can we talk 4th birthday party...how do you handle siblings/classmates?

Ok....I have a few issues/questions. Ds is turning 4. We normally have a backyard party and invite everyone. This year we're having it at a gymnastics place because baby will be less than 6 weeks and I don't want him around all those kids.

Issue #1: These parties are not cheap as you all know. So how do you handle inviting kids where their siblings are either too old or too young? Do you just invite them all or pick a cut-off age? This is regarding my friends that have kids.

as an aside...I remember being invited to a bouncy type place for a 5th b-day when Jack was 2.....what a nightmare...I thought he was going to get trampled and he threw a fit when I tried to keep him away from the big kids.

Issue #2: ds goes to preschool. made some friends last year but just found out he's got a new teacher this year....no idea who's in his class. Party will be less than 2 weeks into the beginning of school. Do I just invite the kids in his class that he already knows? What about kids from last year no longer in his class? or invite them all.....$$$$

WWYD? thanks for entertaining my crazy

Re: can we talk 4th birthday party...how do you handle siblings/classmates?

As far as the siblings go, I'd invite them all. I know it's $$$$, but it's hard to pick a cut off age.

As far as school, can you ask the teacher for the names/addresses of the kids that have known your DC from last year? This is what I did. I got the names from the teacher, wrote out the invties and she mailed them for me.
Otherwise, I would have had to invite about 20 kids I have never met.

Re: can we talk 4th birthday party...how do you handle siblings/classmates?

I personally would not invite the whole pre-school class unless there was a child that he is very friendly with and you had playdates with outside of school. And being it will only be the 2nd week into school I doubt he is going to become BFF's with anyone. You could always make cupcakes or pick up ice cream cups from Carvel and bring them into school for him to celebrate during class.

In regards to siblings, they generally dont count cost wise unless they will be eating pizza and participating. Ask the gymnastics place. I had DS's 3rd birthday at Pump It Up and they only counted the 3 year olds even though some of my friends brought younger siblings.

Re: can we talk 4th birthday party...how do you handle siblings/classmates?

Thanks ladies....the place told me that kids who weren't walking were free....but what do you do when there's an older (and frankly out-of-control) sibling?

Re: can we talk 4th birthday party...how do you handle siblings/classmates?

Re: can we talk 4th birthday party...how do you handle siblings/classmates?

Re: can we talk 4th birthday party...how do you handle siblings/classmates?

Here's what I did with DS's 4th bday, although his was in May at the end of the school year not the beginning. I had a party at Burger King on a Thursday at lunchtime. He went M-W-F to preschool so we were able to have it from 11:30 to 1:00. The place had a playplace of course. I only invited his class and a few other kids we knew from gymnastics. The kids had a blast and it was dirt cheap. Basically the cost of a kids meal + $1 per kid. I gave the kids a nice goodie bag too bc I didn't spend a fortune. But I don't think anyone cared or thought it was cheap. If they did, they never acted like it and since I wouldn't think anything of it if my DS was invited to the same party, I went off the assumption that is was a nice party for all. My older kids were in school which was good bc they really didn't need to getting in with a bunch of 3-4 yr olds anyway. I had a small family party on the weekend and he was happy. For me, with my older kids, I did their "bigger bash" for their 5th & 6th birthdays. Then smaller ones thereafter.

It would make the issue of inviting the entire class an easy decision if it's affordable if everyone says yes. And you could include the kids from last years class who he's friendly with then too.

Message edited 8/31/2010 10:34:00 PM.