I tried to do a search for help but didn't see anything...so I apologize for yet another birthday party question.
My question is I am finally caving into the "friend" birthday party this year. I am planning on having both my daughters birthday at a local gymnastics place. The gymnastic place has 2 times for parties on Saturdays, either 4-6 or 6:30 - 8:30. I am to provide the food, refreshments and decor. I am leaning towards the 4-6 party, however hate to have to serve a dinner as I think eating and doing gymnastics may not be the best thing to do.
However, if I pick the 4-6 I pretty much have to plan something for dinner don't I? Or would cake & ice cream be just ok? If you think I should offer a dinner what are your suggestions on food?
I don't think you have to serve dinner at 4-6. Snacks with cake and ice cream should be fine, then people can take themselves to dinner.
In fact, I prefer that to getting a few pieces of pizza.
4-6....I would offer dinner, yes....6:30-8:30- cake and ice cream would suffice.
Suggestions: Hot dogs/Pizza/Sloppy Joes....You could order pizza or put the hot dogs or sloppy joe mix in crock pots....Chips, Pretzels, other munchies, etc for sides...
That's the usual bday party fare in our household. :)
If you choose not to do dinner, and 6 being the end time does allow for the families to get their own dinner elsewhere...I would make mention in the invite that light snacks/cake/ice cream will be served, so guests will not expect more...Just my two cents...
We had a lunchtime bday party at a gymnastics place this year for my 4yo. They did just over an hour of gymnastics and then gathered in the party room for pizza and cake. I think 4-6pm you definitely want to serve dinner whatever you decide to do. We just ordered the pizza in advance online with a delivery time of when they would be done tumbling. Worked perfectly! Luckily we didn't have to provide decor though. They had an option to purchase balloons and the package came with tablecloths and all paper products. Good luck!
NO DO NOT FEED THOSE KIDS WHILE DOING GYMNASTICS!!!! I would imagine the owner would be glad to see that coming in, less work for him since they'll be sitting eating instead of doing gymnastics.
Do you really want to clean up puke if someone doesn't agree with a full tummy going upside down on the uneven parallel bars????
Plus you want every minute possible on the equipment, really want to pay $100+ to sit at a table and eat? Or do you want to pay $100+ to have a teacher do almost a private lesson with these kids. You're there to do gymnastics not feed them. If they want food then do the party at McDonald's or Burger King so they can fill up and play the whole time.
Do only cake and ice cream. On the invitations make sure to say something like:
You're invited.......at ....pm.....at .....gym location....please join us on this special occasion for cake and ice cream.
That way they know going in that you're not feeding these kids.
I think do the 4-6, but you have to have dinner after. No one wants their kids to eat cake and ice cream right BEFORE dinner. You can do so many easy things - pizza is the easiest as others said. Or other things in a crock-pot, Mac n Cheese, etc. Or you could even go somewhere else to eat - a pizza joint or something similar.
Don't you normally eat after any planned activities, anyway? 4-6, dinner as late as possible. Problem solved. I'm pretty sure the people running the parties at the gym know what they're doing. I wouldn't do the later one, because it seems too late to have a party at that time.
If it's like how ours was done at a gymnastics place, the kids will do the gymnastics first and the last 45 minutes or so are reserved for food. We had a 4-6 pm party and ordered pizzas. The kids had the pizza first, then cake and ice cream.
They were hungry after all of the time they'd spent doing gymnastic activity. With that time frame, people will expect dinner.
I'd do 4-6, specify 'light snack and cake/ice cream' and be done with it. I imagine most people eat dinner after 6 p.m. on a weekend, anyway.
