Plan for a small party at home for 4 year old boys

[Snappyteabread]

Will be from 11-1, and there will be 5 boys. What should I do to make it fun for everyone. I have some ideas, but I'd like to hear your tried and tested ideas. No paid entertainers either please. When do I serve the party food and how long will that take, how do I get them to go home etc? What playing do they do any when? What activities etc?

Did you have a theme in mind as games / activities can be linked to that e.g. Dinosaurs
I would do food around 1215 and it doesn't take very long ime. What sort of food? Individual Lunch boxes can be good. I usually do pass the parcel just before food. Will they like a craft activity or more physical games?
Lots of questions, sorry!

We did this. I bought a lot of those long thin balloons and a pump. The boys loved it. DH made animals and then swords which occupied them for ages running around.

i've done similar, and this was my plan

• kids won't all arrive at the same time so colouring works well as a starting activity - lots of printouts of pictures on a theme and lots of crayons for the first 10 mins

• then some active games - musical bumps is good. grandmother's footsteps too. these can be adapted to any theme (pirates footsteps etc).

• pass the parcel

• sleeping lions is a good on if they are all too hyper and need to calm down

• food after about 1 hr. gets them all to sit, but they probably won't eat much. cake & singing at the end of the meal.

• after food, I normally just put on music + set free balloons and let them run around - no more organised games.

• party bags are critical to make them go home. when you start giving out the bags, that is the signal to parents & kids to pack up and go.

I did cupcake decorating with 4 three year olds and they all really enjoyed it. Mainly they just wanted to play (nursery buddies..we don't do play dates..)

Do you have a garden?

Trikes/bikes/scooters, dressing up clothes, balloons
etc

Parietal has it covered, I think! I had a couple of games after food, then I got the all to do a sort of conga line to go and get party bags. Also, I found the kids wanted to run around and play, so I let them have a little time between games and had a signal (whistle) to warn them that pterodactyls were attacking (dino theme!) and they ran and threw themselves at my feet, eager to play the next game!

Lucky dip goes down well

Thanks for all the suggestions. Will make a plan.

Mars bar game is good for small number, and a variation on pin the tail on the donkey, themed to whatever they are in to. A good reserve plan is a cartoon DVD (ie short not a film) if you just want them to chill for a while