Help an inspiration for a 4 yo party please....rapidly approaching.

[Wearegoingtobedlehem]

So, in 21 days its my dds 4th birthday party,

I really need some inspiration and help!

We are hiring the village hall- but I can't even decide what time to go for- is 11-1 any good?

How do I entertain them?

New to all this! Please help me

are you planning on feeding them? At that time they would expect something. Is the hall big enough for a bouncy castle? (you get some that are suitable for indoor use). Music? Party Games? Face painting?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parties_celebrations/1973826-planning-joint-4th-birthday-party-for-dd-and-friend-Help

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parties_celebrations/1975088-Preschool-Party-ideas-please

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parties_celebrations/1959396-help-what-to-do-with-six-children-age-3-6

Here are some threads which deal with parties specifically with your age range.

We did bouncy castle parties at 4yo. Or magicians go down well, but good ones get booked up.

Also simple craft activities (stuff from Yellow Moon) plus music, a few games and loads of borrowed ride on toys. And loads of balloons to play football with. If you do a bouncy castle you need some of these other things to do as they won't all be on it all the time.

We did 1hr and a half.
We are all teachers in my family so we took our PA system and lights and my totally lovely brothers put on a disco and party games.
I made a small buffet, sandwiches sausage rolls etc.
It was brilliant and only cost about £80 in total and we invited the whole nursery class.

4th?

We did 1 knights party and 1 jungle party. Both were a combination of simple crafts, party games (similarly simple, they won't know how to play unless you teach them) and party tea. Total time 2 hours or thereabouts.

Thanks for all your kind replies.

I honk we are going to go for a princess and pirates party, with crafts and a few games. Need to do it on a budget sadly so cannot run to an entertainer :(

Food wise I always feel hot food should be offered as its still winter- or is old ok?

Many thanks

I'd say hot food is unusual, even at winter parties, usually it's very warm in halls and there is a lot of running around. I've never done it for my Jan and Feb birthday DCs. However hot pizza slices and garlic bread, or sausages and oven chips would be feasible and nice.

Cold is fine, but warm cocktail sausages /very small slices of pizza go down well if the hall has the facilities and won't charge you a fortune for using them.

Parties without entertainers are much more fun and more memorable and more exhausting

How many children will be there? If you're going for the bouncy castle, i think only a small amount can play safely on it at any one time. So it's a case of having one group on the bouncy castle while the others are doing something else.

Can you rope in any talented friends/family members? Could they do some face painting/temp tattoos? Perhaps have them dress up as Princess Pearl and Pirate Pete (or any other name) and get the children involved in the arts and crafts.

Making your own swords - some card, tin foil, stickers, pens.

Make your own crowns - sellotape, sequins, glitter, pens.

Make up a mixed playlist of pirate and princess songs.

Blow up lots of balloons beforehand. At my dd's party, i had about 20 scattered across the floor. None of them made it to the end though, but they kept her class occupied while we were waiting on everyone arriving or as we were moving from one activity to the next.

I did a similar party for my DD a few years back. I blagged some pop-up wendy houses and other ride-on toys from friends. We decorated cut out crowns with jewels (thanks yellow moon). And we did a couple of simple games, I think it was pass the parcel, musical statues and a round of "There was a princess long ago". Food. Lots of running around. Home.

Thank you all, I am starting to think this is doable. I will be inviting 20. Pizza and garlic bread sounds a plan - esp as dd loves it! X

Just make sure you ruthlessly recruit friends and relations and give them jobs and it will be fine.

We got Baker Ross crowns and stick on jewels for a princess and pirate party - the pirates were just as happy decorating them as "loot" as the princesses were making "tiaras". Personally I would advise against swords, even cardboard ones, and operated on a "check all weapons at the door" policy.

..that said, we did hand out inflatable swords at the end of DS's knights party, and I have a classic photo of DB2 backed into a corner trying to defend himself against a hoard of 4yos - it was just the riot they needed after doing crafty stuff.

this would be very cool if you could find it cheaper somewhere.