Describe the best kids party you've been to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've been to 2 parties and 2 different "Pump it Up"s and my daughter has enjoyed these the most by far. Second favorite is anything with a moonbounce.

+1

My DD loves these the most. Talks about them for months after.

But, like another PP mentioned, she's pretty happy with any party.

[Anonymous]

Age OP? Very pertinent here.

Honestly, don't go nuts.

Favors/decorations double: BALLOONS! Because who doesn't love balloons?!

Bouncy house or other draw.

Cool cake.

Depending on time, coffee and/or beer/wine for adults. With something for gnoshing.

Limit to 1.5 hours.

OR (local) "destination" party (think bowling or laser tag) with host-provided (2 minivans worth?) transportation to and from - door to door. Limit to 3-4 hours total.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP is probably a blogger looking for her next post

OP here. I did not bump this thread. Why the cynical, snarky comment. Do you always feel the need to piss on somebody's parade?

We've been going to a lot of parties lately and I've been really impressed by the creativity of some parents. No need to over think it.

Geez.

[Anonymous]

Here's a Halloween party (planned in 2 hours) that we threw. We used to live in DC, now we live in a rainy part of the world. Looked outside at 4pm on October 31 and saw: Yup, it's raining. Texted parents of the kids we knew: Halloween Party At Our House in 2 Hours! Almost everyone came. 10 kids plus ours and parents.

Made spaghetti-threaded-through-hotdog-chunks (creepy!). Used leftover party favor bags, filled with most of the candy we were planning to hand out that evening. Kids came in, had dinner, ran around and played dressup (my daughter somehow inherited a HUGE amount of dressup clothes), and then we sent them to the basement with glow in the dark necklaces (cheap!) where they had a "rave." Hid the party favor bags around the main floor, kids came up and searched for a bag... they munched on all the candy (not a much as if they'd been trick or treating!) and left saying what a great time they had.

Age: 4-6 years old.

Time to plan and set up: 2 hours. Time to party: 3 hours.

[Anonymous]

I'm the person who bumped the thread. Just a mom trying to plan DD's next party.

[Anonymous]

Apparently you can rent space at the firestation for a kid's birthday party. What types of activity do they have for the party?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My favorite birthday parties I attended as a child were, hands down, the McDonalds parties. Do they even do those anymore? I remember the "stacking the Big Mac container" party game, and that super sickeningly sweet orange drink. But man, EVERYONE wanted a McDonalds party.

My Sister had a McDonald's party. I don't know what was in the McDonald's supplied Birthday cake, but it was the best Birthday cake ever!

[Anonymous]

Pump It Up has a definite age limit. Kids love it between 4 and 5 and then the novelty is gone. Mock sleepover was a fun one for girls. Trip to a children's theater (transportation provided) was fun for kids. Honestly they are all generally the same...there isn't really one that was the best kids' birthday party...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've hosted and attended several parties and here is what I've learned.

1. You must have food- it doesn't have to be much but everyone hates going to a party (especially a party at mealtimes) and there is not a grape to be found. FWIW, while I supply a full spread, food is considered chips/pretzels/veggies/pita bread. You can buy a lot of options to cover this category for less than $20.

2. Depending on age is depending on activity. 2 year olds do not need some grand craft for the parents to make. 3 year old's need SOMETHING to keep them from climbing the walls. The something can be a playground, the something can be a craft, the something can be an entertainer.

3. If you have an entertainer, make sure they are age appropriate and can accommodate your party size. Kids do not like to be the 21st person in line waiting for the one person to make them a balloon/paint their face.

4. Simple is best- simple does not mean ugly or boring, it means too many things create chaos which is not fun for the parents.

5. Take pictures before the party- as a host/hostess you will be busy doing everything else and if you didn't take a picture of the cake prior and it's important to have a picture, do it before.

6. Do not choose a cake/cupcake/dessert with red or blue frosting unless you are prepared to get it off every surface imaginable. One friend rented the community space and the kids smeared dark purple frosting on the upholstered chairs- that wasn't coming out with anything.

7. Always have bathrooms accessible. Parks without potties are not fun for anyone.

8. If you plan an activity for the kids that is potentially messy, tell the parents ahead of time. Nothing worse than Suzie showing up in a party dress for painting with non-washable paint.

9. Let the kids have fun- this should be number 1 but this was done in no particular order.

10. Bouncy castles are fun, but kids do get hurt. Nothing worse than EMS having to take a kid out on a stretcher since their knee bent the wrong way. It ruins a party for everyone. Just keep in mind the potential things that go wrong.

11. Check your invite list more than once. It's one thing to invite the class but huge parties are not as fun as the smaller ones since having to do things for 25 is much different than 8. And planning a party for 8 allows you to do activities/special things that are not possible/affordable for 25.

As for the best party we've been to, we have several to choose from. All were very thoughtful parties where the mom planned great age-appropriate activities that were easy for the kids to do and they had a great time. The kids had a great time and the parents did as well. Food was age appropriate (chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, fruit, veggies) and sippy cups. The worst party was a noon party without any food (I assured my husband not to eat since there would be food and there was not a chip to be found). You don't remember the mediocre parties but you do remember the ones without food!

How annoying and spoiled attitude

The tone was definitely condescending, but I thought the advice was quite practical.

[Anonymous]

At a bar! No, seriously. The birthday boy's parents held it at a neighborhood bar with a decent (but not huge) dance space. Since it was from 3-5 pm on a Sunday in mid-December, and not a sports-bar type place, the owner was happy to give us the run of the place. The kids had a blast chasing the (hundreds) of cheap latex balloons around the dance floor while a mix of kids' music and '80s tunes played in the background. BBs parents bought a few pitchers to get everyone started, after that it was open bar, with snacks, etc, provided by the family. Big finish: teaching the kids how to do the Electric Slide and the Moonwalk.

Man, it was fun. All of the Moms were walking around saying, "How? How did no one ever think of this before?" First party I've ever seen where the parents had just as much fun as the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At a bar! No, seriously. The birthday boy's parents held it at a neighborhood bar with a decent (but not huge) dance space. Since it was from 3-5 pm on a Sunday in mid-December, and not a sports-bar type place, the owner was happy to give us the run of the place. The kids had a blast chasing the (hundreds) of cheap latex balloons around the dance floor while a mix of kids' music and '80s tunes played in the background. BBs parents bought a few pitchers to get everyone started, after that it was open bar, with snacks, etc, provided by the family. Big finish: teaching the kids how to do the Electric Slide and the Moonwalk.

Man, it was fun. All of the Moms were walking around saying, "How? How did no one ever think of this before?" First party I've ever seen where the parents had just as much fun as the kids.

That is odd....the law doesn't allow minors in bars...at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apparently you can rent space at the firestation for a kid's birthday party. What types of activity do they have for the party?

Probably varies by fire station, but ours gives a tour of the station, let's the kids get in the trucks, try on a uniform, gives a fire safety tip/demo. Kids go home with plastic hats, coloring books, etc. My kids (4 & 6) have been to a couple of these and really enjoyed.

[Anonymous]

Paintball in Leesburg.

[Anonymous]

We went to a Mardi Gras birthday party a few weeks ago and the entire family had a blast. The kids made masks, played games, and ran around the house/yard like maniacs. The birthday cake was a king cake flown in from New Orleans. There was rice and beans and tons of great food for everyone, and the wine and hurricanes flowed freely. The kids had a blast, as did the adults. The only downside was the hangover I had the next day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At a bar! No, seriously. The birthday boy's parents held it at a neighborhood bar with a decent (but not huge) dance space. Since it was from 3-5 pm on a Sunday in mid-December, and not a sports-bar type place, the owner was happy to give us the run of the place. The kids had a blast chasing the (hundreds) of cheap latex balloons around the dance floor while a mix of kids' music and '80s tunes played in the background. BBs parents bought a few pitchers to get everyone started, after that it was open bar, with snacks, etc, provided by the family. Big finish: teaching the kids how to do the Electric Slide and the Moonwalk.

Man, it was fun. All of the Moms were walking around saying, "How? How did no one ever think of this before?" First party I've ever seen where the parents had just as much fun as the kids.

I love it! I'm totally stealing that idea.