Who to invite - help!

[Elibean]

dd started primary school in September. There are none of her old friends there, but she still sees several of them.

A week ago dd said she wanted 'only girls' and was adamant - fair enough, there are 14 girls in her class including her, plus about 5 old friends, so its still around 20. Perfect.

Now she says she's making friends with the boys, and there is no way we can invite all the girls and half the boys....so its either the whole class (about 26) plus old friends, which if we're now including boys is about 8, which makes 34 or girls only, or class only and no old friends. What would you do? She's hard to pin down about it all, being 4, she changes her mind every day

There is space (we've hired her old nursery hall) but I imagine the old friends would be stampeded by the new, and its an awful lot of kids....crowd control springs to mind....

what would you do?!?

How about new friends only, the whole class if you can bare it and can you then do an after school pizza tea for her and her old friends one night so they do not loose touch?

Thats a good idea, thanks...my only reservation is that the party venue is local, so old friends may well see it going on. I wonder if I could do a first wave of invites, see how many can make it (its so near Xmas probaby a few who can't) then add??

Hmmm, only problem is that some people could get wind that they were on the B list. OK, how about 2 start times, half an hour earlier for old friends so that can find their feet then bring the new ones in later?

Thanks again - lots of ideas to think about. I could also do the girls first, then if there's space invite the boys, but as you say 'B' list is not cool....

I would just go ahead and invite them all. 34 isnt too bad if the venue is big enough for that, and they probably wont all be able to come.

34 is perfectly manageable if you get something like a bouncy castle to keep them entertained. I had 32 at my DDs (joint) party and that was fine - they were no trouble!

No bouncy castle, but have someone coming to teach them disco moves and get them dancing and playing dancey games

Have decided to invite whole class, as only 23 of them will be here at Xmas anyway, plus a few old friends. Imagine several won't be able to come anyway, and if its under 30 thats ok....more would be a squeeze in the venue.

Thanks!