Experienced party planners? How many activities to plan and how much free time for 4 year olds?

changingnames

Anyone know of a site with sample schedules for a birthday party? We are having a backyard dinosaur party for ds's fourth birthday and I'm just not sure how much to micromanage the time.

We set it for 11-1 and will serve lunch food buffet style, small candy table, ice cream bar and cupcakes plus drinks. So far we have 10 kids age 1-5 and 18 adults.

For activities we are planning a Dino egg hunt all over the property. A "dig"- His sand box is too small for everyone at once so I was thinking of either having the kids go in there three at a time for x minutes and give prizes for whoever finds the most- or just let them play in there at will and be happy keeping the toys they dig up?

We have Dino tattoos, masks, sticks, and a big standup Dino cutout that you stick your face in for pictures plus a couple of 4 ft blow up dinosaurs to pose with. I was thinking of putting the camera out for people to take pictures and printing them out at the end so they can take with. We also have a play set with three swings, slide and a clubhouse. A three person 300 lb limit bounce house (a birthday gift so he will be extra excited). We have a full size parachute (awesome garage sale find). I have never really led a parachute play session but have been looking at YouTube. Maybe start with a parachute game that involves introducing themselves since some kids are from school or neighbors and don't know each other.

We could set up the water table with soapy bubbles or fake snow and bury dinosaurs in the extinction table, lol. He wants the bubble machine so bubbles are happening. Sack race? Dinosaur egg on a spoon race? A craft table with butcher paper, stickers, stamps, crayons etc and print outs of dinosaurs? or do a craft where we make dinosaur feet out of cereal boxes and have them race while wearing them (or I could pre make them)- I think that would be fun and they would be cute for pictures too. surely we don't need all these activities, how many do we need for two hours?

Dh doesn't get that we are supposed to provide activities and thinks we should be planning a backyard BBQ and throwing some toys out- "have fun kiddos!" Some of our friends are bound to stay after the two hour mark but I set it at that since after that it will be a backyard BBQ /playdate with food and I won't feel pressure to have tons of stuff planned lol.

Tarta

I think you've already overplanned. I had two very basic activities at DD's two-hour third birthday party (a lot of 4 year olds were in attendance) and it was too much. The kids were annoyed with having to pay attention to directions and just wanted to run and play and do their own thing. If I were you I'd let them have as much free play as possible and maybe one organized activity (the parachute name learning activity would be a nice ice breaker) then let them knock themselves out with all the great play structures you have. They'll easily keep themselves very busy for two hours.

Keep it super simple. You'll be so much less stressed and the kids will be much happier. I think your food is over the top too, so many selections is just going to keep you stressed out and most people aren't expecting a full smorgasbord at a 4 year old's birthday. Unless you're really intending the food at this party to be for the parents of all of these kids, the small fry be happy with a few basic kid foods on the table and you could have one plate of grown up sandwiches for their folks.  

Spin313

You are completely over planning! This is a two hour party for four year olds. I'd open the buffet around 11:15-11:30, start the desserts around 11:45-12, and if you want to do the Dino Hunt then do that around 12:15 before everyone starts tiring out. Otherwise, let the kids free play.

Temp6313048411121614

Ditto the others.  While I think it's great that you have a bunch of activities, I would let kids play with them at their will.  Honestly, the kids might get aggrivated if they want to play in the bounce house and you tell them that the time allotted for that is over and now it's time to move onto dino digging.  Again, I think it's great that you have options, but just let them play and be done with it.  Nothing against big over the top food/activities, but wouldn't you rather just enjoy the time with your kid and guests instead of stressing with a structured schedule?

Smores730

I agree w/ PP that it's too much. I would do the dinosaur dig to go with the theme, but with a playset and bounce house I don't see the need for anything else. I might put the parachute out if I had it, but would let the kids gravitate towards it themselves and let them fluff it fast and furiously like kids tend to do naturally. 2 hours is going to go super fast when you add in eating time. People tend to relax and move at a slower pace when they're at a house. I'd send the dino printouts home with the kids as part of their goody bag.

KathrynMD

Ditto everyone else - make it easy for you adn the other parents. 

I'd honestly put the bounce house and parachute away.  Playset and digging for dinos are plenty for 2 hours when you add in eating and cake too. 

changingnames

Good, glad to hear it. Just to clarify I wasn't planning to do allof those activities- I was thinking we would choose one from the list of activities. The only thing am set on doing is the Dino egg hunt. I was asking if I should also plan a race or oth stuff in addition to the things that are just out or just let them have at it. Sunds like I don't have to plan too much. Thank the party gods for that!

neverblushed

I'd have a few "stations" set up for activities like the dino dig, the bubble-blow, the bounce thing, and a craft table.  Let parents escort their kids from activity to activity.  Maybe ask one parent to be "on duty" at the moon bounce to keep it to 3 kiddos at a time.  Maybe set a limit on the dino dig like: find 3 things then take a break and give someone else a turn.

A good rule of thumb for a preschool party is to structure it the way preschool itself is structured:  free play as the guests arrive, one or two whole group activities like freeze dance (dinosaur dance in your case!), a little more free play while the snacks/cake are being readied, then cake, then a pinata if you're doing one or another short activity if you're not.  Guests will start to leave after the last activity.  Think in terms of four 30-minute blocks.