early September party dilemma

[lingle]

I know this sounds trivial but DS2 (starts reception in September) has some social communication problems, so I do want this to go well....

DS2 and his friend (yes! he has a friend! hallelujah! it only took three years of work!) are going to have a joint birthday party (yes! again!). At a soft play (he is my second child so I have learned the hard way not to do complex things with party games).

Do you think that having it the weekend BEFORE reception starts (4th/5th September)is ok, (will lots of people come because they'll be curious to meet the other parents?) or am I setting myself up for problems here? Another friend whose son has a 30th August birthday always gets a low turnout due to bank holiday weekend commitments. The 4th 5th isn't a bank holiday though.

Up to now, DS2 hasn 't really had independent friends but has enjoyed parties with neighbours/friends of family etc. This is the first year that we'll be inviting all his nursery peers (we'll invite all the ones who attend his school nursery in the morning with him and his friend I think).

I guess I'd need to do the invites before term ends.....?

any experiences appreciated, especially from those of you with kids who can't take social success for granted.....

My DD has a holiday time birthday and we ALWAYS wait for the party till term has started again so everyone is there and has a chance to come. Otherwise half the class would still be away and DD and friends would miss out. I'd leave it till a couple of weeks into term and have a special friend (this one?) round on the actual day for cake.

I had this problem when my DD started school. We ended up having her party on the Sunday afternoon before school began on the Monday and invited everyone from nursery who was starting with her. I reckoned most people who had gone on holiday would have come back on the Saturday.

We hired a church hall and laid on refreshments for the parents too as most stayed. About 90% of children came and it was lovely!

When it comes to dates the first weekend in September should be fine but it could be wise to put it off a week so you have time to see people and remind before the party. we already have two party invites for the first few weeks of September and one notice that the will be a party first week of term so yes I would send the invites out now and then maybe a week before send a reminder email or something. I think a joint party in your situation is idea, good luck hope it goes well!

Dd2 is early sept & I always do hers the second weekend back.although we are going for the first this time as it's a small one and well be in contact with her friends over the summer