Do you think home parties are better than venue parties?

[Anonymous]

Do you think home parties are better than venue parties? Like at a bounce house, laser tag, trampoline park, etc.

I get the sense that people responding on this board do (and because Mom can go all out with the Pinterest themes and decorations in her home) but IMO kids like venue parties better because they're more fun for them.

[Anonymous]

Totally depends on the kids. For 6 to 10-year-old boys? Venue. For girls or kids older or younger? Home can work.

[Anonymous]

Venue parties for my DD. I don’t want my house torn apart.

[Anonymous]

I prefer home parties, but I've done both - it depends on what the kids want. I've done a Lord of the Rings party at a fencing venue, a dinosaur poo party in the back garden, etc...

[Anonymous]

For my 5 yo boy nothing beats a venue. But he has a great time at home parties too. For me, nothing beats a venue for convenience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For my 5 yo boy nothing beats a venue. But he has a great time at home parties too. For me, nothing beats a venue for convenience.

BTW we have been to a number of home parties this year and there is no Pinterest going on.

[Anonymous]

Both are great. My kids have no preference.

[Anonymous]

My kid is still young (4) so this may change but I think the KIDS don't care/have fun either way, but the PARENTS of the guests enjoy a venue better. When we're at a home party I feel like I have to do a lot more work/monitoring to make sure we're being respectful of their home, things, etc. But at a venue I can usually relax and have more fun. FWIW no home party I've been to has been overly pinterest-y - a cake and some cute decorations, MAYBE a craft or activity on "theme", but that's all.

[Anonymous]

I like home better both to host and to go to. But I have young kids so our parties are our friends and their kids.

[Anonymous]

I think kids have fun at both.
My preference is for at home parties - my kids go to public school, so their friends all live nearby and its a short trip to their houses. The venue parties (bounce houses, laser tag) all tend to be about 20 minutes away.
I don't use Pinterest for at home parties - kids just want a simple cake (I let them decorate it with a bunch of candy), we use the dishes and cups we have, and I plan a fun activity. I also have a low-key house so there is not much they can destroy if I have it at home!

[Anonymous]

As an adult, I prefer home parties.

My kids can go either way, depending on the venue (is it something they like and hasn't been done 17 times already that year) and what's available to play with at the home.

[Anonymous]

I like attending parties at home. The food is awful at venues. At home parties there's usually a place I can sit and talk to other moms.

[Anonymous]

Neutral - anything good

[Anonymous]

No one I know has kids bday parties at home anymore! My kids are elementary age, 3rd and 5th graders.

[Anonymous]

I like (and miss) home parties where kids play and parents hang out. Usually happens when kids are young.

I detest venues that blast music super loud. My kids don’t need a head start on going deaf.

I find it unsettling that the idea of a party favor morphed into a goody bag.

A good party is where the kids enjoy themselves, so no preference.

A good party is where parents specify drop off or not. A friend hosted a party at her house during kindergarten where the whole class was invited. It was myself, the hostess, and about 30 five year olds. (I thought parents would stay...famous last words. Jk. We all survived.)