What to do in party room?

[calishire]

My son is having a party at our local leisure center and it’s 45 minutes in the sports hall and 45 minutes in the party room. We are planning to do ice cream sundaes in the party room (no meal). Do I need to plan some games? Just wonder if 45 minutes is going to be too long for just sundaes and cake??

Are they making the ice cream sundaes?

Are you sure on the logistics of ice cream? I just envisage a super hot room and super sticky children.

i think 45 mins will go quite quickly though - by the time they’re in there and got sorted, it won’t be long till you start chivvying them out.

Ha ha I hadn’t really thought about sticky mess. The kids are all seven and eight years old. I was thinking adults would scoop the ice cream and kids could put their own toppings on. However, I could look at perhaps just doing ice lollies, etc..

I’m pretty confident I can keep the ice cream frozen until serving time with plug-in camping fridges and extra ice

Ice cream sundaes doesn’t sound like the best idea neither does bringing plug in camping fridges and extra ice.
cake is enough of a dessert and kids will be hungry after running round the sports hall and want lunch. Some sandwiches, crisps and fruit is a much better idea.

I agree with others OP, ice cream (do you mean scooped from a tub?) sounds like a challenge logistically speaking, not to mention keeping it cold enough. I’d be surprised if parents of 7yos stay to help – I was dropping and running by 5yo tbh.

I would go for normal party food. Don’t worry if it’s not a mealtime, it never bothered anyone when my kids were small. Make it stuff they will eat – plenty of drinks and then crisps, party rings, cucumber sticks if you know that will go down well. Pizza slices, mini sausages. No sandwiches as they are never eaten.

But deffo have a game or so up your sleeve in case. Maybe something simple and quiet like sleeping lions (is 7yo too old??)

OP they will all be starving and expecting some type of food. Ice cream sounds messy and complicated

packets of crisps, fruit & veg (grapes / carrot sticks etc), biscuits.

then cake

then have a spare setup ready for 'pass the parcel' or 'grandmothers footsteps' if they need it.

45 mins is a long time just for ice cream. Even party food lunch will only take about 20 mins. I’d probably just reduce the time of the party, unless it’s a big enough room that you won’t have to fold down tables and chairs to do a game.