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Parties/celebrations

Whether you're planning a birthday or a hen do, you'll find plenty of ideas for your celebration on our Party forum.

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Original poster

Parents of 4 year olds and over - did you have a 4th birthday party?

45 replies

CocodeBear · 14/06/2008 23:00

Do most 4 year old have a birthday party with actual guests, etc.

DD1 has been banging on for ages about having a party. I've been nodding vaguely.

Unfortunately, the birthday is looming, and I need to make a decision.

The problem is I don't want to hold a party; our house is too small; I don't want to pay for an entertainer or hire a venue or invite any small people over or make any food.

Four-year-olds don't seem to have proper consistent friends, so I'd have no idea who to invite.

How do I get out of it?

OP posts:

Orinoco · 14/06/2008 23:05

Message withdrawn

morocco · 14/06/2008 23:05

quite a few 4 year olds round here have parties but a few just have family things instead
my 2 have always had fairly consistent friends so it was easy to work out who to invite. could you give a few invites to nursery and ask them to give them out to 'the favoured ones'?
or how about a trip to the zoo or something instead?

Original poster

CocodeBear · 14/06/2008 23:09

Her bf, an obvious guest, is away in France for a month around her birthday, which is problem.

Then the mothers I know, she's not so keen on the children, whereas the children she plays with at nursery I don't know the mothers of...

Good idea about inviting a child for tea and telling her it a party.

Oh, forgot to mention, this mythical party she's been dreaming of has to have a princess theme.

I asked DH if we could just get the GPs to come to us dressed as princesses but he was less than taken with the idea!

OP posts:

milknosugar · 14/06/2008 23:17

dont be so miserable! does she go to nursery? ask them to suggest a couple of guests. you will only need about 4 (3 is enough but you have to make up for the one who wont turn up). make a few sandwiches, let them eat too many biscuits, have a princess cake so she can have everyone sing to her and blow out candles. do a a couple of pass the parcels with princess pressies in the middle. tell guests to dress up as princesses, chances are they will have dress up stuff already. it only needs to last an hour and a half. we found 2 hours was just a bit too long at that age. they will just want to play with her toys for most of the time. no such thing as house too small. relax and have a bit of fun!

Orinoco · 14/06/2008 23:20

Message withdrawn

ChasingSquirrels · 14/06/2008 23:20

his 4th was the first party that my ds1 had. He went to a couple of 3's when he was about 3.5 and then started planning his 4th.
We had a small party - 6 friends at home, games in the garden, party tea.
3/4 is enough to be honest, and if you don't know the parents - maybe a nice opportunity to get to know them? Or send them packing, we just had the kids no parents for ds1's 4th.

QuintessentialShadows · 14/06/2008 23:23

When my oldest went to nursery, I asked his keyworker to provide me a list with the children of the same agegroup he played with the most. I got 13 names. I made the invitations, took them to the nursery, asked for RSVP to my name and phone number, and the nursery gave the invitations out.

I second the idea of a soft play party. But you are missing the point regards to a princess theme party. It is not the adults that dress up, it is the children... Very common to do a princess and pirate party when inviting boys and girls.

Original poster

CocodeBear · 14/06/2008 23:26

milknosugar you make it sound so easy. 4 guests sounds about right though.

Plus parents you think on the whole?

Am such a cantankerous lazy arse.

Not sure about the idea of games. Pass the parcel I could probably manage to organize. Musical statues?

OP posts:

Original poster

CocodeBear · 14/06/2008 23:29

Soft play would be a good idea, but she finds those places a bit scary. The one near us is the world's largest or something, and quite intimidating for LOs.

OP posts:

milknosugar · 14/06/2008 23:34

it is so easy!

4 year olds do not appreciate effort. they want to run around screeching. if you try to organise them into playing too many games you will get stressed and they will enjoy it less. let them screech.

pass the parcel is especially good if you put sweets in between layers as they tend to wander off less.

parents likely to stay at that age but they tend to help out so not all bad. make lots of tea.

dont forget party bags - sweets, balloons, bubbles, tacky jewellery for girls. all done and she will think you are the bestest mummy in the world

milknosugar · 14/06/2008 23:36

also - lots and lots of balloons. blow up a load before guests arrive and have them scattered all over the floor for when they come in. modelling balloons good to have in for later if they do get bored, assuming they have burst all the first batch!

Original poster

CocodeBear · 14/06/2008 23:36

Her b/day is late July, so maybe I could even hold it in the park... Though much scope for running off there, so no.

OP posts:

Original poster

CocodeBear · 14/06/2008 23:38

What fab ideas

Am starting to warm to the idea. However, have made it a policy to make no firm decisions about anything, ever, after 11PM.

OP posts:

QuintessentialShadows · 14/06/2008 23:41

I have been to a few party in the park birthday parties. Picnic blankets, outdoor games, balls, trikes, plenty of food, nibbles for the grown ups, in my experience the children dont run off. And if they do, their parents usually chase after them!

unknownrebelbang · 14/06/2008 23:44

Mine didn't have a birthday party when they were 4.

DS2 didn't have one when he was five either.

handlemecarefully · 15/06/2008 00:13

Umm yes. Mine have had 'proper' parties since they were 3. Don't be so mean - pull your finger our and give her a party!

LittleMissTickles · 15/06/2008 00:21

We had princess 4th - it was great. They all came dressed as princesses, swopped outfits many times etc. Loved a tea party and hand tiaras and long gloves (!) as favours with balloons etc. Have fun!

bluewolf · 15/06/2008 00:25

Park is a good idea if you are a bit nervous of having people back to yours or soft play area etc. As long as there is cake and she has cool dress she will be happy. Very much like getting married really

Original poster

CocodeBear · 15/06/2008 07:25

LOL at wedding analogy.

OP posts:

malfoy · 15/06/2008 08:14

My DS will be 4 in July. We are having a party in that we will invite ONE friend and DS's grandparents, we will have a cake with candles and I will order some Lighting McQueen paper plates/etc from Kate Middleton's mother's company.

That's all. No games. At the parties we have been to recently the children have sat around gormlessly whilst the parents have passed the parcel because the children (aged 3-4) are so clueless/ uninterested.

Original poster

CocodeBear · 15/06/2008 08:36

That is what has been putting me off: the fact that I think she's still too young to enjoy it properly.

I can imagine her getting fed up of the other kids playing with her stuff and wanting them to go home!

Or deciding that so and so is not their friend after all actually.

OP posts:

Original poster

CocodeBear · 15/06/2008 08:36

Have you got a link to Kate Middleton's mum's company ?

OP posts:

princessmel · 15/06/2008 08:41

We had a huge party for ds's 4th birthday.

We invited

all his cousins (about 11),
family friends - my friends children who we see regularly,
the neighbours children - who he plays with a lot,
our antenatel group - who we seee a few times a year but ds is very friendly with them.
his friends from Nursery school.

Combined with granparents, great grandperents, aunties , uncles, my friends who don't have children it was very busy!!

But ds loved it and it was great.

We only had a few boys (13 actually!)from his class , at home for his 5th. Just games etc. This was due to lack of funds mainly.

Elk · 15/06/2008 08:44

www.partypieces.co.uk

Nemoandthefishes · 15/06/2008 08:47

we had ds first party when he was 4 last october. We hired a soft play thing which was great and he had 20 children mixture of some friends from school and my friends children who he plays with.I have told him this year he isnt having a party but can have a couple of friends for tea or to the cinema as it is one of the dds turns to have a big party

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