Does it have to be at the leisure centre / in the village hall?

[skyatnight]

When I was little, you went to a child's house for their birthday party. Does nobody do this any more?

We usually do it, so do some other people we know. I like having parties at home.

We do have all spring summer birthdays with a good chance of using the garden.

of course if they have the space

all my kids parties were at home until school age when they wanted to invite more than 8

no way am i having loads of kids running round my house spilling juice and crushing food in th floor plus house not big eno ugh

I had two parties at home last year for 4 and 6 year old dc.

We have had them in our relatively small flat a couple of times. We have also had it in the local playground (summer birthday) and taken over the gazebo, decorated it, provided food and let the kids run and play. That was very successful. This year we are having a spy party in Regent's Park with games and an orienteering type game. We may retire to the playground after.

Personally, I hate large parties in halls and soft play areas. Too many kids - the birthday child doesn't actually get to play with many of them. We keep it small and everyone has a great time. Of oourse we have the advantage that my kids are homeschooled so we don't have any obligation to invite an entire class full of kids!

No spilt juice or crushed food either, they ate squashed round the table!

i dont have a table as no dining room so they would have no where to sit any way

Thanks. It's dd's 3rd birthday soon and I haven't arranged anything yet, leaving it a bit late. Not sure whether to just have family and a few friends this year and leave off a full-blown children's party till next year.

None of the parties she has been to have been in people's homes. I am feeling a bit of self-induced peer pressure to do the same as everybody else, hire a hall and invite the whole nursery, when I think I would prefer to invite a few little friends for her to our home, which is quite small and nothing special. I would love to have an outdoors party but it is difficult this time of year.

Spilt juice and crushed food are a bit too normal in our house, parties don't really make it any worse.

skyatnight - do whatever you want dont feel pressured either way any party will be lovely this year my dd will be 4 and it will be her first proper one im very excited and have done what i wanted not what anyone else wnated x my dd very excited x

fennel- lol

don't feel pressure to do anything other than you want to do - especially not for those under 4. i had ds's 4th at home and it was nice, but tbh I like the big parties - lots of space, whereas we had to spend a day moving furniture out of our house as we only have 1 downstairs room and it's not big. the party felt chaotic, tiring and difficult but i'm proud to have done it. next year please God we will have enough money either to take ds and 1 friend to a pantomime, or to hire the old village hall! Each to their own.

I'd agree a big plus of the small home parties is that parents can at least potentially leave the children from age 3 as my mother did with us, whereas at the big bunfights, when I am thinking of leaving ds always bangs his head or gets into a paddy.

I agree parties at home are more unusual these days
I think this makes them more special personally
I love being invited to an 'at home' party and always feel great admiration for the hosts as I couldn't do it

I have had mosy parties at home. I hred a hall for dd1's 5th as she wanted to invite so may kids. It was only £25 for 3 hours hire so plenty of time to set up/tidy away. I will hire somewhere again if we go over the 8 children limit as our house is fairly small and the hire is cheap and less stressful than furniture moving!

Don't give in to the pressure of what other people are doing. The year we had the party in the local playground, ds1 was attending a local private nursery (he turned 4 at this party) and all the parties we had been to were hugely extravegant. One (for a 3 year old) was in a posh London hotel, fully catered! I didn't care and the playground party was a great success with everyone commenting on it.

Thank you. I think I will do something small at home this year and then do a big all-invited one at a hall next year.

we have done at home parties so far. DS1 will be 4 in April and we are intending to have his party this year at home as well.

Pirate Party can't wait... I think I am more excited than he is going to be..

Last year he had a few friends and their Mums over for lunch and they played in the garden and had party food we had a cake and they went home..

we did every year till last year and will do for dd2 this year too. but had house renovated before dd1 birthday last year and didn't want them all in AND I didn't want them all to stay all afternoon. decided it was much easier to specify a time when at a place so hired local botanical gardens for £28, look some balls, bubbles and a picnic - was brilliant
having it at a farm this year as will be very heavily pg and can't do with all the organising

We have just booked the local scout hut for DS2's second birthday party.

At £5.00 an hour it's not worth getting jelly and ice cream over your carpets for!

Plus there is loads of space for them to run around.