Our young Bluey recently turned four and he wanted to have a party. We immediately pictured scenes from countless movies with dozens of young children running around, tearing up the place in an unbelievable din. Every party our kids are invited to seems to have over a dozen children in attendance. And when we return to pick up our kids, the parents appear completely wiped out. Were we up for that sort of scene in our home?
Our local bowling alley advertises children’s birthday parties– groups of 8 or more. Oy. This minimum guest requirement is pretty typical of most businesses that offer party packages. First, that sounds like a nightmare to pay for, to plan, and to execute. Second, Bluey doesn’t even know that many kids. He makes friends wherever he goes, but Bluey has a smaller number of friends that he plays with consistently.
We prefer intimate get-togethers in our family. And that is more than OK. You should always plan the party you will be comfortable hosting. Just invite the people you want to invite, not the ones that you feel obligated to have over. Why involve yourself with the stress and hassle of planning a huge event just because the party industry is telling you that it’s the way it’s done? Relax and do it your way!
Bluey ended up inviting his two best friends to his birthday party. Everyone had a wonderful time. Since we had a smaller guest list, planning was a breeze and the costs were minimal. We were able to gather nice take-home gifts for the kids because it didn’t break the bank to spend a bit more on just 2 friends. Bluey planned the menu, so we had juice and a cake that Bluey helped to make at home. We also kept the time tight- an hour and 1/2 party. Time is much more difficult to wrangle when you’re entertaining little kids.
Tip: We got our party favors – wooden bird houses to be decorated and metal bird ornaments – from Michaels. You can always find a coupon online or in the Sunday paper for at least 40% off of 1 item for this store. Print two coupons and have your partner, friend, or older child check out separately from you for double savings!
We found it very simple to steer the small group of boys from one activity to another. It was easy to keep each child focused on what we were doing and of the time-frame needed for each activity. We were also able to give these small guests freedom to explore and play together on their own which would have been much more difficult with a large crowd of young ones.
In the end, Bluey was thrilled with how his party turned out. Isn’t that the idea? So don’t feel that you need to let others decide how big of an event you should host. Concentrate on what works for you and your family, and it will most likely end up as a success. Big or small– the point of a party is for everyone to have a great time.