I am planning to have my child's party at the daycare in a few weeks. I already have tablecloths, centerpieces, goody bags, gifts for the girls (they were easy to buy for), etc. There are 15 children (4 year olds) and 2 teachers that I plan to provide for. I'm thinking....pizza/cupcakes, ice cream. I'm not sure what to get the boys and not sure what games/activities to do yet. Any tips/hints/ideas you would like to share for making the party a success and lots of fun? I look forward to your thoughts and ideas.
Thanks for the feedback, but I got the ok to have the party over two months ago. I also double-checked last week to make sure it was still ok for us to have a party at the school. We worked out the schedule ahead of time so everyone knows what to expect. The party will be in the school cafeteria after the kids wake up from their naptime and it will be for my child and her entire classroom. I can decorate, bring food, etc. They are always doing fun stuff at the daycare and asking parents to bring something so this won't be any different. Besides, I like to treat the kids to cupcakes on Fridays every now and then or right before a holiday weekend. Never been a problem. I'm looking to get ideas for fun stuff to do....keep the posts coming. I'm sure there are other moms out there who could benefit from fun party ideas as well as what to do and what not to do.
Pin the Tale on the Donkey
Mother May I
Red Light/Green Light
Bingo with colors instead of numbers
I know these are all "old" games, but children have not changed over the decades. They still LOVE these games.
As for the boys' goodie bags, little cars, those little skateboard things boys love to play with, baseball cards.
I'll share a few (perhaps offbeat) considerations, as I've worked at daycares and we had birthdays at my preschool:
Please talk to the teachers first. As was earlier suggested, the children need to have things pretty routine during their day, so talk to the teachers about when in the day a party might work.
Next, I'd check in about the food. Some kids are lactose intolerant, which means pizza and ice cream won't work for them. Celiac/gluten-free diets? Same thing. Find out how they feel about sweets, too. At my preschool (and many do this) we had a 'no sweets/treats rule' because children do tend to crash on the sugar and then we have a massive classroom meltdown. For many preschools, birthdays are wonderfully celebrated with fruit skewers or some fresh fruit cut up and served in cupcake cups. This makes sure the kids get something nutritious and won't go home cranky.
If you are looking for an inexpensive goody for the boys, try looking at your local bookstore for a Dover mini-books display. The books are usually $2-3 dollars a piece and they have a very wide variety-- mazes, tattoos, stickers,stencils, etc. (I regularly grab these up as they fit in my purse and my son can do the activities at restaurants while we wait for food.)
Once again, have a check-in with the teacher before buying food, etc. They may have some of their own usual classroom traditions for birthdays. Happy birthday to your boy, too!
Wow, this sounds like a lot for a daycare party! My kids aren't in daycare, so maybe I'm not in the know, but party games seems like a lot to me...? Maybe you could do a craft instead of a game? Pin the tail on the donkey (or some variation) is always fun, you could also do freeze dance or even musical chairs.
For boy favors I'd go with cars and things like that. Without knowing what you got the girls, it's hard to say exactly, but cars, bubbles, sunglasses, balloons, glow necklaces or bracelets...those are the things I know my 4 y/o and her friends would like.
Have you told the center that you are doing this? I don't think they'll appreciate you bringing in a full party without their consent. You are using their venue as a convenient way to throw a party that you really should be throwing on your own time. I have actually never heard of anyone doing this & never saw this when my DD was in daycare. We just did parties outside of daycare.
Typically the day cares like to keep the kids on schedule, I would make sure this is all okay first. I suggest to stick with the food options, make sure the cupcakes are the MINI ones not just regular cupcakes - skip the ice cream, confirm allergies. I would ask them about the games/activities and see if you can intergrate them into their regular schedule - maybe pin the tail on the donkey during outside play and I would skip the goodie bags - personally - but it sounds like you already bought stuff. I don't mind things like stickers, bubbles and temporary tattoos in them but candy and throw away toys bug me personally. It really is not the place to host a full on bday party and that is what it sounds like you are planning.
My kids' daycare allows parties. I don't think it's that big a deal (as posters below make it seem). I appreciate when parents put a little note to go home like "a pizza lunch and cake will be provided on Wed.'s for X's bday". I certainly enjoy not having to pack a lunch that day! Obviously the staff is aware of any allergies.
Things that don't have much directions or self control- like freeze dance or tag- would be my recommendation during their regular inside or outside play schedule. For boys, my 4 y.o. loves those hotwheels or bouncy balls that are less than a dollar. I also recommend finding cheap party gifts at Oriental Trading Company (website) or the 99 cent store. I've also done something fun to wear, like a twist on the party hat, for daycare favors. Like one year my son was in to dinosaurs so I got all the kids a dino mask, one year they all wore a plastic construction hard hats, that kind of thing.
Have you checked with daycare workers and gotten the OK for all this?
For the boys goody bags you could buy plastic bugs, snakes, and creatures at the dollar store, match box cars, bouncy balls. To keep things going smoothly games could be set up in groups of two, like two pin the tail on the donkey type games with two lines instead of one long line. I've never done prizes for games at my sons birthday parties and the kids have never asked for prizes, they just enjoy playing and I think it's easier to lose when there is no prize. Scavenger hunts are fun, hide (in plain sight) the plastic bugs or gold coins on the playground for them to find.
Musical chairs or hot potatos? a simple craft? Have fun, keep it simple.
Is this a daycare home or a daycare facility (kindercare , goddared school etc)? You need permission from the place first off. I have not ever heard of a preschool / daycare allowing this type of party. I myself would be upset about it as the parent of a child in the facility. It will lead to the next little one asking "Why did so and so get a big party at school but I can't?" I would contact the school and ask what the rules are. most will tell you no party like that, no food brought in unless it is clearly individually marked and labeled for ingredients. If you want to have a big party you might want to consider somewhere else. I know that the daycare will be a captive audience so to speak but not all parents will be ok with this. sorry if it sounds like I am raining on your parade :(
Wow. Sounds like great fun for the kiddos!
M
Have you talked with the teacher? When we had a daycare "party" we brought cupcakes and ballons, and stayed for about 20 minutes total, at the end of the day.
You need to get permission from the Daycare and per their rules.
Next: what is their policy on foods? Some kids are allergic to things of which you would not know about. It being health issues and is private.
We can only allow prepackaged items directly from the store to be brought in to the center, state law forbid home made items to be consumed now. It's a good idea in my opinion, I really do not know how clean that person is. No matter how clean they may dress or how nice they seem, they could have poor homemaking skills and not know how to sanitize dishes or other cooking utensils and surfaces.
So I am going to assume the products you are supplying will still be in their original sealed packages directly from the store.
I think then if you have permission to do this that you have really good ideas. I think asking the teacher so you can know what games the class likes and other stuff like that would be correct.
