Childrens b/day parties OS or not?

Mrsbojangles_2 · 27 February 2006 at 9:53PM

Hi

Its my daughters 7th birthday soon, I have looked into holding her party at a local play centre, which is £7.99 per child, with a minimum of 10 children, when we have come to write down who she would like to invite, its over 15 children (thats the minimum, as she has been to their parties, and also doesn't want to leave anyone one) as you can imagine this is going to be quite dear!

I am *considering* doing a traditional party at home, but have concerns, what will I do with 15 children for 2 hours? Will they wreck my house? I have recently re-decorated the whole downstairs and have lovely laminate flooring down which makes me a bit nervous of spillages etc. I have thought about doing the party in the conservatory, but I only have 4 chairs for them to sit on, I am really looking for ideas on how I can do this, what games can I do, food, where can I sit them? Will an OS party really work out cheaper than the organised one? Help!!

arkonite_babe · 27 February 2006 at 10:15PM

If you sit down and use something like the tesco website to do an online shop for party food, that might help you decide as you will be able to see the exact cost before you buy a thing. Then figure in the cost of possibly hiring a local community hall or room in local sports facility. Divide your total by however many of kids the plan is to invite and it will give you a costing. You then need to figure in time it will take for food preparation, decorating the chosen venue, party bags etc etc.

Party food is usually best as finger food, sausages, fairy cakes, small sandwiches etc. With cake or jelly and ice cream for afters.

The following threads might be of some help to you in deciding:

Birthday Party

Food for a 4th birthday party

Good Luck!!

misty · 27 February 2006 at 10:53PM

My son recently went to a party, the little girl was 5. Her mum hired a church hall and there were tables and chairs there - she'd covered in pink tablecloths. She'd also hired a clown/magician who did tricks with the kids and also djayed. She'd invited quite a lot of kids and said once she'd paid for the hall (much cheaper than a play area) it didn't make a much difference how many she invited. She'd done the food herself heart shaped sarnies (which went down a storm), pink juice(pink grapefruit), sausage rolls, fairy cakes and biccies. I don't think they need tons of choice. The kids loved it. Could you hire a hall and get a mate/relative to dj - it was all the faves musical statues, bumps and pass the parcel etc. She took a sweeping brush and bin bags for the rubbish - although the parents ate any left over food.

The next day he went to another party at Wackywarehouse place. He had a great time in the play area but the party was only an hour and a half, so they didn't get much time to play. The food wasn't great and as they were understaffed nearly cold when they got it. They picked at it and then went back to play. The child's mum wasn't impressed for the price and neither would I have been.

Edinburghlass_2 · 27 February 2006 at 11:08PM

There is a long thread here in the Family Board where I find inspiration for all ages and all types of entertainment for kids parties :cheesy:

*zippy* · 28 February 2006 at 2:06AM

I've had two home parties and wouldn't do another, the first one a child cracked a glass wardrobe sliding door, child was ok thankfully, but £90 to replace. I was telling another mum about this and she had spent the whole of her daughters home birthday party in casualty with a child who had caught their finger in a door and they couldn't get hold of the parents. Her dh had to cope with all the kids on his own :eek:

Were off to the play centre this month

The easiest party I have been to was a pottery cafe party they took the kids into a seperate room for 2 hours for arts and crafts and all the mums sat around in comfy chairs with teas & coffees bliss. Sadly daughter couldn't be persuaded to have hers there.

iwanttosave_2 · 28 February 2006 at 2:38AM

I have had partys at home and in fuction halls/play areas and I prefer to have them at home. I feel safer with them at home and dont worry that one has sloped off somewhere.

I find it is a lot cheaper to hold it at home. For my sons 4th birthday I hired a bouncy castle, put on a load of food and did a few games like a pinyata (sp) and they all loved it. Plus once most of the kids have gone you can chill out with your friends while yours and their kids play together.

Prudent · 28 February 2006 at 8:09AM

My 14 year old has decided she wants an os style children's party at home?!?!

Its not until May but she is already stocking up on bargains for the party when we see them.

Penny-Pincher!! · 28 February 2006 at 8:23AM

My DD is having a party in April. Bratz themed..LOL. She is 11 and has invited 7 of her closest mates. I have already bought quite a few items from ebay, all Bratz (cups, plates, napkins,party bags, table cloth, ballons) and cost £8 for the lot including postage. Have received loads of freebies from this site, so we've put those to one side for the party bags and have bought a few other bits from ebay and asda....pennies really but all good quality.

Food-I have already bought some chicken legs (18-free range and reduced to £1-now frozen) chicken coujons (reduced to 50p-now frozen). Will make sausage rolls (already have the sausagemeat), HM pizza and do things like cheese/pineapple sticks, veggie kebabs, oven chips, french stick etc. Just doing jelly and ice cream for pudding and some butterfly cakes (dd'd request) and she wants a Bratz cake from Asda which is £6.

Games-we are doing Disney trivial pursuit, musical statues, karaoke etc.

In total I think everything should come to no more than £35 including party bags etc.

PP
xx

thriftlady_2 · 28 February 2006 at 8:27AM

I'm doing a party at home for my dd's 6th b'day in a few weeks.It will cost me a lot less than hiring somewhere.Food will be very simple;sandwiches,crisps,little cakes,jelly and ice cream.i've learnt from experience that there's no point doing fancy food for children's parties.games will be old favourites;pin the tail on the donkey(or unicorn in this case),hunt the thimble,pass the parcel,musical bumps/statues etc.There will be 10 children including my 3.I'm hoping my 2 boys will act as helpers.Going home presents will be little crocheted bags my mum has made,each with a peg doll in it(also made by my mum

).My mum used to make something for all my parties.Guests were given just the one thing and a piece of cake rather than a bag of stuff.

I've done parties at home before for my boys and they've been noisy and rowdy and I've needed a drink after(and sometimes during) but we've never had any accidents or breakages.I don't anticipate any problems with a few 6 yo girls......famous last words.

It's definitely cheaper at home.

stressedoutmumof1 · 28 February 2006 at 8:47AM

I did a Princess party for my DD's 5th birthday, hired a hall, and an entertainer (spangles the fairy - who incidentally was fantastic but pricey). I did all the food myself and made up the party bags etc - all in all the party cost about 400 quid for 20 kiddies :eek:

For her 6th birthday we went to the local play area and I paid 8 quid per head for 14 kids so only cost me 112 quid including party bags.

For her 7th birthday she wanted to go bowling with mummy and daddy (bless) so all in all about 20 quid

I wouldn't do the home parties as they are sooo expensive in my opinion - but I suppose they can be as inexpensive as you want them to be.

thriftlady_2 · 28 February 2006 at 9:11AM

stressedoutmumof1 wrote:

all in all the party cost about 400 quid for 20 kiddies :eek:

For her 6th birthday we went to the local play area and I paid 8 quid per head for 14 kids so only cost me 112 quid including party bags.

I wouldn't do the home parties as they are sooo expensive in my opinion - but I suppose they can be as inexpensive as you want them to be.

Gosh,stressedout,I don't think my home party is going to cost £112 let alone £400!!! I was actually not planning to spend anything.Food will come out of usual food budget,games don't cost anything,might make winners' rosettes for prizes or just a few sweets,mum helping out with going home presents.I'm not having a theme or anything fancy,I think a party in itself is quite special enough.I suppose I'm trying to recreate the kind of party I used to have.

One cautionary tale.My mil tells the story of when my OH was about 8 and for his party they had drinks with straws,and sausages on sticks.After leaving the boys to their own devices for a while(she was probably having a sherry in the kitchen) mil came back into the party room to find a full-scale battle going on - weapons were blow-darts made by placing cocktail sticks inside straws and blowing them at each other.I've always steered clear of cocktail sticks since she told me that

Mind you that sort of thing never happened at any of the parties I went to(boy thing maybe?)

I'll keep a note of any expenses and see how much the party costs and post it after the party(march 17th).

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Childrens b/day parties OS or not?

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