5yo boys and princess parties

[bluebean]

We're planning 5th party for DD1 next month. It'll be a church hall, bouncy castle, games and cake affair. It's a joint party with our friends for their DD.

Both girls love Disney Princesses and all the associated pink tat. Can't stand it myself, but hey, it?s not my party.

So the girls want a princess party, by which they mean princess invitations, princess cups, plates and princess bouncy castle. They haven?t asked for any make up/glitter /nails done type activities (probably because they are just about young enough to not realise this exists, for which I am very grateful).

The plan is to invite the whole class (around 25 kids), of which about 15 are boys.

So, in your experience, do 5yo boys willingly attend parties if the invitation is written on princess paper?

I know a few who'd love that, but by 5yo probably wouldn't admit it openly! You could add something like 'knights/handsome princes/dragons welcome' and that might open it up to those girls and boys who don't do pink? Good luck, sounds like hard work!

Just say its a princess and prince party, don't need to change the pinkness. Especially at age 5, so long as there are balloons, cake and games, they won't even notice!

I think a lot of invitations/paper tablewear is very gender specific without the party necessarily following that theme, so the invitations themselves wouldn't put a 5yo boy off.

As the party itself isn't particularly "princessy" I think you'll be fine with a bouncy castle and games.

Are they expected to dress up?

Prince & Princesses or Princesses & Knights .... Stick with the pink stuff. At 5 it's all about the cake!

Thanks all for the replies.

I like the idea of prices/knights/dragons! Sounds like a much more fun party!

Durab, No plans for dressing up - as yet anyway.

MrsKitty, I agree, it is all about the cake. Quite rightly so too.

Princesses and pirates. Definitely. Chances are you will get some female pirates. While princesses decorate crowns, pirates will quite happily make crowns to be pirate kings / just as "swag".
Just make sure pirates check all weapons at the door.