Help with ds 4th Birthday party

[oydal]

My ds is coming up 4 soon and really wants a party. We have recently relocated and haven't made alot of friends yet but could probably make up about 10 or so from preschool ect.
I would like to have it at home but my house wouldn't really accommadate the kids and parents - I suspect they would prefer to stay as they don't really know us too well. Not realy enough people to hire village hall and soft plays usually have a minimum of 10...10 might not come.

Do I just have it at home and squeeze everyone in or would that be a disaster with no room for kids to run wild?

oh lordy it really all depends on the weather doesn't it - which doesn't sodding help unless you're in florida or something?!

you don't have to HIRE the soft play - you could always just pay for the ones who come?

does he have any favourites out of the ones he's met? could you not invite say half of them and have it in the house?

how about hiring a trampoline in the sports centre and just taking some juice/snacks etc?

I would say keep it short and specific activities.. ie food, game, cake etc... our house is small but we managed to fit in about that many kids and parents... a few came about an hour late (a friend of mine is chronically late) ... we did luck out in it was a clear day so the kids got to run around the garden for a bit before being fed... It was too expensive for the soft play and DS only really plays with a few of the kids at preschool.. hope someone else offers advice.

ds had a cracking (though i say so myself) pirate party for his 4th b'day with 10 "pirates" and a good number of younger siblings.

go for it at home if you possibly can

rope in lots of help and allocate specific jobs

keep it to 90 mins

have a gathering activity like icing biscuits (ours were pirate ships natch), then some party games, then some free play including another crafty thing set up and maybe they could go outside at this point (try to borrow a bubble machine), then some food. while kids eat you could get someone to set up a treasure hunt

it'll be lovely

Great! thanks for all the ideas.

Pirate party sounds great, having treasure hunt in the garden (crossing fingers on the weather!) Yeah - I guess keeping it short would probably work if we had it at home. And hey ho...if all the adults think of it as a squashed disaster, I'm sure my son will enjoy it anyway. My dh thinks I should chill out more - although he is being a typical man on this and having as little input as he can get away with!!

I surpose if I knew them better I wouldn't be so worried, it's just that whole first impression of the new family in town and all the rest.