Party for 3-year old - ideas needed!!

[wobblyknicks]

Seeing as there seem to be loads of birthday threads around atm;

Dd is turning 3 soon and this will be her first proper party (didn't see the point earlier so just had family do), need some ideas for games/entertainment that don't cost hundreds and aren't competitive at all (less to do with my lentil-weaving stance, more to do with keeping my sanity!!). Thought of a bouncy castle or someone doing balloon animals - any better ideas?

aw, i know some of them are ropy to say the least, but this on(coulby newham, middlesbrough) has just been done out and we go there all the time, staff are half cut, but food is great for this type of place(100% proper chicken breast in dipper things)and has had wee and sweaty song smell sringes away(or at least the strong paint smell masks it!

'Sigh' I have fond memories of M'bro Evesmama - I was at Teeside Uni, many moons ago.
paint fumes are better than the alternative! lol.

TEESSIDE!!!

oh yeah!
i remember having that conversation with you

LOL gingerbear - the dad's got worrse on that castle and football at the end after most of the kids had gone!

Dh is suffering today from where the little boys had been diving over him and landing on his back. Serves him right :)

My sister will be pleased for the praise! We have cakes left here - yummy!

We did food boxes and I actually prefered it and had loads of the parents telling me they were really impressed with them. We didn't have enough tables/chairs to seat all the children, and would have had to set them up during the [arty and take them away after eating - toomuch hassle. Had food boxes and sat on blankets a bit like an indoor picnic.

WOW - thanks for all the replies! The food boxes sound good - is it a lot of hassle finding out what each child likes and doing sandwiches etc to suit? Am hiring the local community centre (no wacky warehouse type places anywhere near here) so space isn't a problem (also didn't want all the mess at home, would drive me nuts, at least there I can sweep it all into bin bags).

Picture table sounds fab (and incredibly cheap) - hadn't thought of that, drawing seems to be what all her nursery friends like best anyway so could go down well.

Balloon person is sounding better and better - will have to see how much they cost round here - definitely not blowing the sodding things up myself - far too much like hard work. Totally intend to be doing soupy's idea and drinking heavily (and maybe discreetly).

Does hula's sister do mail order?

LOL! She made so much!!! And loved every second of the baking. I can't bake at all. Could be an alternative career plan for her - party baking - if the solicitor training goes wrong!

Maybe not alternative, she could be a solicitor by day and cook by night, do her own contracts, legal bits etc, save a packet on the business side!!!

W/knicks, sorry a bit late to this, but my 3yo party is next week in a local hall.
Joint with a pal of his, about 15 guests aged 2.5 to 3.5. Plan is: run about with balloons and play on slides, rockers etc; also craft table making cardboard crowns with stickers (no glue!); 15-min session of action songs; tea, inc lots of fresh stuff to satisfy my hatred of brown party food; cakes and candles; pass the parcel (a party essential); party bags (top-notch from me of course) and home.
Not much point imo in doing lots of other games at this age.
This is also cheaper than soft play etc and you can control quality of party bags (we have had a few from soft play places lately which even the kids have said "But mummy it's just a XXX (name of soft play) rubber and a balloon and a piece of cake). But I'm a stingy anallly retentive control freak, which I appreciate most people are not!

Bubble popping - put on nice floaty music to avoid it all going to custard and get a battery powered bubble maching, fills 10 minutes and can be used twice at least at a party with no complaints.

For the bubble popping - to save the floors from, the mess you could get a parachute, £15 for ELC, and do it over that. We had a parachute and it was pretty big and very sturdy.

Thanks clary, not late at all (party is over 2 months away, just like everything sorted early!). Craft table sounds good, especially the no glue part, hadn't thought about making crowns and stuff, that would be fab. Anything that occupies the kids and means minimal involvement for me is fantastic. Agree with you about brown party food, going to have lots of rubbish but lots of nice sandwiches and fruit etc too (I wonder which will be left at the end? ).

Didn't your parachute go really slippy in the bubble popping?

That reminds me, cocktail sticks are obviously out unless I want to hire St Johns too, so what do I put bits of cheese and sausages onto? Has anyone seen any plastic stick type things?

And what's the easiest way to tie balloons en masse? Last time I did a load (for work) I nearly lost a finger tying the damn things.

balloons, no easy answers there. Just have to wear yr fingers out I'm afraid. Or get DH to do it!
Sausages and cheese etc, just put them in a bowl and let the kids grab em.
Funnily enough re fruit etc, last summer DS1 and DD's joint party tea featured raspberries and strawberries amogn other things and they were snaffled at once!