different one in another part of town at 3pm, collect DS at 4pm then collect DD at 5. As far as free babysitting goes, its not very restful!

I would have a small table of drawing/clouring stuff set out in a corner. Some 4yo girls are really not going to want to join in the general mayhem fun

Apols for any offence to the 'free babysitting' comment

s'ok! just pees me off the number of mums with little ones who don't realise that older ones won't just tag along and sit quietly in a corner like a baby would and that once there are 3 DCs with social lives to organise, weekends are usually a complete write-off!