6 year old party help!

Luna69

Hi
As the title says I need some help/advice with a party for a 6 year old girl. I'm not a party person myself, nor any good at organising one. However she had wanted the usual play area type, but a) we can't really afford one and b) we've all been ill since new year and not even had time to think about anything. So basically even if we were to go down that route, not sure we'd get anything booked (her birthday is next wednesday) and then we'd need to get invites out. I was thinking of Friday or later though, not a weekend if it was more expensive. Anyway, not sure about that yet, my partner is going to ring a wacky warehouse place up and get details.

Failing that I have considered something in the house!! This would be either on the Friday after school, or Saturday afternoon. Think I'd prefer Saturday afternoon. This does give me nightmares, more because there isn't a lot of space in our house, it's a complete bombsite and would need a total overhaul over the next week.
We dont' have a dining area/table, due to my partner having to work from home a while ago and never getting one back.
I can clear a table, but we have no chairs.

My thoughts so far are a picnic type thing on the living room floor. Using food boxes like McDonalds happy meal type, with food in.. sandwiches, cakes, crisps etc. Would make it easier than doing a buffet type thing I think.

How many games would you recommend and what are the easiest? I have thought of a couple of games of pass the parcel as my DD likes that. Four corners, she likes playing that at school and that would be easy enough.
Pin the tail or nose on something (she is wanting a strawberry shortcake themed party) but not sure I'll be able to get anything. We can make a strawberry shortcake game , pin her hat on or something? 4 corners could be the names of 4 strawberry shortcake characters and their faces? Any other easy games?
Only trouble is there will possibly be a few boys, not sure how they will feel with strawberry shortcake? Her other idea was unicorns, can think of a few things for that too... pin the horn on the unicorn?

How many children do you think is manageable? So far from the names I could get out of DD without it being the whole class, and some other friends and 2 cousins, was about 12, plus my other 2 children.
My eldest is 11 and he's happy to do the games, so that's good as I'm terrible.
Think he'll probably have more fun than them to be honest! :rotfl:

Really just looking for suggestions from anyone who has hosted a house party for 6 year olds!
I'm really clueless to be honest and terrible at organising things.

I know my DD will just enjoy having her friends here to be honest, we don't often have friends here, so I know I won't have to do too much and I know she will be super hyper and hard to calm down.

Any help appreciated and most of all the cheapest place to buy the things I need. I've found a place called party pieces online with boxes etc, I had a brochure for them a while ago,so was first place came to mind, but if anyone can suggest anywhere reasonable with reasonable shipping too as that usually bumps the cost up.

Thanks
Yvonne

LilMissEmmylou

not read it all - but what about a teddy bears picnic? Paper plates with teddys on them, sandwiches, some finger food, tea cakes and have it all on a blanket(s) on the floor. No cutlery needed as its all finger foods. Get some pretty napkins (even just a plain colour set like pink or purple). Request all the kids bring their fave teddy with them etc Play some basic games like pin the tail on the donkey (perhaps you could print out a teddy though and pin different colour noses on him to see who gets the closest?).

ethansmum

My daughter is 6 so this is very topical for us at the moment.

I would say a party of 12/14 is fine. Ours was a house party for 22 and we managed. We hired a bouncy slide for about £50 and the kids just played on that. They weren't really interested in the party games I had lined up.

Other 6 yo parties that she has been invited to are, make up parties, baking parties and crafting parties. I don't wear make up so DD really enjoyed that one- hair and nails done with cheapy fake tattoos etc. Alot of children don't do much baking at home, so that one was a success too. I think they just made their own pizza and iced buns. For the crafting party, the Mum bought plain white mugs cheaply from woolworths and then the girls used pottery marker pens and decorated them.

I hope this has given you some ideas.

ethansmum

I got most of our party stuff from home bargains or the £shop. Sooo much cheaper than online retailers.

fizzyfeet_2

You could do a pink themed party, less costly than buying character products. Pink plates/or boxes, cups and napkins, pink food, pink decorations......... Lidl's have some pink plastic tableware, but sure you could get it from Tescos. Definately seen all the boxes and things in hobbycraft if you've got one near you.
You could buy blue or white for the boys that are coming.

Games tend to take up a lot of time, so if your thinking of about 2 hours, I wouldn't do more than 3 games. How about musical statues, or musical spots? (like musical chairs, but standing on circles of paper, pink of course) If you don't want lots of jumping around, you could play who can pull the funniest faces (the boys would definately like this one) and award little prizes.

Hope it all goes well!!

Luna69

Thanks for suggestions. I had thought of just a colour theme, like pink and white, or blue. If we had the space I'd have thought of hiring a bouncy castle or borrowing one my brother has, although it's not that big., but we don't have a garden big enough for that.

The make up party sounds good, but not sure the boys would be interested. I had wanted to learn face painting myself so that would have been a good one, but obv cant' do that yet.
I am a crafty person, so the craft party would be good and I like the idea of painting the mugs, so may think on that one, or something similar.. any other craft ideas that won't take much organising?

If I go for the party games I won't be having that many, by the time they've eaten, few pass the parcel, corners and maybe pin the something on something!

Actually just had a thought about the mug painting, if I can get the stuff to do it.
When they've painted them, I could put their goody bag stuff inside, and wrap them in cellophane for them to take home?
I was going to put goody bag bits in plastic cups and cellophane them anyway... might think on that.

Thanks again and more suggestions welcome.

Yvonne

bizzybee

Re craft ideas, look at the Baker Ross catalogue on line. They have things that you put on the handle of your bedroom door, egg cups and other wooden things that are much cheaper than mugs.

Decorating biscuits, just cheap Rich Tea or uniced fairy cakes is always popular too.

Sounds like a fun party, can I send my 2 along???!!!:D

amandada

My dd had a fairy party at home when she was 7, and she and her pals loved it. I think it was the 1st time they'd been at a party where it wasn't in a "fun factory" type place
The "floor picnic" is a good idea-you could ask at your local bakery if you could buy some empty cake boxes from them-I bought some about 6 months ago and they were only 20p each.
I had them playing the "old" party games, musical bumps etc, pin the wand on the fairy etc.
The theme came about because Matalan had a load of fairy themed party plates etc in their sale for 50p a pack! At that age, we reckoned the girls would all have something fairyish in their dressing up box, so they all came in fancy dress.
I did the cups in cellophane too and they loved it!
My dd who is now 1- still speaks about it as her favourite party...now any suggestions for an 11 year old?

Kimitatsu

My son had a pirates and princess party when he was 6. We did it at home and hired an entertainer for an hour ( it was a clown/magician).

All the kids came dressed up (no boys turned up as a princess thankfully!!) played some of the usual games (musical bumps, pass the parcel etc) watched the entertainer, had some food and went home.

It was a lovely day and to be honest possibly one of the best (and cheapest!) parties we had. We were lucky the weather was good and we could do it in the garden but otherwise we had the village hall on standby (costs about £15-20 to hire for the afternoon) so all in all came under £100 for 20 children. Instead of party bags they all had a balloon to take home.

balmaiden

My eldest Grandson was six last week and there was no way that my daughter could afford any play area parties.

He invited four school friends that with himself,younger brother and two cousins made eight children.

My daughter and myself went to Tescos and bought stuff for a Batman themed party,tablecloth napkins masks etc. I also bought a pin the tail on the donkey pack from there, it was 97p and came with about 20 numbered tales, so that each child had there own number so no disputes. We also bought one of the papiere mache toys that you fill with sweets and hang up(the name of which totally escapes me for the minute, but it is Spanish I believe) and the children take turns to be blinfolded and then hit the toy with a stick until it breaks and the sweets shower everywhere. It sounds violent but the boys loved it. That cost about eight pounds I think. That with three rounds of pass the parcel was enough games for them.

The reason my Daughter stuck to Eight children was because she only has eight chairs. I think your idea of a picnic is a very good one. Don't go overboard with the food we thought we had pared it down to the minimum, ham rolls, egg rolls,sausages on sticks, sausage rolls, breadsticks, dips, crisps a few chocolate biscuits and fancy cakes and I made the birthday cake,but there was plenty for all.

Total cost was under fifty quid. All the children loved it and the childrens Mums all thought it was much nicer than going to the same play areas that everyone has their party at.

Brig back the traditional kiddies parties thats what I say!!!!!

mrcow

Luna69 wrote: »

Hi
As the title says I need some help/advice with a party for a 6 year old girl. I'm not a party person myself, nor any good at organising one. However she had wanted the usual play area type, but a) we can't really afford one and b) we've all been ill since new year and not even had time to think about anything.

Still call them and consider it if that's what she actually wants.

Our local one is £7 per head minimum 8 children (so £56 all in for a small party) and includes a two hour party with face painting and food and a partybag. It's a bargain when you consider the organisation and expense of alternative parties. I've had other parties round my house and they have been just as expensive and LOADS more work. They can usually fit people in short notice if you're planning one after school.

All you have to do is bring yourselves and a birthday cake and candles.

Personally I can't thinkof anything worse than 15 six year olds running round my house and my "hall" parties have always cost more than the "soft play" type once I've factored in entertainment and food.