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Parties/celebrations

Whether you're planning a birthday or a hen do, you'll find plenty of ideas for your celebration on our Party forum.

Original poster

i am sorry but a 4 year old does not have 30 friends

173 replies

cod · 15/10/2006 19:13

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foxinsocks · 15/10/2006 20:31

we will probably have some vast number for ds's 5th (coming up)

thankfully, it is a joint party with his mate from school so half the work for me

they've only just started reception so we'll invite the whole class - no skin off my nose. Ds doesn't really do 'close' friends yet - he has a sort of gang he hangs with but the boys/girls in it seem very interchangeable.

Original poster
cod · 15/10/2006 20:31

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Original poster
cod · 15/10/2006 20:31

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cupsnakes · 15/10/2006 20:37

thought typing was very legible tonight.

We rarely have more than 10 as I like to fit them round the table for their tea - am too tight to hire anywhere. And I like having parties at home.

milge · 15/10/2006 20:38

Hula - did I read that correctly, a bouncy castle, a disco, football nets, a craft table and a parachute??
The mind boggles.

hulababy · 15/10/2006 20:43

Yes - it was a big sports hall though. Disco was a friend who brought his gear for us - flashing lights and loud music. Bouncy castle in one corner. The football nets and soft balls were already there. Craft table just has pictures, crayons, card, glue and sticky bits. Parachure was just DD's small one from ELC. Did have bubble machine to use with it but never got round to it.

The craft table and the bouncy castle were the most popular, although a couple of the older boys spent the whole time with the footballs.

hulababy · 15/10/2006 20:44

I can't think of anything worse than having several children in my house for a party! The £30 i paid for hall hire was the best £30 spent for the party!!!

cupsnakes · 15/10/2006 20:47
Grin
foxtrottingtotransylvania · 15/10/2006 20:47

Round here there seems to be a movement towards simple parties at home, which gets my vote. Wouldn't have more than 10 guests (plus my DCs and any younger siblings that may turn up).

Original poster
cod · 15/10/2006 20:47

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GhoulsToo · 15/10/2006 20:49

if I had lo's now I think I might take them all to Disneyland for the weekend (FLorida not Paris, I;m not cheap!)

snowleopard · 15/10/2006 20:53

DS was invited to a friend's child's 4th birthday party (DS is only 16 months). We went because I wasn't really thinking about it and fancied something to do, but it was hell. Not only were all the parent's mates and their kids there (of any age), but also all the 4-y-o's friends AND all his 8-y-o's sister's friends! It was a zoo. There must have been 100 people there. (It was in a church hall). The 4-yo had so many squillion presents, they didn't even bother opening them at the party (is that normal?).

We had quite a do for DS's 1st birthday with about 30 people all told (including friends with babies who came as whole families, plus adult friends DS is close to) in our garden and that was a lot of fun, but the 4-y-o party put me right off for the future. Family, close friends and a cake it is from now on.

julienetmum · 15/10/2006 21:16

There is NO WAY I would ever tell my two's grandparents they could not come to parties. They would be heartbroken and dd herself would not want a party without them there, I reckon she would invite them herself if I didn't. It is as important for them to be there as for us to be there. Besides for the last 2 years the parties have been at my parents house.

Her last party had 12 children there. It was very hard to cut some out of her class of 20, she had several cousins and a brother who also needed to be invited. Each day she seemed to come home saying she was friedns with a different child and she wanted them all to come.

Dd is 5 by the way.

I think someone is in a bit of a grump at the moment. what is the point of posting things just to rile people, not got anything else better do do?

Original poster
cod · 15/10/2006 21:17

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julienetmum · 15/10/2006 21:18

In fact thinking about it, dd has far more than 30 friends if you coulnt up the children from the other reception class she plays with at break who she knew from nursery, friends who live close by and friends from Stagecoach.

julienetmum · 15/10/2006 21:18

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Original poster
cod · 15/10/2006 21:19

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Original poster
cod · 15/10/2006 21:19

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Chandra · 15/10/2006 21:20

I like the idea of one invitee for each year of the age of the birthday kid. Though, is difficult to use it, last time we tried we ended up with more than double of the children, and then my DH had the brilliant idea to open the presents while the other children where there... most of the toys were ruined long before the children had gone home and DS spent a good time crying... Next time I'm going to do a surprise party, such a perfect party that I may forget to invite my husband (Yeah, I know, I wish but I wouldn't)

happybiggirl · 15/10/2006 21:21

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julienetmum · 15/10/2006 21:22

Jazz hands? No, how about the child who hardly spoke when they first went there and now has developed loads of confidence.

You don't know everything even though you like to pretend you do.

Original poster
cod · 15/10/2006 21:23

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hulababy · 15/10/2006 21:23

We don't open presents at the party. They'd be likely to get lost, opened, and I wouldn't know who sent what. I have only been to a couple of parties where presents were opened TBH. The children just want to go off and play IME - both the host child and the guests. We open the presents later on, when quiet and home. We then can bnote down who brought what for the thank you letters. If someone really wanted DD to open a present there and then, we would do so for that gift though.

Original poster
cod · 15/10/2006 21:24

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hulababy · 15/10/2006 21:27

Oh, I don't do games - not yet anyway. It brings back nasty memories of being a party hostess at Burgerking in my sixth form days. I can still remember how vile it was to do those 4 parties, one after another, on a Sunday with a raging hangover!

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