Kids Birthday Part

caspermccormack

Hello,
Just looking for some advice about my Daughters birthday party, She's 7 and I have being looking to book somewhere for her but heres the story, some of the usual places on the southside of Dublin are still charging top dollar for the price per head of each kid(16 - 20 euro). These places must be recession proof as these are the same prices that they have charged 2 years ago. So any body have any suggestions as to the best place to book for value for money, and not having a party, would not be worth the moaning:(

Thanks inadvance,

anthony

sasmac

How about going to the cinema and local burger place afterwards. if you go early to the cinema they have cheaper deals

1daisy1

I'm not sure about the Dublin scene but I hired our local leisure centre hall for two hours (60 euro), the kids played basketball, football, games, etc..., the pool was also available to hire for a party where there are inflatable castles etc... It worked well for us, good luck with the party.

Gabsdot

My niece went to a party once which involved the birthday girls mother taking the birthday girl and 4 friends to the shopping centre. they went to the bank and post office so mammy could do some messages, then they went to penneys where she gave them all E5 to spend. Then they went to McDonalds. My niece talking about this party for months. she thought it was brilliant.

What about a party at home. You could do arts and crafts or decorating cookies or have a movie party, or a pampering party, they could paint each other's nails and give each other facials.

embee

Have the childs party at home....?

My daughter will be three next month. Her first and second birthdays were done at home, as will every other one (until she's a teenager and far too cool to hang out with her stupid parents). You could hire a bouncy castle if weather permits, if not, plenty of indoor games that can be played. My birthday is in early January. Every party I ever had as a kid was indoors, at home, and they were great craic.

I cannot for the life of me understand why people feel the need to get involved in these "Parenting Olympics"... spending huge amounts of money for the sheer reason that they can tell their friends that, well... they spent huge amounts of money.

Put the cash towards the college fund, tbh!

LadyMayBelle

I wholeheartedly agree with embee, parents these days seem to think they must have a party in some fancy place outside the home, and end up forking out a fortune either because all their kids friends have done so or they couldnt handle the thought of a bunch of kids in their home for a few hours, or other reasons.

Have a party at home, two or three hours, plan games for a good bit, then food for the other. In my experience, girls that age can entertain themselves for the rest of the time, looking at the gifts and dancing about as they do.

They remember it so much more than some generic cinema/play centre party, throughout my childhood we always had parties and such were looked forward to all year. My younger sibling had her party in october, and while yes, it took some time planning, the kids had a fantastic time and it cost a fraction of the price. Rice krispie buns, sweets, diluted juice, crisps, cocktail sausages etc are all easy do.

For games ideas try here or the parties forum, they aren't that hard to organise and enlist a friend or two to help.

My tuppence worth anyway:)

byhookorbycrook

I think some people prefer to pay a play centre to entertain children, so that the parent doesn't have to!

embee

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

I think some people prefer to pay a play centre to entertain children, so that the parent doesn't have to!

Well that's just lazy tbh.

These are seven year old girls - they'll entertain themselves for the most part talking about High School Musical, doing dances, talking about school etc etc etc. It's not like they're toddlers/pre-schoolers who need supervised play and activities.

Hiring someone to entertain children who are over 5 is, IMO, lazy behaviour.

Adventurezone in Westwood (leopardstown) is €12 per child afaik, it's a pretty cool place and they have their party afterwards with the usual saussies and chips and a party bag.

watna

embee wrote: »

Have the childs party at home....?

My daughter will be three next month. Her first and second birthdays were done at home, as will every other one (until she's a teenager and far too cool to hang out with her stupid parents). You could hire a bouncy castle if weather permits, if not, plenty of indoor games that can be played. My birthday is in early January. Every party I ever had as a kid was indoors, at home, and they were great craic.
Every party I ever had as a kid was indoors, at home, and they were great craic.

I agre with embee, my birthday is in January and we always went to the cinema or an indoor games place like bambams (anyone remember that?!) or somthing for my birthday because it was so cold and we couldn't run around the garden etc and my mum thought it wouldn't be a good idea to have it at home. My brother's birthday is in July and I was always jealous he got to have a party at home with outside games and cool things like bouncing castles. I'm still talking about it 20 years later, my mum says I'm traumatised by it because all the parties I remember are my brothers where we were at home! Have a party at home and get in good food and games etc. There's loads of ideas online (I've been looking at a lot of things recently). I'm sure you have family that will help out.

My birthday is tomorrow actually and because I now live in New Zealand where January is summer I am having a kids birthday party for my 25th birthday on Saturday. We're getting a bouncing castle and party games and lots of kids food (but they're will be alcohol too!). I've even got a barbie cake! It's going to make up for all those years of not having parties at home :)

LadyMayBelle

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

I think some people prefer to pay a play centre to entertain children, so that the parent doesn't have to!

Your kid is only going to have memorable birthday parties for so long before youre shafted out of the picture and they want to do their own thing so why not spare a few hours an throw a party. Yeah, you'll be tired, and yeah you may have had a busy week but the "mess" is easily managed by tidying as you go and the kids will have a ball, as you will. and again to agree with embee, seven year old kids entertain themselves after theyve been encouraged with few games, think pass the parcel (few cheap gifts like markers or hair things), pin the tail on the donkey, chinese whispers etc

caspermccormack

Yeah, that's made up my mind to have it at home, with some party games,a wii competition and a disco, and as much rubbish they can eat.:p
Any good craic games? let me know.

ohh, and where do i get a panyata?


Thanks again.

caspermccormack

caspermccormack wrote: »

ohh, and where do i get a panyata?

you can get them in Smyths I think, and in the cardshop on the very bottom floor of dundrum shopping centre at the entrance to the red car park or online?

These are the MOST fun

kelle

I just held a party for my son at the weekend at home (he is 8). His last 2 parties were at play centres, and cost e16 each so I decided I was going to do this on the cheap.
This is what we did. We got him to invite just 7 friends. I bought burgers, burger buns, pizza, chips (forget organic healthy stuff - just get the junk out, it's what they want!), a load of cheap toys none costing more than e1.50 and fun-size bars and packs of jellies. I bought goody bags and filled them up with the wee bars and the small toys.
They arrived at 2.30, they played together for about an hour - they're only interested in playing with different toys. They came down for food - burger and chips, pizza squares, cocktail sausages and juices. They played again for another half-hour, then came down for the blowing of the candles and birthday cake. After that, we had a game of "pass the parcel", with some of those gifts wrapped in 5 layers of newspaper - no need for expensive wrapping paper (even though those toys are just useless tat, kids love them! )Then they played with our WII, just as their parents arrived to collect them!
They all enjoyed themselves, and were all talking about the great day they had at school today. I had been nervous about it, but I must admit it was a doddle and I will never have any hesitation about holding one at the house again. A lot cheaper and hassle-free than bringing them somewhere!

kelle

caspermccormack wrote: »

ohh, and where do i get a panyata?


Thanks again.

Why not make one!

LadyMayBelle

Best of luck caspermacormack, it will be exhausting but well well worth it i will assure you! Yup, Smyths sell pinatas, they are great fun, you just gotta fill it with sweets!

You find some games in the Gifts and Party ideas thread under Recreation, but there have been a few suggestions here already...a tip tho, if you have a big group, maybe 10 or so, and you have the manpower, split the group in two and have two games running consecutively so there isnt too much mayhem,,,then swap over!

Good luck:)

stovelid

Home party a great idea OP. Wii competition sounds like a winner.

Probably better fun for the kids too.

rainbowtrout

Home parties are great. That's what we had every year when myself and my brother were small (80s kids!). All the kids would be shepherded into our sittingroom to watch a film or something until everyone had arrived and when everyone was there then everyone moved to the kitchen where mam had the table all set up with sweets and junk food on paper plates. everyone got the same so there was no arguing. Then there was birthday cake and blowing out candles. Then we'd have some music on and play pass the parcel, musical chairs, dancing, all the parcels wrapped in newspaper, with small things like hairclips, markers, stickers, cars in there, enough to make sure every child got something. This kept us more than busy until parents started arriving. It was great and everyone went home happy.

my birthday is stephen's day and all of my birthday parties were held on that day and my parents survived despite being up half the night on christmas doing the whole santa thing. I'm sure all the other parents in the area were delighted to get rid of their children for the afternoon so they could get a rest! :pac:

Go for the home party, they'll remember it a lot better than a trip to the local cinema/bowling alley etc. Even junk like rice crispie buns are probably a big novelty now as they are home made, I still love them

kelle

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Go for the home party, they'll remember it a lot better than a trip to the local cinema/bowling alley etc. Even junk like rice crispie buns are probably a big novelty now as they are home made, I still love them

+1

Attol

You were saying you had a Wii. Are the girls into High School Musical or other Disney music stuff? You can get Sing It. There's 3 different versions : one with High School Musical 1 and 2 on it, one with High School Musical 3 and one with various ones like Hanna Montana, Camp Rock and such mixed together.