https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:08:18 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2889124 Wed, 26 Jun 2019 10:26:50 +0000 ElbieKay 2889124@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: We had about 10-12 kids roll over from our PK3 class to our PK4 class. I am not sure if the "new" kids were invited or if it was just the PK3 class. If it were me, I would try emailing the family advocate. I'd ask her to email the entire new PK4 class with a message asking them to email you their contact info so that you can invite their kid to your party. If anyone does not reply then it's not on you. That way you are not asking the school to provide you with the contact information directly. You are just providing yours so that the other parents can opt in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2889099 Wed, 26 Jun 2019 08:45:05 +0000 Anagram 2889099@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Chuckles: We live in a 2 bedroom condo in an urban area. So we don't have the space for a whole-class-and-parents birthday party. We did do a small get-together at home last year, with just 4-5 kiddos that she plays with in our building.</p> <p>Otherwise, I totally would! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2889098 Wed, 26 Jun 2019 08:43:53 +0000 Anagram 2889098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: Was this the kids from the new class? How did the parent have all the parent emails/class list already? That's not a bad idea, I'm just not sure how I'd find out who's in the class already haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2889050 Tue, 25 Jun 2019 21:39:06 +0000 Alba4 2889050@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My older son has a late Aug birthday and in preK it was never an issue (it was a year round daycare). Sure, some people were away, but normal amount of kids and families still attended. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888603 Sat, 22 Jun 2019 18:34:45 +0000 Chuckles 2888603@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you think she would go for a party at home that had some extra special thing like renting a bounce house or having someone face paint or come dressed up like a princess? If not, I would look for venues like Chuck E Cheese. I don't think a small party there would be weird, and I'm sure your DD would be excited. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888497 Fri, 21 Jun 2019 19:59:52 +0000 wrkbrk 2888497@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Invite maybe five extra and see what happens. I really don’t think a toddler will have any less fun with six versus twelve guests at a venue party! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888492 Fri, 21 Jun 2019 19:32:58 +0000 delight 2888492@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD is turning 6 in August and we had her birthday party last week. We knew a lot of people go away in the summer (including us!) and she wanted to have her party while everyone was still around. We are only going to do parties every other year as well. Everyone we invited knew her real birthday is in August but no one seemed to mind we held it 2 months early. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888466 Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:09:56 +0000 Grace 2888466@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I purposely try to keep the count down. I think the most we ever had was 8. We did it in our backyard when LO was little. I think we rented a bouncy castle and had 4-5 friends for her 4th birthday. It was easy and a hit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888368 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 22:30:23 +0000 MamaCate 2888368@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: are your kids in any kind of summer program? I have a July baby turning 4 so we are just inviting his summer group to his party, plus some friends from his previous class that he asks about a lot. We are doing paper invites since the kids are all at the center where the summer program is. </p> <p> I agree about the short attention span but I do think at this age the party itself is a lot of the attraction . </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888363 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 22:01:06 +0000 Calibee 2888363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>July 4 weekend birthday here—me and my soon to be 2 year old son. Do the best you can. Expect lower but still fun attendance. Summer birthdays are tough but still fun!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888358 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 21:31:22 +0000 ElbieKay 2888358@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would have the party at the very end of the summer when everyone is getting back to town. Last year a kid in our class had a party immediately following the classroom play date where you meet the teacher before school starts. Everyone went straight from the classroom to the party. Attendance was high. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888338 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 19:05:40 +0000 JennyPenny 2888338@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We also do birthdays with friends every other year but on odd years. So DS1 will have a party this August for his 5th birthday. I do remember that for his 3rd birthday only half the invited kids showed up and I expect about the same this time around. His last party and this one were at picnic shelters at his favorite park. I don’t think he had any sense of a small attendance and I don’t think he’d notice now. Some of his friends have big parties with the whole class and some have smaller ones. I don’t think he’s ever commented on it. I do like that with the shelter I’m not paying for a certain amount of guests, just the shelter and I’ll buy food according to rsvps. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888333 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 17:47:30 +0000 bhbee 2888333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I guess it’s possible other adults thought it was strange to have a small party (there were 3 parties going on and we had just 5 kids and 4 adults at our long table!) but the kids didn’t think a thing about it. I was busy thinking about what the big parties must have cost :silly: </p> <p>For my kids there is a big element of talking it up and setting expectations. That was actually the first time we had ever been. But if you book it as a party they get to go up with the big mouse for the birthday song, they get a special “watch” (wristband) to play games instead of just the card, they get to take the balloons home - we talked up all that stuff. He did ask me a couple times if his best preschool buddy could come and I just said next year. So I’d figure out who can come and then really talk up those friends. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888324 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 15:42:30 +0000 ALV91711 2888324@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS1 is in kindergarten and just got an invite this week for a bday party on August 10. </p> <p>DS2 has a late August birthday so we will run into this in the future. </p> <p>As much as Indislike chuck e cheese Inthinknthat is a good idea. It would suck to put your money into a bigger venue toninly have a few people come. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888308 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 13:47:21 +0000 Anagram 2888308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: Chuck E Cheese is actually on my Radar. I had never been to one before (I guess I managed to escape my whole life), but my husband randomly took our kids there one day when I was cleaning/organizing the house, and now they beg to go there. It seems like a cheaper alternative, but I was also thinking I would feel sad if we did Chuck E Cheese and there's only a few friends that can make it. I guess because I've only seen big parties with tables of kids and parents? But your response makes me think maybe even a very small party there would be fine.</p> <p>I just have to get DD2 on board. I've mentioned Chuck E cheese to her before, and she was excited. But we're doing a party for DD1 at a gymnastics place and now DD2 keeps saying she wants the exact same party, at the gymnastics place. Ugh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888298 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 12:41:49 +0000 SouthernGothamCityMama 2888298@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm following because I've been having a similar internal debate. My son will turn 4 at the end of August and start public pre-K one week later. Plus I'm due with our third child the same week. I feel like he really needs/deserves some special recognition with all these changes going on plus it's the first year he seems aware of birthday parties (and has been talking about having an "animal" birthday cake at his party), but am not sure who to invite and have no idea who will be in his pre-K class until the week before his birthday. I'm leaning towards scheduling something in a venue mid-September so I can be sure to not go into labor the day of an August party. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888296 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 12:36:34 +0000 Jess1483 2888296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My birthday is mid-August. I generally had smaller parties, but my good friends were usually around. It might be a hard sell at 4, but sometimes I chose to have a special day with just a couple friends instead. We would go wherever I wanted, eat whatever, etc. Even a short out-of-town trip (there’s an amusement park about 3 hours from where I grew up). I understood that choosing that meant I didn’t have a lot of people along. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888294 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 12:32:46 +0000 nana87 2888294@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: aah yeah, that is awhile! My girls’ bdays are 6 weeks apart and we’ve done a joint party in the middle, but not a full month. Do you know who her favorite daycare buddies are? You could try to reach out to a few parents about potential dates to gauge when/if they’ll be in town. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888291 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 12:23:12 +0000 Anagram 2888291@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@nana87: August 6. School starts after Labor day, so we'd have to delay her party an entire month. I thought about that option, but not sure about delaying that long. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888285 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 11:36:49 +0000 nana87 2888285@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When in August is her birthday? You could wait until early Sept to have her party as an option. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888284 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 11:28:41 +0000 bhbee 2888284@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Following, my third has an August bday a week or so before elementary starts so I’m wondering how we will do it! </p> <p>That said neither of my older kids had a friends party before 5. Their bdays are 11 days apart so they did have one shared party. For my son’s 4th bday this year, we did Chuck E. Cheese - we only invited his two cousins but we still booked it as a party (similar price), so he got the special recognition, I made themed cupcakes, had special plates, he got to take home their balloons, etc. So maybe that’s an option ... something where he gets recognition and a few friends you know will come but you’re not investing a huge amount in a venue. He loved it and no complaints when his older sister had a real friends party a week later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-summer-birthdays-for-the-public-school-crowd-bday-party-question#post-2888268 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 09:29:23 +0000 Anagram 2888268@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 2nd kiddo's birthday is in August. She is in a public school program, and her class has only 14 kiddos. We live in an urban area, so summers usually mean a lot of people travel, or they have family beach or lake or mountain houses they spend a lot of time in, so summers can be problematic for birthday parties in terms of attendance.</p> <p>On top of that, my daughter has been in public pre-k all year (for 3-turning-4 year olds). I feel like 3 year olds have short memories about friends--like out of sight, out of mind.</p> <p>So here's my question: We've always had an every-other-year birthday party policy. Like we invite friends one year, then do an at-home family party with cake or an activity the next year, etc. This year is a year both of my girls can have a friends party in a venue. My 6 year old has had some of the same kids in her class since pre-k, so they are a tighter group. Her Bday is this Saturday, and she's going to have high attendance.</p> <p>I worry about my 3 year old's birthday in August. By then, the kids will have been out of school for 6 weeks. A lot of people are out of town or in various camps around town most of the summer, so she won't really see them.</p> <p>Should I expect to have low attendance? We'd invite the 14 kids in her current class (school ends today) plus maybe 3-4 family friends' kids. I'm so worried she'll only have about 4 kids that can come! And that's not really enough for a venue party.</p> <p>WWYD? She'll be turning 4 and this is the first year she's been old enough to notice a discrepancy between her party and her sister's party (which is Saturday). Since we've party planning and making favor bags, my youngest is constantly verbally planning her own party in August. I'm so scared we'll spend the money for a venue and then have no one to come!</p> <p>Should we just plan a venue party anyway and see what happens? How far in advance should we send the Evites, knowing it's summer and people travel a lot? </p>