DD in reception - planning 5th party - what is the form

[Butkin]

DD is in reception and we are starting to think about her 5th birthday party. For her 3rd we went with her nursery buddies to a soft play centre. We didn't do a 4th because too complicated as mixing nursery with pre-school.

For her 5th we have 3 options:

a) Invite her class (18)
b) Invite her year (36) which includes lots of her friends from last year
c) Invite just the girls from year (12)

We inclined not to go with c) because this is how we expect things to develop in later years.

Obviously a) suits us with numbers but b) means that she gets to be with all her friends - they mix together for sport and breaks.

Of course we could try and select "best friends" but this is so invidious and we don't know who she really mixes with.

What is the normal form? Once we've got our head around numbers then we can start considering options.

DS1's school was a similar scenario. I found that inviting the class rather than the year was the most typical. Where children had been friends in the nursery together but were now in separate classes a few close ones were invited, but this got less frequent as the year wore on. I can't think of any parties where the whole year was invited other than those with a twin in each class.

invite class plus a few extra friends

dd didn't have a party in reception, as it was only a couple of weeks after Christmas, and I was too disorganised (but she DID get a trip to the ballet with her best friend!)

this year she will not tolerate that cruelty, and I'm having to do one

Blinking hell Issy, I am just grappling with the thought of 20 x 4 year olds and a bouncy castle next weekend. I seem to have missed a trick!

FWIW, I wouldn't invite the whole class as it sets a precedent and then other mums mught think they have to as well. Then you might get into that whole party politics thing.

I would ask who she would like to invite - from school and elsewhere.

Have fun!