Help! DD's 2nd birthday party - think I have bitten off more than I can chew!

[Bozza]

DD's 2nd birthday party on Sunday at home. The forecast is for rain which is a downer because I have ordered a bouncy castle and was planning on putting the play tunnel/tent, various ride-ons etc out and letting the kids get on with it.

So what I need is alternative indoor entertainment. I can handle the food/party bag/cake side of things. But what would you do stuck in a house for two hours with the following children plus a similar number of adults:

Boy 5.4
Boy 5.3
Boy 4.10
Girl 3.11
Boy 3.0
Girl 2.4
Girl 2.4
Girl 2.2
Girl 2.0
Boy 1.7
Boy 1.3
Boy 1.1

Is it worth doing pass the parcel and musical bumps or not? We live in a typical 4 bed newbuild - living room with double doors to dining room, largish kitchen, hall.

Oh well,in that case Bozza,I defer to your superior culinary knowledge.

Laugh away NP.
A taste of one of my little numbers would stun you into awed silence baby,let me tell ya!!!

My fabulous SIL arrived at ds1's 2nd birthday party with muffins for all the wee ones. They all sat around a table and spread the muffins with ready made icing then decorated them with a variety of sweeties etc to make scary monster faces (e.g. snapped matchmakers to make spiky hair, smarties for eyes, jelly tots for mouth etc). It occupied them for absolutely ages and they could either eat them as a part of birthday tea or keep them to take home at the end. Really easy and really entertaining.

I tell a lie . It was his THIRD birthday but sure with your spread of ages in attendance that they would manage.

Wish I had a SIL like that.

Good luck Bozza. We are having DS's tomorrow - just 7 children and hopefully lovely weather. I have got the paddling pool, wendy house and bubble blower machine all sorted and only the vaguest craft activity in my head incase of complete meltdown. However we did want to have a family outing to the farm on Saturday but are faced with the same weather problem as you.....

Hope you had a good time judd. We had the most torrential downpour at about 3.20 pm - ie just when I had to go collect DS from school. But it didn't last long and was nice again afterwards. I have made a butterfly cake tonight. Had a bit of a parcel dilemma because the local paper (the only one we get) isn't big enough to wrap around the colouring book... Was also thinking of making butterflys as a craft - ie I can cut out shapes and they can decorate. But that's a bit girly... So might need an alternative for the boys.

We had a party with a guest list much like yours for DD2's 2nd birthday, Bozza - sadly all I can recall of it is that DD2 slept through most of it

I'm not sure boys would think butterflies too girly but just in case could they have beetles?

Also you could do those butterfly paintings where you blob paint on and fold the paper in half, they all enjoy doing that.

With littler kids my inclination has always been to feed them on the floor - you could put a flat sheet down with the food in the middle and them sitting round the edges.

Good luck - 2 hours isn't really nearly as long as it will feel to you [smirk] (sorry )

Musical bumps is good btw, as long as the big ones don't mind about the rules when littlies are playing

Bah. Inside for the whole thing. Did almost 3 hours though and I now feel like Mary Poppins. Insisted on adults eating cornettos and drinking Pimms though - my outdoor classy menu for adults!
It thundered about 2pm and rained enough to soak the grass through. Didn't reach Blackpool though, as my mum helpfully told me later.
Have a good time tomorrow Bozza

Sorry about that Judd but sounds like you coped well.

Janh. Paint.

I had thought about having two categories for the musical bumps. Sort of ruling out the 3 really littlies. And then having one prize for the 2 yos and 1 for the older children. DS has been to a party today and apparently enjoyed playing sleeping lions and I think DD would find the idea of everyone lying down on the floor hilarious so I might try that. It's also generally popular with the adults IME...

Took DD to Asda to get cocktail sausages and she insisted on cuddling them all the way home. I hope she doesn't think all 40 are for her.

Oh and Jan the party is 3.30 to 5.30 so if DD sleeps all through that she will be up half the night.

Good luck with it all, Bozza - has the forecast improved at all? I hope DD doesn't refuse to let you cook the cocktail sausages because they are her friends!

Dead Lions is fab for a bit of peace, esp to calm them down just before eating, but at one party we had (all children aged 5-6) one little boy actually fell asleep, woke very confused and disoriented and had to be escorted upstairs to pull himself together, so keep an eye on them for signs of snoring.

With bumps each child can have a token prize when they're out and then carry on bumping on the other side of the room until someone wins - even 4-yr-olds get a bit bored sitting it out waiting for a winner.

Sorry about paint suggestion, I don't know what came over me

We did musical bumps but didn't have a winner or declare anyone out - everyone just had a laugh bopping about and bumping onto the floor. It was the best bit of the party.

OOh bozza nice range of ages there lol.
Well this is a bit late as it's Sunday now, but I would do pass the parcel (I find 2yos can do this OK, esp if some children are aolder), maybe try musical statues/bumps but some of them are a bit little.
Can you not have tunnel and tent etc in the house?
Songs and nursery rhymes often go down well - get a list of half a dozen to fill 10 minutes or more.
Butterflies fine for boys to decorate too.
Right now I have started a party thread so all of you experts go and advise me

Right well just to update you all.

We started party with free play on bouncy castle (quicly wiped drizzle off with a towel ) and older ones up in DS's room). Then had musical statues, musical bumps, pass the parcel and sleeping lions. Two games each except the parcel. Have to confess to slightly fixing it so that appropriate children won the prizes. Expected the older ones to be much better but because they were actually dancing they fared worse. The had food. Then more freeplay. Then cake, more play and home.

Went well. Got complimented on quiches and butterfly buns. And that's it really.

Well done, Bozza - sounds like a great party - only 363 days till the next one