OT: Birthday Party Dilema...

[ThreeMusketeers]

I am back for more advice....

Heres the thing..

DD's turning 4 this year. We live in Niagara Falls, NY. ALL of our family lives in Syracuse, NY ( a 3 1/2 hour drive). We have had her family party both at our place and had everyone drive to us twice and had it at my parents house once.

If we have it here..we have the party around noon at a Playground nearby..that has a Covered Picinic area, the kids play..we eat pizza, wings, cake and ice cream. Ect..Ect.. But everyone drives almost 4 hours for 3 hours of party then Hubby's family goes straight home. Mine will linger for a few hours, but its still a long drive for everyone.

If we have it at my parents house...I will do the party around 7:30pm, just do cake and ice cream, Do a few activities indoors, open gifts..ect. and then call it a night. DD will do something special for her bday with grandma and grandpa that day. (this will not be her real birthday, just the weekend before.) Obviously we will spend her real birthday at Home doing something she wants to do with us.

I guess I am asking what you would do??
I am a little worried about Indoor games to play too. She wants a Tinkerbell Party..and I want it to be very special. But I don't want to spend a fortune or make everyone drive 4 hours for a 3 hour party. But I also don't want to comprimise fun and excitement for my dd.

Any ideas???
How do you handle out of town family on your kids birthdays..??

 

[kdtwiss]

It's her party - I think they should come to you!
Have you seen the new Great Wolf Lodge? OMG! I can not wait to try that place! Looks like they do bday parties!
Is your place big enough for everyone to sleep over? Or what about instead of a big costly party - could you spring for 2 rooms so family could stick around and see each other more?

 

[mickeyfan2]

What time of the year is the party? Which does your DD seem to like more. A trip to grandmas might be great at that age.

 

[minkydog]

I think my kids were 4 when they first began to really enjoy having their own birthday parties. since we live far from family we always had a "home" party and invited a few friends for cake & ice cream Very simple. Many years we also went to visit family on the Gulf Coast where we would then have a second party, which was mainly a chance to open presents, have dinner together, maybe go to a park to play. No friends, but the cousins came.

DD12 still remembers her Tinkerbell party--all the girls wore wings and leotards and danced around the living room. I helped them put on glitter cream and lipgloss. Later they went outside and played on our swings. Short, sweet, and to the point--1-1/2hrs tops. Inexpensive too.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

Thanks for the ideas. I asked her today and she says she wants to go to grandma and grandpa's for the party. BUt her birthday is in early April. SO I am not sure about the weather situation. And she really wants a Pinata. ANy ideas on Inside PinatA??

 

[1sttimeWDW]

I'd use a pull string pinata for indoors. No way would I turn a four year old loose in a house w/ a big stick!

I don't have any Tinkerbell party ideas, but I love the website www.birthdaypartyideas.com I'm sure you will be able to find all sorts of fun party ideas there. Try under Peter Pan parties or search Tinkerbell.

All our family lives close, so I'm no help w/ your travel dilemma either. Sounds like your dd decided that one for ya' anyway.

Hope she has an enchanting birthday, wherever you decide to hold the party.

Galen

 

[minkydog]

We have had several pinatas and never done it outdoors. Have you seen the pinatas with the pull-strings? They look like regualr pinatas. There are about 20 ribbons dangling from the underside of this type of pinata. Only one releases the candy. The kids take turns pulling the strings and no stick is required. You can hang the pinata over a door-frame. I think I saw this at Party City in the past.(it's been awhile since we did the pinata thing)