If you've ever hosted a kiddie birthday party in your backyard/home...

[citymama]

...I need your advice! Every single invitee has Rsvped 'yes' for DD2s first birthday party. So now I have about 20 adults and 15 kids descending on our home in less than 16 hours (including several rsvps today!). I need advice about how to prevent the 10 preschoolers from wreaking havoc on our home. Advice on how to keep them entertained, prevent them from wiping cake on our walls (it's happened) or scratching up our new hdwd floors would be great.

(Feel free to say "you asked for it honey, why didn't you do this at the park like you usually do?" it's what I've been telling myself as well.)

I have: lots of sidewalk chalk for the backyard, bubbles, wading pool and water table. I'm a bit terrified of accidents with the water, and need the parents to take responsibility for their kids. How do I make sure this happens?

Sorry for the scattered thoughts but I'm sorta freaking out! Thanks for any words of wisdom, esp if you've BTDT.

[Melanie]

Well we did have one backyard party that went just well and no one came inside to play. All the toys were outside, the food and later cake was served outside, the crafts were outside, it was also a water party with sprayers/water tables/wading poos and all of the action was out there. Plus for some reason, the kids really got that you don't go into someone's house dripping wet.

The tricky pary was that time when it starts to wind down and people are gathering there things to leave, getting them to continue through the house and out the front door without escaping down the hall to the kids' rooms. If you can have people enter/exit through a side gate, festively, I think that would work really well. Though of course be expecting there will be lots of bathroom trips into the house.

I also just closed the bedroom doors so they weren't inviting at all (our bathrooms were down the hall with the bedrooms, we didn't have a separate 'guest' powder room).

ETA: I will say that was our second and last home party, though. LOL. It was easier with just one child and one child's friends. As families grew so did our social circle and I don't have the size home, energy or the "help" to try it since. Though I'm tempted for my daughter's next birthday. It's hard to do a park party in the heat of summer (and I have tried that, too!).

[94bruin]

If you can direct the party-goers to a side/back gate, that would by-pass the need for guests to actually enter your home from the front. If your guests are limited to the backyard, they would really only need to enter the house to go to the bathroom. Close off as much of the house by shutting doors and putting up blockades (baby gates?)

Can you lay down any rugs or play foam pads to help prevent floor scratches?

Are you having any arts and crafts? One year, I hung a long piece of butcher paper up on the fence and let the kids paint on it. You could write "XX's 1st birthday party" at the top of the paper.

Not that this will help you tomorrow, but for the few parties that I've thrown at home, I try to get a bouncy house. Kids spend a lot of time in it (ie less time causing mischief.)

I love backyard parties, but you really have to be confident in your guests. DD1 will be turning 6 at the end of this month. The trend around here is to have drop-off parties for Kinders. No way would I host a party of crazed 5-6 year olds without their parents. Thus, we are having her party at a soap-making place. Her last party was for her 4th birthday. Lots of kids, but each kid had at least one parent, so it was manageable. I think that (at least my my experience) parents of preschoolers tend to be more hawkish of their children at other people's home.

[goldenpig]

...I need your advice! Every single invitee has Rsvped 'yes' for DD2s first birthday party. So now I have about 20 adults and 15 kids descending on our home in less than 16 hours (including several rsvps today!). I need advice about how to prevent the 10 preschoolers from wreaking havoc on our home. Advice on how to keep them entertained, prevent them from wiping cake on our walls (it's happened) or scratching up our new hdwd floors would be great.

(Feel free to say "you asked for it honey, why didn't you do this at the park like you usually do?" it's what I've been telling myself as well.)

I have: lots of sidewalk chalk for the backyard, bubbles, wading pool and water table. I'm a bit terrified of accidents with the water, and need the parents to take responsibility for their kids. How do I make sure this happens?

Sorry for the scattered thoughts but I'm sorta freaking out! Thanks for any words of wisdom, esp if you've BTDT.

I think you'll be fine, especially if it's outdoors! We had about the same number of people or more at DS' first birthday party at our house, except it rained so everyone was stuck inside. It was a little crazy but everything was fine. We didn't have any organized activities, the kids just played with our slew of toys (we have a slide and a mini trampoline in our living room, and a downstairs playroom) Most parents tend to keep a close eye on toddlers/preschoolers so I think you'll be OK. If you are worried about the water, just don't have the wading pool. I think you are right to be cautious--accidents can happen even in wading pools so I'd probably skip it. The water table and all the other activities will be plenty. Have the cake outdoors and try to keep people outside as much as possible if you're worried about messes, but honestly I think you'll be fine. Relax & have fun. Happy birthday to your DD!

ETA: Do you have those little plastic balls? You could turn the wading pool into a ball pit instead. Fun!

[s7714]

If you can direct the party-goers to a side/back gate, that would by-pass the need for guests to actually enter your home from the front. If your guests are limited to the backyard, they would really only need to enter the house to go to the bathroom. Close off as much of the house by shutting doors and putting up blockades (baby gates.

:yeahthat: I put up a baby gate at the bottom of our stairs to keep people from venturing upstairs to our bedrooms. A friend of mine has a bathroom right next to the back door, so she blocks off the entrance into the rest of the house so people can get to the bathroom but nothing else. Oh and we both label the bathroom door so it's clear which one it is.

[ahisma]

We've done similar backyard parties and they've gone great! We had a similar set up, just sub a sand box for the wading pool. They kids all kept busy and everyone had a great time.

No one really came into the house except to use the bathroom and a few close friends who helped me frost the cupcakes (total last minute!). We do have a side gate that was a natural entrance, we stuck some balloons there and I think it was pretty clear.

[HIU8]

DD's party is in our backyard. We are not allowing ANYONE in the house (unless they have to use the bathroom). We are not letting them in the front door to get to the backyard. We will have a sign directing them through the gate on the side of the house. PLUS, we are laying down runners from the sliding glass door to the bathroom so if they come in to use it, they do not track mud into the house.

[ThreeofUs]

We did exactly this - and it was pure heaven! All the parents came, all took responsibility for watching their children, and the children behaved magnificently. It was a miracle of the first order.

We had stations - play areas for 2-4 kids - all over our first floor. IIRC, we had the play kitchen, a couple of ride-ons, blocks, etc. We even had two "quiet corners" for when someone needed a little space (or a nap). I was the "run around and make sure everything's going well" person. DH was responsible for our son and keeping an eye out wherever he was.

As you are also going to have outside activities, you may want to consider getting a sitter to watch the water station, jic, kwim? I'd be terrified of an accident out there, too.

We also had low tables and chairs for all the kids, with small plates of finger foods they could snack on. (I had one guest with egg allergies, so I made everything eggless.)

We had "changing stations" for the diaper crew, with signs to them.

Oh, and whispering to each parent as you see them before the party that you need their help to make sure all kids are covered will really get a bunch of folks on your side as watchers.

Have a wonderful time!! Take plenty of pictures, or have someone there to do it, because these are the best parties!

[maestramommy]

I'd say keep it outdoors as much as possible. For Dora's bday we had a kite flying party. 15 kids plus their parents. At some point it morphed into a box party. Our neighbors' kids knew we had these huge cardboard boxes in our garage the girls played with, and asked if we could get them. So Dh pulled them out, and cut windows and doors out of them. The kids had a blast. Then we pulled out our super duper Cartwheel wagon and the kids started giving each other rides.

Somewhere in there we had cake and snacks in the garage. Towards the end the kids went inside and played with the toys for a bit, then everyone went home. The party was from 10-12, with snacks only, so very manageable.

We have a very large (relatively speaking) driveway and front yard though, so there was plenty of space.

[hillview]

No one in the house unless they need to go potty. Lots of activities and snacks.
/hillary

[elbenn]

If it's an outdoor party, it would be a good idea to bring some of your toys outside and have a "toy corner". Kids always want to go check out the toys, so if they are right outside, then it will be easier to keep them entertained outside.

[smiles33]

The one time we did a home party, my biggest problem was getting them to leave! I had listed a 11-1 party time but they lingered until almost 2:30. It was open play at our house (we have a huge play structure, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, etc.) and no way to kick them out without saying "it's time to go!" The kids were having a ton of fun and the parents were chatting with one another, while I was worried about my 1 year napping through the noise. I had even passed out the goodie bags thinking it would hint that it was time to go, but then the kids started playing with all the stuff inside.

I suggest considering whether you can do the activity stations and come up with some way to shut those down just as you move on to a natural "end" activity (e.g. cake and singing). This way, once those are "shut down" it doesn't allow the kids to go running back to the activity stations after the cake. In our case, the kids just ran back to the play structure and started a game of hide-and-seek.

Have fun!

[Globetrotter]

BTDT when every single person came to dd's second bday party - about 60 people and we couldn't use much of my yard at the time. I get chills just thinking about it, but you have half the crowd and can use the yard. You'll be fine :)

You could direct them to the backyard via a side gate (put up a sign at the front door with an arrow to the side gate).

Once there, quietly mention that you would like some help keeping an eye on the kids.

Close the doors to any rooms that are off limits, and they will generally respect that visual cue. Clear out clutter as much as possible to keep an open space.

I would honestly skip the wading pool. Things happen, and there is no way to guarantee water safety when there is a big crowd, and IMO it's not worth the anxiety. Plus you will have wets kids running through your house to use the restroom!

Keep all the food outside. I love to attend at home parties because the guests get a chance to relax and chat!

Have fun!! It will be a parenting accomplishment for you :)

[artvandalay]

Can you rent an inflatable jumping thing/bounce house for a couple of hours?

[artvandalay]

I would honestly skip the wading pool. Things happen, and there is no way to guarantee water safety when there is a big crowd, and IMO it's not worth the anxiety. Plus you will have wets kids running through your house to use the restroom!
:)

:yeahthat: Agree. And you've already mentioned it makes you nervous. Skip it.