Updated! Am I crazy - no activity at 2 hour birthday party?

[dotgirl]

**Update**
So just to be safe, I planned some activities, just in case. Freeze dancing (thanks for that suggestion!) to Charlie & Lola music, "Goofy Faces" (each person takes a turn making a goofy face while everyone else tries to imitate it), and "What Animal Am I?" (each child takes a turn drawing an animal sticker out of a hat and then 'being' that animal. Everyone else has to guess what animal they are).

In the end, we only did "What Animal Am I?" and then a game the kids like called "Run around and shout while bouncing balloons of each others heads!"

Anyway, so it all worked out.
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We're having our DS's 4th birthday party tomorrow from 12pm - 2pm, and we don't have an activity planned. I had figured that between lunch, opening presents, cake, and handing out the goody bags, there wouldn't be a whole lot of extra time. Besides, there will be 4 other kids there ages 4 & 5, plus a 2 year old - it seemed unlikely that they would be settled down enough to do any activity.

But now I'm getting paranoid and wondering if I should have something planned - I honestly figured they'd just play randomly until my DH got me all worried.

[SnuggleBuggles]

You certainly could do it just like a playdate that happens to have cake and presents- and it will work just fine. But, it wouldn't hurt to play something fun like freeze dance or something organized but not hard to do. :)

Beth

[egoldber]

I would have an activity or something available just in case things get a little crazy.

Around here, it is very uncommon to open presents at the party, so the activity kind of replaces that.

[JustMe]

I think you will be fine, as long as some of ds' toys ae available. I do something similar, although I do have a pinata which takes a little time but no goody bags. Have done that for every one of dd's birthay parties so far and plan to continue with the same next year. Really, I don't like overplanned parties for kids.

Robyn

[kransden]

For that age I had random stations. So there were things for the kids to do, but not a set time. You could have a play tent or box, coloring on butcher paper, balloons, I also like the freeze dancing idea. I never have anyone get out, we just stop after the song ends.

Karin and Katie 10/24/02

[hardysmom]

My kids aren't organized activity types... they have more fun running around and just playing with their friends than having to participate in a organized game, music time, craft project whatever... I always dread b-days with anything more organized than a pinata.

My oldest is about to turn 6 and is JUST really getting into sit-down party time with magicians/musicians/karate guys/etc.

You'll be fine. We've had parties w/ no activity in our yard. The kids have a great time.

We open presents here at small parties, just not the all-class parties. I loved the opening presents part of parties when I was a kid!

Stephanie

[SnuggleBuggles]

I loved the opening presents part of parties when I
>was a kid!

Me too! My ds is sooo disappointed when they don't open the presents at the party. He just loves it. He's 5 so it's not like he is a toddler who doesn't get the present isn't for him. He just thinks it's cool to see what the other kid gets. I get sad that this part of the party has been frowned upon.
Beth