Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bagels, pastries, fresh fruit, muffins, OJ, water, milk

+1 this is what I served at my DD's last birthday. It was perfect for the kids but the adults didn't really eat anything other than the fruit and coffee (which I also had). I don't know what your parent crowd is like, but in ours people seem to stay away from carbs. I only mention this because we had a TON left over.

We did too, they just had th coffee. And more coffee.

We host these types of gatherings several times a year as we have preschool age kids (birthdays, play groups, friends with small kids, etc) for groups of 20-40 folks. My go to menu for a 10AM-12PM event is:

-selection of bagels
-selection of cream cheeses
-lots of smoked salmon
-all the toppings for bagels and salmon (cucumbers, onions, capers, tomatoes, lemons, etc)
-coffee cake
-mini-muffins
-coffee, milk boxes, juice boxes, mimosas, mini-water bottles
-goldfish
-pretzels
-selection of fruit
-cheese sticks

we also do regular size and mini-cupcakes for the birthday celebration. Many adults only nibble a bit, kids usually have a decent size snack, and folks who are hungry will make themselves a bagel with toppings.

Anonymous wrote:The timing is fine. Have coffee for the grown ups!

Do mini bagels instead of regular sized for the kids. Mini muffins. Less waste

+1 on the mini-foods. I think it's nice to have some - snacks available during the party (mini-bagels and fruit is fine), but most people won't eat a ton until closer to lunch. I do think you should have something substantial enough for lunch, but it can still be brunchy (quiche, breakfast sandwiches, etc.).

Anonymous wrote:1. I've NEVER heard of a kids Bday party that early. Just plan wrong and I'm sure the majority of the people going aren't happy about the time either.

2. 50 people is just crazy for a child that age. I sure hope your not allowing your child to get 25 or more presents. Bad move.

I have been to multiple parties at 10 am. I like them! I do appreciate when people serve food that's substantial enough for lunch, because if you give a kid cake at noon, it's going to be hard to get him to eat lunch. I've seen bagels, muffins, an egg dish (mini quiches or a breakfast casserole), and fruit, and that was totally fine. Coffee for the grownups--many won't eat much because they will have had breakfast.

I would put out small foods, like donut holes, mini muffins, mini bagels, fruit, then have an activity and serve an early lunch around 11:15-11:30. If you have low-carb parents, you can make or buy appetizer fritattas and cut into small bite-size portions, maybe hard boiled or deviled eggs. For many, 10am is mid-morning between breakfast and lunch, so light breakfasty snacks following by the lunch after activity will probably work our right.

I've NEVER heard of a kids Bday party that early. Just plan wrong and I'm sure the majority of the people going aren't happy about the time either.

NP here. Did you read the age of the child? 4 years old. Most kids that age are in preschool. The vast majority of the kids that we know are from double-income families and the kids have been in daycare, then preschool for most of their lives. They are in bed by 7:30, 8:00 or 8:30 and are up by 7am at the latest. We take turns and usually we each get to sleep in one day each weekend (unless the schedule is full) and so one parent is up by 7:30 at the latest. Most parents don't get to sleep in again regularly until the kids hit the pre-teen years and start to sleep later or can take care of themselves in the morning without parental intervention. But at age 4, you can't leave kids unattended in the morning to sleep in.

bagels, yogurt pouches, fruit and did donut hole tower for desert/stuck a candle in there and sang happy birthday.

Had a couple GF bagels for guest I knew couldn't eat gluten!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I gotta know Op....what venue can support 50 people?? Are you doing this at a park/playground?

We regularly invite 50-60 people over for gatherings in our house. We have a large family and we are close with our neighbors and their kids. How small is your house that it can’t hold 50 people?

NP here. We live in a row house that's less than 700 sq ft. Plenty of people on here - especially in sky-high-housing-cost DC! - can't fit 50 ppl in their house. Bully for you that you can, but remember that not everybody has (or chooses) the options you do.

We held our 2 year old's bday party this weekend at 10 am at a local playground. Served bagels, cream cheese/butter/jam, fruit salad, juice, coffee, applesauce pouches and raisins, and cupcakes at 11:30. Then home for lunch and naps (as thank god kids still usually do at this age). People grazed and kids played throughout and grownups complimented the offerings (I got very good bagels and coffee from local shops). We ordered 3 dozen bagels for 44 people (23 kids). Had some bagels left over but we sent most of them home with people. I think if we were doing it at our house, I might add some heavier brunch food (quiche or brunch casserole or something), cheese/crackers/veggies etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I gotta know Op....what venue can support 50 people?? Are you doing this at a park/playground?

We regularly invite 50-60 people over for gatherings in our house. We have a large family and we are close with our neighbors and their kids. How small is your house that it can’t hold 50 people?

I host 23 people every thanksgiving in our SFH (colonial in the 'burbs) and I barely have enough seating or space to move around. I can't imagine 50 people.

What sorta house do you live in - a mc mansion?

Anonymous wrote:I gotta know Op....what venue can support 50 people?? Are you doing this at a park/playground?

We regularly invite 50-60 people over for gatherings in our house. We have a large family and we are close with our neighbors and their kids. How small is your house that it can’t hold 50 people?

Anonymous wrote:I gotta know Op....what venue can support 50 people?? Are you doing this at a park/playground?

A house???

I gotta know Op....what venue can support 50 people?? Are you doing this at a park/playground?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. I've NEVER heard of a kids Bday party that early. Just plan wrong and I'm sure the majority of the people going aren't happy about the time either.

2. 50 people is just crazy for a child that age. I sure hope your not allowing your child to get 25 or more presents. Bad move.

1) I'd much, MUCH rather attend a brunch kid's birthday party than an afternoon party. Hello, tons of young kids still nap. And yet tons of people do lunch time parties. This drives me crazy--don't your kids NAP?

Better brunch or early dinner than lunch.

2) You *do* realize that OP might be part of a culture that does, routinely, host this many people for a birthday gathering, right? This is quite common with some cultures.

My 4 year old hasn't napped since he was 2.5. Pretty much only when he's sick or on the drive home after a particularly exhausting activity, like swimming. And when he did nap, it was in the afternoon after lunch. We still have "nap time" on days we are in the house for lunch, but he just hangs out in his room playing with toys for an hour.

I love lunchtime and afternoon parties. We like to go to the playground or do family activities in the morning. Post lunch is harder for us to fill. Lunchtime party or mid-afternoon party takes care of that. I don't care for early evening parties as much since he's wired when we get home, but whatever. We went to a lunchtime party today and it was great. Since it was lunch, there was plenty of time for leisurely showers for me and DH and a family trip to the farmers market in the morning. The baby fell asleep on the way to the party and kept sleeping through most of it, the 4 year old ran around with the other kids (3-8) for 2 hours, they got to eat pizza and cake for lunch, and when we came home he rested in his room for an hour and a half and then played with magnatiles until dinner. Great day.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks to all for the feedback! And geez Louise, some of you.

10am is totally the standard birthday party and playdate time for my kid's friends and preschool classmates. She doesn't nap, but lots of her little buddies still do. I prefer this time to the mid/late afternoon party, after which my kid never eats dinner because she's so full of cake and other birthday treats.

Regarding 50 people: that's not 50 kids, FYI. That's the total number of friends, preschool classmates and their parents (who we are also friendly with), neighbors, and family. There will no doubt be some last-minute cancellations and some no-shows. So it goes with the preschool set. My kid LOVES LOVES LOVES birthday parties so I am 100% on board with making her own party a special one.

Haven't yet decided between having breakfast-y foods that people graze on throughout the party, or serving lunch (probably pizza) around 11:30 with cake. I appreciate those of you who weighed in!

Are you having it some place? is there an option to actually eat at 10 or is there an activity first and then eating? if you aren't eating until after 11, I would go with lunch food and cake. Fruit and cheese plate maybe along with the pizza or maybe chicken nuggets?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did a pretend sleepover party on a Sunday morning. Had kids come in pajamas and stuffed animals. Had bagels and a doughnut stack instead of a cake. (Fewer than 50 kids though!)

Very cute idea

A friend did this "pjs and pancakes" last year and it was adorable! Even the adults wore pjs (it was a 3YO bday) and his bday is right around Christmas so everyone wore Christmas jammies, so cute!