Is 2 hours too short for a 3 year old's birthday party?

[aristocatz]

My older son is 8 and I've hosted all of their parties at home except for 2. For that age I've found that it's easiest to plan a couple of stations and a free play area. Give the kids time to play and do stations if they wish when they arrive and then about 30-45 minutes after the kids arrive do snacks. 15-30 minutes after the kids are done with snacks serve cake and sing Happy birthday. People will often start to leave after cake. Another signal is to start handing out goodie bags next to the front door. The final signal is to start cleaning up. Only the most clueless guest will stay. If you're lucky some other parents will chip in and help clean up.

Don't bother to open gifts around the 3 year olds. It just doesn't go well. If grandparents or other older family members wish to see your child open gifts they can come before the party starts or stay until after the last guest leaves.

Here are some examples of stations. At my older son's preschool dinosaur party I had a dinosaur dig in the backyard. I hid Easter eggs with mini dinosaurs and dinosaur stickers inside along with dinosaur skeletons in my son's sandbox. The kids could keep what they found. I also had dinosaur coloring sheets and washable crayons on the coffee table and my son's extensive dinosaur collection out in the playroom. The kids just did whatever activity they wished when they wished to. For my son's 4 year old medieval party I had 3 stations as well. I had in one room all of the trains, building blocks, and medieval figures for a castle building station. In another room I had supplies for decorating cardboard crowns I found on sale. In yet another room I put dress up clothes, a cardboard castle I got on clearance and washable markers so they could either play pretend or decorate the castle. During either party the kids were also free to just play in the backyard too. During both parties I spent very little on activities and the kids had a blast. I don't start organized games or group activities until the kids are older.

Thank you for this really helpful reply!!!! Geez I didn't even think about party stations-what a great idea!!! We have some toddler play equipment already out there-slides, toy car, swings, balls.....I was going to have a bean bag toss outside. I wonder if I should set up some bubbles & bubble wands outside as well?

 

[bsblady01]

two hours is good. but plan to have all of the parents stay, most will not drop off and go at that age.

 

[Skippy918]

2 hours is good. parents will stay at that age. After having my son's 3rd birthday at home, I ventured to have the rest out of the house

 

[aristocatz]

I can't imagine these parents would drop off their kids & leave-yikes!

I love the stations idea. I think I am going to buy some small pumpkins & washable paint & set up a pumpkin painting station

 

[zoemurr]

Thank you for this really helpful reply!!!! Geez I didn't even think about party stations-what a great idea!!! We have some toddler play equipment already out there-slides, toy car, swings, balls.....I was going to have a bean bag toss outside. I wonder if I should set up some bubbles & bubble wands outside as well?

I was going to suggest this as well. It's easier (and more fun I think) if you pick a theme, but you don't have to. Very simple stations they can do on their own will work fine: Playdough, stringing something (kids love to string cheerios or cut up straws on pipe cleaners for some reason). Placemats are simple to make out of scraps and contact paper. Bubbles might be tough if you don't have someone to supervise, although the spill proof ones are good. I LOVE planning birthday parties and we have had some amazing ones (if I do say so myself). PM me if you would like more suggestions. At 3 I think we had Blues Clues and Thomas, but we have also done Dinosaurs, Cooking, Carnivals, etc. Have fun! Now I have teenagers who just want pizza and a movie.

 

[Mizzoufan]

Would parents really drop off their kids and leave?

 

[kollerbear]

I was going to suggest this as well. It's easier (and more fun I think) if you pick a theme, but you don't have to. Very simple stations they can do on their own will work fine: Playdough, stringing something (kids love to string cheerios or cut up straws on pipe cleaners for some reason). Placemats are simple to make out of scraps and contact paper. Bubbles might be tough if you don't have someone to supervise, although the spill proof ones are good. I LOVE planning birthday parties and we have had some amazing ones (if I do say so myself). PM me if you would like more suggestions. At 3 I think we had Blues Clues and Thomas, but we have also done Dinosaurs, Cooking, Carnivals, etc. Have fun! Now I have teenagers who just want pizza and a movie.

I don't have a kid yet (just a bun in the oven ) but I really want all of your ideas for the future! Hahahah they sound great!!

 

[ols386]

Two hours for a 3-year-olds birthday party sounds perfect to me.

 

[bsblady01]

what is your game plan if it rains the day of the party. I would have a craft for all of the kids to do, a movie would also be good

 

[NewRVLady]

My grandson just had his 1st birthday - but it was lots of adult relativeS and kids ranged from 6 weeks to 6
DH and I made a big bus out of two larger boxes with 2 holes in top for ball toss
His party theme was Wheels on the Bus because he is obsessed with the song
This was a HUGE hit with all the kids!
My big regret was not getting a ball for each kid! They just stood there- the little ones and dropped in hole over and over - lol
We had bought sponge balls
This was done indoors- they rented a party room

 

[KateP85]

This has been a great thread! This year will be the first year we invite the daycare kids for my son's 3rd birthday, it's in December and I'm nervous already. The party stations and timeline have been so helpful! I think 2 hours sounds perfect too, that's what I was going to do for DS's party. I would also hope all the parents stay, I would freak out if someone left their 3-year old at my house! I barely know the daycare kids!

 

[mrsg00fy]

From what I remember, 2 hours was the standard for younger children's parties either at a venue or in someone's home. One hour seems too short.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Sounds perfect for a friends 3 year old party.

We had a 4 hour party for my 2 year old but it was family only--they all love to sit and chat and that's just how we always have our "family" parties. But 2 hours seems just right for a "friends" party.

 

[zoemurr]

If you are planning for them to stay (and unless you are VERY good friends with the parents I would assume they will) you also need to plan for siblings. How many kids are you inviting? Can you make them to "Ashley and family"?.

Kollerbear: Get back to me in a few years.. we really did have a lot of fun and I miss it. All home parties on a budget. Lots of work and planning, but great memories.

We always did 2 hours. Generally an hour of games and crafts (keep it moving or you will lose them..) cake/ice cream, and then another 30 or so minutes of stuff to do.

Freeze dance also goes over very well with this age group and can be adapted to most any theme. You can set up an obstacle course outside, dig for gems or dinosaur bones in the sandbox.. a water station (just an under bed box filled with water and some cups and toys).. 3 year olds can do simple relay races.. (with no winners)

Toss balls into a laundry basket, make a simple ring toss out of sewing hoops and cans, Duplo station, fabric markers on a cheap hat or tote bag, water color painting, bowling with water bottles and a small ball.. there are so many things you can do to keep them busy without spending a lot of money.

Did I mention that I miss this stuff?

Have fun!

 

[mjkacmom]

Two hours is perfect and definitely have and end time. Yes, some will bring siblings, but most ask, so you will have a head count. If you invite families, you will get families. If you invite individuals, most will attend as child and one parent. I have five kids, and almost always just brought one child.

 

[Art 1]

Writing out invitations for our soon-to-be three year old's birthday party. This will be her first year having friends (from daycare) come. It will just be at our house-play in the backyard & inside, hot dogs, cake, ice cream....

I was thinking of doing it from 11am-1pm. Is that too short?

Thanks!

Perfect amount of time.

 

[BOST99]

Just did my Dds party at a local kids gym. Party was 1.5 hours which was perfect. About 45 mins ofplay time and 30 mins for food and cake .We didn't do presents there but waited until after the party since that would have been too long for 3-4 year olds to be interested.

 

[Wishing on a star]

When he was young, my son's birthday parties were themed.
We didn't have stations, but we had different activities to go with the theme.

Once it was 4-wheeler ATVs. We had small toy ATVS and a course set up for the kids to play with. they got one to take home.
We had a couple of remote control ATV's... One was a nice good sized one. And, my husband even gave kids short rides on a real full-sized ATV.

 

[nkereina]

I don't have kids, but to me, it doesn't seem like two hours would be enough time to cook the hot dogs, eat, do cake, open presents, and give the kids some play time. I feel like it would be rushed. I have a three year old niece and am just thinking about how long it takes her and my sister-in-law to do *anything*, especially open presents which she had a TON of at her last birthday party. We got to her party at 3pm and didn't leave until about 9pm, but they did have an Elsa come and provide entertainment for part of the time.

 

[aprilchem]

I don't have kids, but to me, it doesn't seem like two hours would be enough time to cook the hot dogs, eat, do cake, open presents, and give the kids some play time. I feel like it would be rushed. I have a three year old niece and am just thinking about how long it takes her and my sister-in-law to do *anything*, especially open presents which she had a TON of at her last birthday party. We got to her party at 3pm and didn't leave until about 9pm, but they did have an Elsa come and provide entertainment for part of the time.

I don't know if this is the same everywhere, but it is very uncommon where I live to have kids that young open presents at the party. I can only remember 1 party I've ever been to where they opened presents there, and that ended in one of the 3-year olds having a tantrum because she wanted one of the presents and didn't understand why she couldn't have it. The child had to be taken home. We always take the presents home and open them there and then have our kids write thank you notes the next day (or we wrote them when they were too young to write their own).