Kids birthday parties...

....love 'em or loathe 'em?

Do you make sure your lo has a party every year? Do you think there is an age limit? Do you think you think it's better to start parties at the age when they will remember them? Do you count the party as lo's present, knowing that other people will buy the "wrapped up with a ribbon" kind?

WYO?

We have had 2 for Lucy..as she is 2! They are hard work though but like the idea of home parties. I know the ones at centres are much easier to organise but the ones I have been to have been a bit pants!

I had a party every year. since i can remember (even this year!), before that i know we used to at least see all the family on birthdays. not necessarily a house full of kids though.

My parents quite often organised home parties or sleep overs. I remember having loads of fun with children and adults on the bouncy castles in our back garden. parents having to collect children very late at night from home sickness (how a 7 year old gets home sickness after 5 hours i dont know) birthday cakes, presents, ballons, party games. Lazer Quest, soft play centers, redwings horse sanctuary,zoo trips with a couple of friends, BBQ's etc etc.

I LOVED IT!!

so Drew will have the same! if not bigger and better! his 1st birthday was in a pub that had a soft play center. a nice meal, loads of huge balloons, presents, just fmily.
his 2nd birthday was a home party. and i intend on keeping them as home parties for a while due to cost! My aunt throws her son huge parties every year. last year it cost nearly £500 for 35 children (drew wasnt invited i might add - just the entire class at school and a couple of cousins) i think that is a completely unnecessary spend on a 6 / 7 / 8 year old!!

I love birthday parties, I planned H's 1st and 2nd parties months in advance, I was very upset when his 1st had to be postponed due to chicken pox but his 2nd was fantastic. He still talks about it now.

I had four nursery friends over as well as a cousin, his half brother and neighbour, so 8 little ones and they all had lots of fun playing together. Age one was a train theme, age two tractors. At the moment I think age 3 will be Dinosaurs but I will wait until Novemeber to plan it properly (its mid January). I am being asked all the time when he can have another party so his friends can sing to him. He never mentions presents to a 2 year old it seems parties are all about your friends singing to you ... I think this is winderful.

I alsways had a party with 8 friends, always at home and usually with a theme, from 8-12 they were dress up parties, before that just tea parties with pass the parcel, treasure hunt, statues, etc.

Our pass the parcel was always fun, there was a message on each layer, so it would be "to the girl with the longest hair" "the boy who can tick his tongue out the furtherest" "the best singer" "the funniest joke teller" etc.

H will always have a party (until he says he doesn't want one) and hopefully he will enjoy them as much as I enjoy organising them.

jx

my elder 2 had birthday party's every year up until they where 8. then they stopped because the kids would rather go bowling/pictures ect with a few friends on their birthdays. Baby had a very very small party at grannys house for her 1st birthday but that because she is just after the new year and we felt that everyone had spoilt her enough for her 1st christmas.

I loved the birthday party's. I became super efficent mummy for them. I would bake loads of goodies and play plenty of games anad make up a party bag that was special to each kid.