Anonymous
Post 12/30/2015 20:40     Subject: 6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
NP here. I was thinking of a similar party. We have about 7000 piece of loose bricks lego, and various other sets. Do you think this is enough to entertain 9 kids? I wonder whether I can get away with just this one activity. With cake and pizza of course. I also have other building toys such as blocks, tinker toys, magformer etc. Kids are 6 to 7.
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2015 18:08     Subject: Re:6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do you think most people will drop off? I really would prefer not to have to entertain the parents. I'm aiming for a very low key party.


By 6, dropoff is default and expected.


Not at all. I would not drop off my 6yo unless the parents explicitly invited me to do so.
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2015 16:43     Subject: 6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
I think you need to be open to some parents staying but also let them know it's ok to leave. If I don't know you, there is no way I'm leaving my 6 year old with you. On the hand, if I do know you enough that I feel comfortable leaving my kid (& she's ok with it), I am sooo outta there and going to get my nails done or something!
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2015 15:57     Subject: 6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
Anonymous wrote:At this age I would expect most parents to drop off by default but I might also expect some parents to want to stay, especially if their child has anxiety issues or special needs or something like that.
There are always a handful parents at our school who seem to stay at parties. From what I can tell they try to stand in the back or some obscure corner and disappear into the background and don't seem to expect absolutely anything. I know one mom who does this and I think she'd be mortified if she felt she caused you any inconvenience. Her child is wonderful but does not separate well even at this age.


Same for us. I've also had parents then offer to help out with serving cake, etc.--it can be helpful to have an unobtrusive parent hanging around!
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2015 15:54     Subject: 6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
My 6 y.o. recently attended an in-home Lego party, and had a great time. They had 4 stations with huge amounts of Lego's, a coloring activity, cake and the Lego movie at the end while parents were picking up. I found in K, many parents aren't ready to drop off, but by 1st they are more likely to do so.

Have a fun party - don't worry so much and enjoy!
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2015 01:07     Subject: Re:6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
Post that drop off are welcome but expect there may be a kid or two that is not ready. My son could be dropped off at age 4, but once he went to elementary school and was with families he did not know, he refused to go unless I say stayed. Trust me, it was embarrassing. I still remember fondly the parents who went through great lengths to make me feel at ease and welcome.

Anonymous
Post 12/29/2015 23:45     Subject: Re:6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Mom of 6yo in 1st grade. I would drop off my almost 7yo at a birthday party. Would love the break.

Last yr, when he was in kindergarten, we attended a handful of birthday parties and all the parents always stayed. Maybe it is because it was kindergarten and new parents also wanted to mingle.


No. It seems most parents have no life these days and revolve their lives around their kids


You are a parent. Your responsibility, especially when they are young, is to revolve around them and meet their needs.
Anonymous
Post 12/29/2015 22:23     Subject: Re:6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
Anonymous wrote:Mom of 6yo in 1st grade. I would drop off my almost 7yo at a birthday party. Would love the break.

Last yr, when he was in kindergarten, we attended a handful of birthday parties and all the parents always stayed. Maybe it is because it was kindergarten and new parents also wanted to mingle.


No. It seems most parents have no life these days and revolve their lives around their kids
Anonymous
Post 12/29/2015 22:14     Subject: 6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We just did a Lego party for our twins who turned 6 and while many people dropped off, several parents stayed. Some who stayed are my friends but some I was just meeting for the first time. We hired a company to do an activity and it worked out great. Parents who stayed were either socializing or helping their kid with the project. I didn't feel any need to entertain the parents and when it came time for pizza and cake it was helpful to have the extra hands.


Who did you hire? How much was it?


We moved out of DC area and used a company called Playwell technologies. I think they have some branches in DC area. We paid $375 for 2 instructors since we had over 15 kids b/c of twin thing. They were great but it's worthwhile talking with them to make sure activity is age appropriate. I had a friend who did party for her 8 year old who had 14 kids and only 1 instructor and several of the kids were frustrated b/c project was too advanced for the
. I was very explicit that there would be 5 and young 6 y/os at party. Some kids still needed some help, but a few of the parents had fun helping the kids out. They made motorized rovers and then raced them.


We're in NOVA and used Playwell for my son's 6th birthday and had the same set-up as PP with two instructors and the motorized rovers. I think it was about the same price. They have a coordinator for this area who was really easy to work with. DS had a great time (and the rest of the kids really seemed to enjoy it too).
Anonymous
Post 12/29/2015 17:13     Subject: 6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I would say drop off and parents welcome. I would not be dropping off my child if I did not know you well. I would not say anything and just decline if I saw it was a drop-off party.


You sound insane.


You don't leave your kids with strangers.
I wouldn't either. Not at all.


You sound insane, too. Jesus. The helicopter blades are deafening.
Anonymous
Post 12/29/2015 16:50     Subject: 6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
we've seen themed house parties, kid's theater party, bouncy house, kid spa in Bowie, Chuck E Cheese, local park...parents often hung around simply because its not worth their time to drive somewhere and turn around and come back if its only 2 hours. At our party one mom brought work and just went out to her car to use her laptop, but a bunch of parents stayed and hung out playing with their kid or talking to other parents. I think it would look weird if you have mandatory drop off.
Anonymous
Post 12/29/2015 16:07     Subject: 6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
Have 6 year old twins -- on the party circuit this year, have been to a range - from movies to magicians to yoga to renting out a gym to nothing to pinatas only, but if there are no activities and the kids just free range it often devolves into the kids going wild and some beating on each other. I think for the parties where there is some activities the parents seem happier to drop off than if nothing is planned & some feel there's some supervision needed. For the having a party at home without much - at least having a few anchor things, like a pinata, freeze dance, pin the tail on something, an 'obstacle course' etc - cake (pizza & cake) only takes around 15 mins at this age and then free range for 30 mins was about right.
Anonymous
Post 12/28/2015 23:33     Subject: 6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We just did a Lego party for our twins who turned 6 and while many people dropped off, several parents stayed. Some who stayed are my friends but some I was just meeting for the first time. We hired a company to do an activity and it worked out great. Parents who stayed were either socializing or helping their kid with the project. I didn't feel any need to entertain the parents and when it came time for pizza and cake it was helpful to have the extra hands.


Who did you hire? How much was it?


We moved out of DC area and used a company called Playwell technologies. I think they have some branches in DC area. We paid $375 for 2 instructors since we had over 15 kids b/c of twin thing. They were great but it's worthwhile talking with them to make sure activity is age appropriate. I had a friend who did party for her 8 year old who had 14 kids and only 1 instructor and several of the kids were frustrated b/c project was too advanced for the
. I was very explicit that there would be 5 and young 6 y/os at party. Some kids still needed some help, but a few of the parents had fun helping the kids out. They made motorized rovers and then raced them.
Anonymous
Post 12/28/2015 23:24     Subject: 6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As an aside, please dint plan for just a big play date. It doesn't shake out that way. Plan at least a few organized activities.


Well, I posted a question regarding this here a few days ago and most people said the kids just want to play. That when they have organized activities they don't have fun at this age and up. What do you suggest pp? It will be a Lego theme party.

Initially I asked the question because I was planning on having a movie party and show the Lego movie.

Ugh. I hate birthday parties. I feel overwhelmed.

Suggestions are welcomed. I'm inviting 11 children, 4 of whom are my immediate neighbors, and only 4 are classmates. The other 3 are friends from somewhere else.


I was the PP who advised to have activities. I am willing to bet the people who advised just letting the kids play have younger kids and have never hosted a group of 11 6 yr old kids alone for a few hours for bday party.

Do you have ample room for the kids to run around? If so, yes, plan to have them do that for a some of the time but that will eventually get out of control so you need to have plan for activities to move on to. Since it's a Lego themed party, plan some kind of lego games and consider getting one of those lego companies to bring a ton of legos over.

A movie is an option but understand that the majority of the kids will not sit and watch for the duration of the movie. In fact, you might get a handful who will watch for maybe 30 minutes. It's not like the kids watching a movie with just one friend. With a large group during a movie, they get distracted pretty easily.

Limit the party to 90 minutes. 2 hours is too long for a 6 yr old party at home.

Some parents will in fact stay for the duration of the party because they will want socialize with each other or because their own child won't feel comfortable yet with being dropped off so make sure to plan for some parents to stay. Just know that the parents who stay are not likely to assist you with the party and will socialize out of the way of the party with each other.


NP here, and I agree with a lot of this. I recently hosted a birthday party for about 15 six year olds. I had read somewhere (maybe Martha Stewart?) to have something planned about every fifteen minutes. And that turned out to be about right. Our party was two hours. We had two fifteen minute sections of "free play" at the beginning and the end. Fifteen minutes for lunch, fifteen minutes for cake and presents, fifteen minutes for a piñata, and a few other planned activities. I think you could plan on watching the Lego movie and building with Legos as part of the party.
Anonymous
Post 12/28/2015 21:20     Subject: 6 y old drop off party. How do I word this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I would say drop off and parents welcome. I would not be dropping off my child if I did not know you well. I would not say anything and just decline if I saw it was a drop-off party.


You sound insane.


You don't leave your kids with strangers.
I wouldn't either. Not at all.