Birthday Party pressure!

[newcomer]

What do you do for your children's parties?

Amongst Baby Newcomer's friends, the round of competitive "Two Year Old" birthday parties has started already. The parties are even MORE elaborate than last year and I'm beginning to feel the pressure to follow suit. So far, all the parties we've attended have involved paid entertainment (adventure zone; face painters etc) and/or catered food and professionally decorated cakes.

I HAD planned to have a simple 'at home' party, maybe with some musical games and pass the parcel, but otherwise I was just going to let the kids play and eat cake while the mums drink tea. But this now seems a bit, well, lame compared to everyone else's parties...

So I'm looking for guidance - how do I do an impressive, fun, RELAXED party that (a) won't break the bank, and (b) won't take 3 months to organise!

[EmilyE]

I'd stick to your original plan. If you're happy to do it at home, then do. You can't get in to endless rounds of one-up-man-ship/keeping up with the Joneses. And 2 is very little - the child is not going to miss the magician...

Why don't you think of something a little bit more structured at home. Depending on the guests' ages you could do a craft activity - buy little cardboard boxes to stick things on, or those black shapes that you scrape designs on to - sorry not very clear, but google yellow moon and they have lots of that kind of thing.

Or tell them all a story with props, maybe costumes so they can join in. Am thinking goldilocks and the three bears with teddies and three different sized bowls.

Feed the kids pasta and tomato sauce or sandwiches or some such and give everybody a slice of cake and it's a winner.

I'm sure the reason some people get entertainers/caterers is because they really can't face doing it themselves. So if you can, then do - in my view it's by far the nicer option.

[amyw]

When I was a kid the only thing I remember about parties was that you got given a balloon with a prize inside it to take home, normally sweets. You stuff it in the balloon before you blow it up.

I remember that vividly.

I don't remember bouncy castles, magicians etc although I know we had it sometimes as its in photos etc!

So agree with everything Emily says! Maybe rope in a friend to run the drinks/food side of things so you can concentrate on the activities.

[MrsMc]

Honestly - your original plans sounds the most appealing. Liking the sweets in balloons trick :-)

[Monkey]

Stick to your plans! My mother used to bake a cake herself and let us run riots in the garden with our bikes and roller blades. It was great fun.

[ryedalema]

I think the 'at home' parties are definitely the best. I know I'm guilty of this, but it's much easier to chuck a load of money at birthday parties rather than spend time making it special.

Home made cakes ALWAYS taste better! You could make a load of cupcakes and have little tubs of sweets/cherries etc to decorate them with.

And those balloons sound fab - I'd definitely be up for one of those (even as a semi-grown up!)

If you do have a little money I think the best thing you could invest it on would be - someone to help you clean it up afterwards!!!

Good luck xxx

[sunbob]

Our daughter and her friends enjoyed the simple excitement of her 3rd birthday party at home recently, just as much as they did her 2nd last year. Like you said, its also a nice chance for parents to have a sit down cup of tea/cake and chat. For us we are trying to make the most of her being impressed with balloons and party bags from the pound shop and a bit of music on the stereo, as the time when she turns her nose up and demands an entertainer and venue will come soon enough.

[ClareC]

I agree that party's at home are the nicest.

Are you sure it's competitiveness rather than practicality?

Winter birthdays mean being indoors and most people in London are limited on space. When each 2 year old is accompanied by at least one parent often two if its the weekend, it doesn't take long before things become rather crowded. Also, with two year old's it's the age when there are often new siblings coming along too with buggy / car seat etc

My daughter has just turned two and I liked the idea of a party at home. Decided against it based upon it being too difficult to limit numbers. We had a family celebration instead, she had a fantastic day playing with her two cousins I made a birthday cake and did party bags for the four of them (my two plus my sisters two). Age 2 they really don't understand birthday parties, it's easy to do exactly what you choose. I fear next year she will have an opinion on her birthday celebrations :)

[Mrs TP]

Oh I just did a 3rd b'day party at home for my daughter and 5 of her friends plus 4 older children. The only structured things we did were pass the parcel, party food and cake. Other than that they played with some toys and danced and just giggled at being together in a different environment.

One mum had just come from a much more formal party at a hired hall and was delighted we were so relaxed.

I have older kids - do save the venue thing until they start school and want to invite the whole class. We did bigger venue / entertainer parties for our older two on their 6th b'days - this just sort of organically happened as it was their second year in school, they had blossomed from one or two friends in reception and were mixing with more children so had a a wider circle to invite.

[womanofdulwich]

We alwayscoverd the party table with the back of wall paper and put pots of crayons out so they can draw on the paper.

[happy gardener]

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