Daughters birthday party

bylromarha

I've hired the local swimming pool in the past. Cost was £70 for 2 hours - as many people as you liked (up to 50). Had to ensure safe ratios for non swimmers. Catered myself with cheapie sarnies/crisps/drinks.

Loads of fun, no need to entertain and dead simple!

Spendless

Janepig wrote: »

It's a fair point you raised and one I'd never even considered really. I guess it's a different experience if you've got one form per year where the birthdays are spread out over the whole year, but with my two you've got the birthdays of 30+ kids within the space of only afew months, plus they get party invites from kids at rugby, gym, etc... and also invites from the children in the other class occasionally. It does get a bit manic, so for instance in October last year when DD's best friend had a joint swimming party with two others I was just grateful to get it out of the way in one go, I'd never really thought of your point of the extra presents in return for one party. It's a good point, but I still prefer joint parties!!

Jx

Mine aren't/weren't in one form classes. DS always had 3 forms - year of the millennium babies and 2 sets of triplets contributing to class size. DD in a 2 form year which is the norm for her school with 35 kids in each class. The kids in the class birthdays can fall anywhere between Sept-Aug though, they aren't forms where they have kids in the Sept-Dec birth date range.

So far I've found birthdays at Secondary school to be different. The 'too cool for school' gang have parties/disco either at home or in a function room and invite a whole group, not form mates but other members of their 'clique'. Whilst the rest just do something with a mate or two like cinema, skating, etc.

GobbledyGook

I don't think the whole class parties have to be stressful. If you have a plan and keep the kids going they tend not to have time to bicker and the likes. They usually bicker when they're bored so have something for them to do when they are 'out' or at least try and have the games quickly through so that they don't get bored sat on the sidelines. For games like musical bumps or musical statues have a space where the kids who are out can dance for example rather than just sitting and waiting.

I also don't do party bags - I use the cupcakes as a gift to take away. A cupcake and a balloon. All the parents I know are delighted not to have another bag full of plastic trinkets to house. If they have sweets, jelly and cake at the party they don't need any more sweets to take home.

dizziblonde

One that's fairly common locally here (obviously depending on the month your kids were born in) is to take a couple of gazebos and some disposable barbies and have a bbq party at the local park - kids go onto the play area next to the park grassed area to run off steam, parents go and sit down with drinks while the men prod the burgers in a "me man have created fire" fashion and then the kids all sit for a bbq/picnic session on the grass (add in a possible visit to the ever present ice cream van). Seen a fair few doing that sort of party over the years - with or without the addition of the large outdoor play summer cheapie toys that pop up in Tesco from about February onwards.

Also usually worth sticking your local soft play hellholes (hell has a plastic ballpool of dubious cleanliness I'm sure of it) on follow on FB - ours fairly regularly run half price promos for party bookings for their FB followers (I have a few on follow for special offer mornings where you can get in for like a quid anyway so see the other offers get posted).

BAGGY

I am planning a party for sixty kids as I have six yr old twins in separate classes. We did the same last yr. Food bags had loads of waste so plates to pick this yr. Next yr five kids each to cinema (sat quid a kid) and pizza afterwards. Or cinema party with popcorn and hot dogs and a film downloaded from sky at home.

LondonDiva

dizziblonde wrote: »

... take a couple of gazebos and some disposable barbies and have a bbq party at the local park...

Please note that unless your park or common has a dedicated bbq area, it is:

• usually a breach of bylaws (don't hink it is a criminal act, but there is a fine at the very least) to have open fires (which a bbq is) in the park or common

• there is a great deal of damage caused to commons and parks by disposable bbqs (aside from scorched earth from bbqs laid directly on grass there is also the risk of fires because or improperly disposed bbqs)

Barbecues

Can I use a barbecue in a Camden park?

No, we do not allow the use of BBQs in the parks to prevent damage to the grass, fire and injury risks.
Please do not attempt to light any type of fires in the parks.

http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/leisure/outdoor-camden/parks/events-and-activities-in-camdens-parks-and-open-spaces.en


I suggest you get in touch with the local council to find out what facilities they have on offer.

dizziblonde

Our local area's fairly tolerant on these things. On the other hand - they always have dog wardens out doing collar and poo bag checks so have different priorities to lots of local areas.

The collarless dogs and barbecues with sausages on often are an interesting combination though!

picklekin

My sister had a birthday party for her daughter this weekend, decorated the house like the Arctic with white sheets and a few inflatable penguins etc, looked great and didn't cost much! No games as the children were just little and loved playing in the environment.

She didn't do party bags and apparently when one child was leaving they kicked up a fuss about it and said they would "tell their mum"!!! This would make me never give out bags, you come to our house to have a party, not receive a load of tat and bad for you food in a bag on the way out!!

slightlyconfused1

I vote for the village hall idea too. One year we blew up tonnes of balloons and threw them in the hall, put on some music and let the kids run wild. There were about 20 little girls and they had a great time. A chocolate fountain and plates of finger food that they can help themselves to and we were sorted.

sedment

My son had a party for his 6th birthday with 10 children at a playbarn and it was a disaster!!! No-one had the courtesy to reply to the invites, but turned up on the day with child that was invited and younger siblings. And the parents didnt want to pay to put the younger children into the play area, so the young ones were sitting upset when bigger brothers and sisters were having a ball!! And as food was included for the bigger kids, felt so sorry for the little ones, went and got them some sandwiches made up, but not a thank you! Never again! We had a pizza party one year and just bought mini pizzas and loads of toppings with the little icecreams for desert. Played pass the parcel and some kids didnt even know how to play it