How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

I want to have a birthday party somewhere for my DD this year and it will be first one that we invite her class. I haven't had a party like this yet because of fear that no one would go. Maybe I'm being too paranoid but I would just die if this happened to my DD.

I have been to a few parties that only 2 or 3 kids of the whole class attended. In those cases they had large extended families that seemed to make up for it. We don't have family to invite.

How do I optimize having the most kids come to party? As in time of day for the party, place, type of party ect. If a child attends your kids party are you more likely to go to theirs?

How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

How old is your child? What makes you think the class wouldn't come? Are you friendly with any of the parents? I make sure my daughter goes to every party we are invited to assuming we don't have something major on the same day.

How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

I wouldn't stress it too much. At a young age, they have as much fun with 2 or 3 other kids than in a big group.

I'll add last year one party dd was invited to, we got the invite about one week before and it was a Friday evening party. Nine out of ten kids in their class attended!

Re: How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

Last year 7 out of 7 kids in my son's class came to his party. Tomorrow DS turns 4 and we're expecting 10 out of 13 to come.

Re: How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

Hopefully I have nothing to worry about but as I mentioned I was already at parties where 3 kids showed up. I suspect there may have been other reasons that I won't mention why there was small turnout.

How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

When DD was in 1st only 6 out of the 12 kids said they were coming and the day of the party only 2 showed up. Those two kids had a few siblings so it worked out ok but I was pissed.

Going forward though the last 2 years almost all came to her parties. One year we had 12 the next 16.

You can't predict who is going to come but I'd stay clear of school holidays/long weekends because people go away and if your DC friends are involved with sports, check on the times of games (like if they are always on Saturday mornings) because that causes alot of nos,

Re: How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

I always worry about this for my dd because her birthday is around Christmas and even though I do her parties way before her actually birthday, a lot of kids can't come because of holiday events. But in general I think at this age it's too young to be paranoid that other children would 'choose' not be there. If they are free, they will likely say yes.

Re: How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

I would avoid weekdays so the working parents can make it. I had to decline a party for a classmate of DD recently because it was on a Friday at 430 and i don't get home until 6

Re: How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

I wouldn't stress about it too much. The past two years, I invited DD's whole class and the majority of the kids came. I only had a few nos. In both cases, the parties were on the weekend. Last year was a sunday afternoon, which I thought would be a hard time, but we only had 2 kids who couldn't make it. And this year, it was a 10 am on Saturday.

Re: How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

I find more kids go to winter parties than summer parties. Stay away from weekends before or after school holidays because people might travel.

Re: How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

I also feel like most kids go to the parties. I usually pray for nos and never get any lol. Weekends are best of course, I think Sunday afternoons work well because people have sports on Saturdays and Sunday morning people have church. Today we have a party at 2:00 which is good. If you chose to have it at a place, have it local. There was a party yesterday that was like 45 minutes away. We had basketball and it's hard to squeeze everything in.

Re: How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

You never know.
I agree, during the winter, people tend to come more.
We had a Sunday afternoon party on a holiday weekend and were shocked to have 20 kids RSVP yes (we invited 20). Normally, we get about 50-60% yes.

Re: How do I optimize how many classmates attend my DDs party?

No holiday weekends. No school break weekends.

I would pick a convenient location close to home so it is easy for parents to get to.

If you really want to guanratee big turnout, you can include siblings.