Never done a party for DD before, does this sound ok?

[TEEstheCEEsontobejolly]

She'll be 5 but has special needs so until she can walk properly and join in I said I wouldn't do anything large but have to do something.

So I have asked 8 kids, some from her class snd a couple of my best mates kids.

It'll be in our (tiny) home.

It's between 3 and 5 pm.

I have 2 pass the parcels filled

I have a pin the nose on the clown game.

If we have music going we can always play musical stues / bumps.

I have bought 8 x winners medals to give out and a special birthday girl one for my DD1.

a pull the string pinata thing but it's called a pullinta (filled)

my friend said she'd do some face or arm painting

have got a load of charlie and lola plates and cups and party bags filled with charlie and lola notebook, a small chocolate bar, a blower thing and a caterpillar balloon.

Will do usual party food and have ordered a charlie & lola cake and have the C&L banner.

Does that all sound ok to you?
Feel all a bit nervous, silly I know, but as mine Dd has special needs I feel a bit behind all the other mums and dads and not really sure if this is what the 5 yr olds are into these days!

TIA, TC x

sounds perfect!
have a fab birthday with your almost 5 year old!
they will LOVE the pinata
and C and L vv big with my 5 year old dd

it sounds lovely teecee. Hope it goes well

I think it sounds great. Hope lottie and the others have a great time.

Reallyu, does it sound ok, not too babyish?
Isn't it mad how nervous I feel. I just don't know about this stuff yet.
So you think it'll be ok in theroy?

We just did our first at home party for our DD who is 4. I sweated buckets in the lead up to it - I was so. It seems ridiculous looking back. Both DH and I really enjoyed it.

The party was 2 hours long. We didn't have time for everything we had planned and our list was similar to yours!

Tips I picked up from here which were useful. Start with a craft/activity so that the children don't get bored (and trash the house whilst waiting for late-comers. We only have a small house but one cleared room provided plenty of space for the games.

We put a lot of toys into a bedroom out of the way. After the birthday tea, the children had a little bit of free play, playing with whatever toys I had not moved upstairs. I think there would have been a lot more mess and destruction if I had left all the toys downstairs.

Enjoy it! It can be fun.

Sounds great , my 5yr old would love it !!

so nervous that should have said

Thank you so much, everyone.
Feel a bit better now

That doesn't sound too babyish. It's funny how we have been conditioned to feel that way about traditional birthday parties. I felt like it wasn't cool to entertain 4 year olds without an expensive activity. I soon got over that

Really, the children loved it.

It doesn't sound babyish. Sounds ideal for that age group. If they were younger you would need a lot of adult intervention to organise the games. I agree about not leaving too many toys out and choosing robust ones without small parts. I would get started on the face/arm painting as they arrive - maybe have lottie already painted up. Then would have games before the tea finishing with sleeping logs as it is calmer and then the tea about 1 hour into the party, followed by cake obviously. Then do the pullinta, and then put the music back on for free dancing. Also maybe have some loose balloons around for them to play with while dancing at the end.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Yes, it's good to have something for them to get stuck into as soon as they arrive, to avoid the scenario where they all mill around pointlessly getting over-excited. Face/arm painting is ideal, or some kind of crafty activity.

Be prepared for the occasional child who won't join in, and don't be fazed by it. Also bear in mind that most of the activities you do will last for less time than you anticipate. A cheap bubble machine or bubble gun is a good standby if you get to the point where there's too much over-excited running around.

It all sounds fine to me. Hope you all have a fab time! And you'll need a bottle of wine for yourselves afterwards, once you've cleared up and put the children to bed...

And it is fairly standard to get a bit stressed before hosting a birthday party. Loads of threads on here about it.

That sounds perfect!

I've got part 2 planned for all the adults after part 1 is over!

I thought I'd get kids round then half an hour later get all the childless godparents, mates and grandparents etc.

Will have wine in kitchen / diner for adults and lounge will hold kids entertainment with table laid for food but bit of it set up for face painting.

Why weren't my kids born in the summer???!!!

Sounds ideal. Hope it goes well TeeCee. I know what you mean about winter babies, both of mine are and I would just loveto be able to have a summer party and let the riot happen in the space of the garden instead, so much easier.

sounds lovely dd(5) would love a party like that it will be a real hit with the c & l theme. hope it goes well x

Shall I admit that I bought ready made pass the parcels? !!!!!

so would i ! you can but a pass the parcel electronic box thing with a remote they are brill

buy

Well better than me. When I did DD's party the present (set of colouring books and pens) was too big and to get enough layers on a sheet of newspaper wasn't big enough so I ended up having to use wallpaper lining paper on the last 3 layers.

LOL at wallpaper linign paper! Very clever of you!

Saw that remote pass the parcel in Woolies actually.
I just went onto this website where you can buy plates and ballons and party games etc, it's called Party Pieces

I think that sounds lovely

that sounds really nice - my dd would love to go to a party like that - she is 4. Hope you have a wonderful time!