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We are having a bday party for my son tomorrow along with 10 of his friends. We will have 45 minutes from the start of the party until the entertainment comes. I have a really neat craft that I originally planned to do first, but now I'm wondering if that may not fill up the time well enough. So I was thinking about possibly doing cake first? What do you think about cake as soon as you get to a party? Too soon?
Also, none of the kids parties we go to ever have the kids open presents at them, probably to save time as most are not at people's houses. Ours will be at our house but I was still thinking about skipping doing presents as it takes up too much time and we allotted 2 hours for the party with 1 hour being entertainment.
Any opinions on how you laid out your party? It will be raining so most of the party will be in the house or in the garage (largest space to fit everyone).
I don't see any problem with cake first -It's your party you should do what you like. It actually is nice because sometimes kids have to leave early and miss the cake. It wouldn't work however if you are serving other food. Cake then pizza would be odd.
I think people don't open presents at parties because it is "cheesy" for lack of a better word. The gifts aren't the focus of the party (unless of course people are bringing gag gifts to an adult party or it's a shower).
I vote for not opening the gifts in front of everyone. People might feel odd if someone got him a more expensive gift or if he reacted like OH WOW! to one gift and more mellow to another.
If there are 45 minutes of time, why not do the craft and then let the kids just hang out until the entertainment gets there. Every second of their time doesn't have to have a planned activity.
What if somebody is late cause they are so used to lots of horsing around before cake time? I would let them play or do craft and then do cake. I think some Moms over plan parties and nothing feels very spontaneous. Too much scripting is not fun for kids, especially since their school days are usually so planned to the minute.
I don't know, cake has always sort of signalled the end of a party to me. I think not opening the presents is perfectly fine for all of the reasons already mentioned. I would personally skip the presents and have the cake before the entertainment arrives. This gets everyone seated and allows some transition time from the craft/playing to the entertainment. People who need to leave early, will have been able to stay for cake and singing and can head out before the entertainment starts.
Don't know the age of your child and it's been a long time since we've done this sort of thing, but I'd wait until the end of the party for the cake - so they can go home with the sugar high and not be at your house
One reason we didn't like opening presents with others there - especially when they are young - is it's overwhelming. They get all this stuff - then other kids want to open all the stuff and play with the stuff. Being that you don't want your child to be selfish with the stuff, you force them to share the stuff they just got. Recipe for disaster. We made the mistake once.
Kids don't open presents at the party anymore? That's kind of sad, to me. This activity teaches and gives kids so much. Also, it gives siblings a role of honor in the procedings (they're the official wrapping-paper-thrower-outer and move-gift-to-tabler people).
Opening the presents teaches children how to be gracious recipients of gifts. How to show gratitude for ALL gifts, from the brand new bike with streamers and colored spokes, to a pair of hand-knitted socks that are four sizes too big, and everything inbetween. It teaches the kids who are giving the gifts, that knowing your recipient is enjoying the process, is his gift to you. It teaches everyone that yes, even siblings get to participate in the joy of the gift-giving process.
It also gives the parents a chance to watch the kids interacting with each other, during a time when they're NOT running around the yard or smashing food into each others' faces. It is also a built-in *non* active activity, a winding-down activity, that doesn't cost a cent in entertainment. The birthday boy is the entertainer, and the process of unwrapping gifts and expressing joy and crumpling the paper and putting the gifts aside for the next ones is the entertainment. And all the kids get to participate, without getting out of their seats.
These are the times when a child learns how to make guests feel terrific. "Oh THANK you Aunt Sophie, you must've worked SO hard on these socks!" (while thinking "wtf sox lulz") Finding something good to say about things, even when you're tempted not to. Learning tact and good manners and dignity, and class.
You'd be surprised how many kids have no idea HOW to accept a gift or a compliment from people, because they were never required to play it out in front of the giver.
Kids don't open presents at the party anymore? That's kind of sad, to me. This activity teaches and gives kids so much. Also, it gives siblings a role of honor in the procedings (they're the official wrapping-paper-thrower-outer and move-gift-to-tabler people).
You'd be surprised how many kids have no idea HOW to accept a gift or a compliment from people, because they were never required to play it out in front of the giver.
Great post, Anon and exactly what I was thinking. I never even heard of kids not opening their presents at their birthday parties until I started reading it here on C-D. I was beginning to wonder if it was a regional thing (?) because I did it and my kids did it. It happened at all the parties they went to. (Which spanned more than one culture and a multitude of family incomes.)
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