Plan for a small party at home for 4 year old boys

[Snappyteabread]

Will be from 11-1, and there will be 5 boys. What should I do to make it fun for everyone. I have some ideas, but I'd like to hear your tried and tested ideas. No paid entertainers either please. When do I serve the party food and how long will that take, how do I get them to go home etc? What playing do they do any when? What activities etc?

[jetSTAR]

Did you have a theme in mind as games / activities can be linked to that e.g. Dinosaurs
I would do food around 1215 and it doesn't take very long ime. What sort of food? Individual Lunch boxes can be good. I usually do pass the parcel just before food. Will they like a craft activity or more physical games?
Lots of questions, sorry!

[Bannakaffalatta]

We did this. I bought a lot of those long thin balloons and a pump. The boys loved it. DH made animals and then swords which occupied them for ages running around.

[Parietal]

i've done similar, and this was my plan

• kids won't all arrive at the same time so colouring works well as a starting activity - lots of printouts of pictures on a theme and lots of crayons for the first 10 mins
  

• then some active games - musical bumps is good. grandmother's footsteps too. these can be adapted to any theme (pirates footsteps etc).
  

• pass the parcel
  

• sleeping lions is a good on if they are all too hyper and need to calm down
  

• food after about 1 hr. gets them all to sit, but they probably won't eat much. cake & singing at the end of the meal.
  

• after food, I normally just put on music + set free balloons and let them run around - no more organised games.
  

• party bags are critical to make them go home. when you start giving out the bags, that is the signal to parents & kids to pack up and go.

[mellicauli]

I did cupcake decorating with 4 three year olds and they all really enjoyed it. Mainly they just wanted to play (nursery buddies..we don't do play dates..)

[Fram]

Do you have a garden?

Trikes/bikes/scooters, dressing up clothes, balloons
etc

[babybouncer]

Parietal has it covered, I think! I had a couple of games after food, then I got the all to do a sort of conga line to go and get party bags. Also, I found the kids wanted to run around and play, so I let them have a little time between games and had a signal (whistle) to warn them that pterodactyls were attacking (dino theme!) and they ran and threw themselves at my feet, eager to play the next game!

[ZenNudist]

Lucky dip goes down well

[Snappyteabread]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Will make a plan.

[lilolilmanchester]

Mars bar game is good for small number, and a variation on pin the tail on the donkey, themed to whatever they are in to. A good reserve plan is a cartoon DVD (ie short not a film) if you just want them to chill for a while