B-day party planning--evening party

[lalasmama]

I'm only now starting to plan DD's birthday party this year. It's in 2 weeks. Really, 10 days. One guest will be spending the night, but that's because her mom and I had pre-planned for it, well before the birthday party date came up. I don't want to take the sleepover away from the girls, as they need the positive time together! However, we're heading to Disneyland the next day, so I had to already veto DD's wish of 3 friends spending the night.

Now I'm stuck trying to figure out how to time this party. I was thinking about doing it at 6:30-8:30pm on a Friday night.

So, here's my planning questions I'm trying to figure out:

At 6:30pm, would you be expecting dinner? I'd like to avoid serving dinner, as we'll be leaving for a week and I don't want wasted leftovers.... I was thinking about printing on the invitations that cake and ice cream will be served, just to make it clear that there's no dinner. Of the invitees, all 3 families are working families, but all are usually home before 5:45pm, so I'm assuming they are eating dinner shortly after that if there's somewhere they need to go.

DD would like to have a "families against families" game of Scene It? Disney. Sounds fun to me. We LOVE this game! That being said, I don't know one of the families we are inviting... so, would you hang around an 8yo's birthday party to play Scene It? if the b-day girl asked to have families play it together? (I'd be leaning towards yes, only because I wouldn't leave my daughter if I didn't know anyone yet!)

How would you schedule/move things along? In the 2 hours, we would like to: do cake/ice cream, open presents, and play Scene It?.... I'm thinking cake/ice cream, Scene It?, and then presents...

Any other thoughts/ideas? I'm trying to make this cheap and easy, LOL!

[g-mama]

To be honest, 6:30-8:30 on a Friday night for working families seems pretty tough, esp if they have to get themselves and their kids fed dinner in the short time between arriving home and heading out to your house.

But secondly, hosting a b'day party the night before leaving for Disneyland seems really stressful. We just got back from Disney World and cannot imagine having a party at our house the night before. I tried to plan ahead as much as I could, but we were still up til after midnight packing and getting ready for our 8am flight.

Can you delay the party til after you get back and not squeeze it in on a Friday night?

[wellyes]

That's a really rough time. I'd probably postpone.
Having to get my kids to a 6:30 party and also fed beforehand would be tricky.

[kristenk]

I think you should do the 1-person sleepover as planned but delay the party until you get back.

[lalasmama]

Ack! I'm torn now!

DD doesn't know about the trip, and her party was going to be when she found out. But I didn't want her to find out earlier than that, because I don't want to deal with "is it time yet?"...

We've had 1 family RSVP, and 1 family say "most likely" they will be there. Maybe we will say 6pm and do pizza and send leftovers home with my dad!

I have to figure this out tonight so we can invite the last family...

[Jo..]

I agree that 6:30 is iffy. Plan to serve dinner. There is no way my DH could make it home,gulp down dinner,and beat a party by 6:30 without being really stressed and pissed.

Get some pizzas and encourage guests to eat it all!

.

[LexyLou]

6:30 is a good time for a non sleep over "sleepover" party. A lot of people do that in our area but they do serve pizza/dinner...also at 8pm, most people do drop off parties. Depending on how close you are to the other families, I don't know how many would stick around, especially both parents.

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[blisstwins]

I think you have to serve dinner at that time. Pizza is good.

[Uno-Mom]

Personally, I'd be stoked about a family game night. But we're just cheesy that way and we like to play with kids. :). You know the families, are they cheesy like dh and me? Make it clear to them if you do want them to stay, otherwise who knows what they'd plan.

Pizza seems like a fine idea. Since the trip is going to be announced at the party, heck... Offer "to go" leftovers to your guests. Maybe that isn't standard party etiquette but there will be a big to-do made over the fact that you're traveling the next day!

Eta: if you decide to serve pizza, maybe bump the time to 6-8?

[lalasmama]

Update!

I bumped the time up 6-8pm.

In the invite, I said, "Please join us for pizza and ice cream! DD is asking for a grown-up from each family to stay so that we may all enjoy a round of Disney Scene It."

There will be three other families invited, and two will totally endure a game night for DD's pleasure. One family is our close neighbor, another family is our nanny and her DD. The third family I don't really know--I've seen them in passing at aftercare, and DD adores their DD, and calls their DD her BFF; but we've never done a playdate or anything. Even if the 3rd family doesn't show, it will be fun enough for the rest of us!

I'll send leftovers home with everyone, LOL! I'm going to plan on 3 pizzas at this point, and some soda and water. I suppose I'll have to send home cake with people too.

[MamaKath]

Update!

I bumped the time up 6-8pm.

In the invite, I said, "Please join us for pizza and ice cream! DD is asking for a grown-up from each family to stay so that we may all enjoy a round of Disney Scene It."

There will be three other families invited, and two will totally endure a game night for DD's pleasure. One family is our close neighbor, another family is our nanny and her DD. The third family I don't really know--I've seen them in passing at aftercare, and DD adores their DD, and calls their DD her BFF; but we've never done a playdate or anything. Even if the 3rd family doesn't show, it will be fun enough for the rest of us!

I'll send leftovers home with everyone, LOL! I'm going to plan on 3 pizzas at this point, and some soda and water. I suppose I'll have to send home cake with people too.
Sounds like a lot of fun!!! I would get some larger ziplocs to easily pack up leftovers to go home with folks. Have fun!!!

[SnuggleBuggles]

You could also freeze the leftovers so when you get back from the trip you have something yo eat. We always neglect that and have no dinner food after a trip that first night.