Something we get asked frequently is the best time of day to host your children's birthday party. Traditional birthday parties in the past usually ran from 2pm till 4pm. But the problem with this time slot today is it creates more problems than necessary. We highly recommend avoiding this time slot for many reasons we'll go over today and what time slots we'd recommend.
Selecting the Optimal Party Timing | Children's Entertainment Considerations
We've performed thousands of parties during our active services. When our childrens party entertainer speaks to parents and recommend what time slots they should ideally go for, 99% of the time they agree with our suggestions. We'll happily still perform with whatever time slot you decide for, but hopefully the time slots we explore today will help you make a more insightful decision.
It Conflicts With Food Schedules!
Most parties usually serve food & drinks in between to all the kids. If you were to go with the traditional 2pm till 4pm, this means food would be served around 3pm. The problem with this is that the children will have already had their lunch and therefore will not be hungry later on. It generally means that the food will be left and you will have a lot of waste afterwards. No one wants to see good food go to waste like that. Therefore, a better time to plan the party now is 11am till 1pm. This means that the food is served at 12pm which is the perfect time for a child’s lunch. The food you serve replaces their lunch and therefore there is very little waste. Alternatively, if the party is held at 4pm till 6pm or even 3pm - 5pm, this also works as the food you serve replaces the children’s tea.
Parents Are Not Going To Attend!
As a parent you will know how many party invitations you can get. You almost have to pick and choose which parties to go to – children tend to have a busier social schedule than adults! Many parents turn parties down as it's physically impossible to go to all of them, especially with other prior commitments. Of course, you want as many of your child’s friends to come to their party as possible. By organising a party early, you will have a lot more parents saying yes. From 2pm till 4pm, it practically takes the whole day up. A great deal of parents will look at a 2pm till 4pm invitation and conclude that they would rather do something together as a family and therefore say no.
With an 11am till 1pm time slot, parents have a different mindset. They generally think that they can drop their child off at the party fairly earlier in the day, their child can have lunch and then at 1pm they can do something together as a family. From years of experience with children of their own, our Directors have found an 11am till 1pm party will be much better attended than any other time slot.
The Time Is Not Ideal For Weekends!
In the past, traditionally parties have been planned on the weekends. However, weekday parties have recently become more popular. These are generally run 4pm till 6pm or 4.30pm till 6.30pm. As a host, you want to give the parents enough time to get home and get their children changed and back out again. The advantage of a mid week party is that more halls have availability, meaning you won't have any hassle in trying to find a venue. Furthermore, parents find it very easy to take their children as it is happening straight after school. It also means you are unlikely to clash with other parents who might be planning parties that weekend as well. One of the worst things to happen is if there are two birthday parties at the same time and children are forced to choose which to go to. A midweek party ensures that won't happen.
Time Of The Day Is Important!
In short, the time of the day has a bigger impact than you think. The bottom line is that you can plan your party whenever you want to. However, from years of experience from our entertainers (many of whom are parents themselves) they will tell you that on a weekend, 11am to 1pm, 3pm till 5pm and 4pm - 6pm are the best!
One thing we can promise you is that booking Non Stop Kids Entertainment for your child’s party is the best thing you will ever do. 98% of our clients say they would recommend us to family & friends. If you would like a no obligation consultation from us for your child’s party, then just select the banner to fill in the form and we will get back to you within the hour. Or if you prefer, call us directly at 0333 301 3002.
