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Pick whatever you want, and parents will make the best decisions for them. We would have been a no-go for naptime parties through age 5! But that's our call, just like the party time choice is your call.

We are having a party for our 4yo at 2pm. I already knew that a number of her classmates no longer nap regularly on the weekends. I'm sure there will be some that aren't attending because of the time (or because they have younger siblings that nap) but that's ok, enough are coming.

Find a new venue with 9 or 10am timeslot.

Anonymous wrote:You plan what is better for you. At this stage, your child will not remember who attends and who does not. She will be happy playing with whoever is there.

Our kids are older, but when they were that age, when we went to an early party or a party during normal naptime, we would make sure they were up early that morning and then put them down for a nap pre-party. So, make sure they were up by 7am and put them down for a nap at 11am and then we'd get them up around 1pm for the party. We were usually able to time shift earlier and not completely mess up the next day.

Sorry, the point of the second part was that families that choose to attend are responsible for managing their children and doing what is best for their families. If they can find a way to make it work, they do and attend. If they can't, they can send their regrets.

You plan what is better for you. At this stage, your child will not remember who attends and who does not. She will be happy playing with whoever is there.

Our kids are older, but when they were that age, when we went to an early party or a party during normal naptime, we would make sure they were up early that morning and then put them down for a nap pre-party. So, make sure they were up by 7am and put them down for a nap at 11am and then we'd get them up around 1pm for the party. We were usually able to time shift earlier and not completely mess up the next day.

4PM and plan to feed dinner.

We had a similar choice for a 4 year old party (except I think the times were 2:30 and 4:30). We picked the 2:30 and worried that napping kids wouldn't come but had a 100% response rate. I think it helped that our kids has a later birthday for her class- so most of the kids were already 4. However, there were some younger siblings that came just fine as well. I agree with posters that if you know a large chunk are on the early end of 3 I would do the 4pm but if they are closer to 4 would do the 2pm.

4pm. Naps are fundamental to good behavior.

Yeah, my (napping) 3 year old would be a no-go for 2pm but would definitely be there at a 4pm party.

If she was turning five, I'd say yeah, go for the 2pm if it's better for you since the nappers would be more rare, but she's turning 4. I would guess half her friends are still napping.

Anonymous wrote:4pm so her friends don't have to skip nap to come.

This, definitely.

4pm so her friends don't have to skip nap to come.

I would do 2 PM. I mean I didn’t even really have to think about this one.

My DD is turning 4 soon and I would do 2 pm in that circumstance. It’s better for your DD and for some kids who nap 4 pm can be tough to pull off anyway—I know when my DD still napped it was a struggle to get her anywhere in the afternoon post nap.

The venue where I want to have my DD’s 4th birthday only offers parties at 2pm or 4pm. Honestly neither is ideal because I know she will wake up at the crack of dawn to go to her party and we will have hours to wait.

I prefer the 2pm slot but some of her friends/classmates just turned 3 and still nap so that won’t be great for them. If I do the 4pm, I am sure the time works better for everyone else, but the party won’t end until 6 and then we will need to go home and my DD will want to open and play with gifts, which means her 7pm bedtime won’t happen and she will likely be a total disaster.

What would you pick? The only other option is to find another option that does AM parties, but it probably won’t be a gym party like she wanted.