Best Time of Day for an Indoor/outdoor Bday Party in August

I would pay extra for the morning. At that age, my daughter was still taking an afternoon nap, so it would have either had to be morning or after 5pm. And here, that would be a very hot part of the day. So I would either have it in the morning or nix the bounce house.

i've never really understood morning parties. i'd totally go with 2-4.
khairete
S.

Almost all of the birthday parties in our area are 1 to 3 or 2 to 4. (This includes Pre School parties.) I realize some kids nap, but it seems like most families are still ok with parties around that time.

I wouldn't worry about the heat. Adults are bothered by the heat. Kids usually aren't. As long as you have plenty of drinks and a cool place for them to take a break, you're fine. We have lots of summer days in the high 90's, and it doesn't stop our kids ... as long as I keep them hydrated :-)

I did most of my parties from 2 to 4, after lunch before dinner so we just did punch, very light snacks, cake and ice cream.
I think you're smart not to want to serve a meal at a kid's birthday party. They don't want to sit down and eat anyway (other than cake and ice cream) they want to run around and play!

I would pay extra and do morning. You can serve breakfast. Now that would be different. Individual boxes of cereal, fruit, etc. personally I think a bounce house in Florida in August would be like a sauna. I would do party 9 to 11.

I would go with 2-4pm or 3-5pm, that is clearly post-lunch, pre-dinner. It also gives time to get a nap in for the younger kids.

We are having my DD's party 1-3 - after lunch and before dinner. Early morning is too early for her and always has been, and would hit up against some kids' mid-morning naps, or early lunch. Just plan when you can and then if they can make it, they can make it.

Well, you would have to feed them a meal, but I would pick 5-7. At least it might be starting to cool down a little bit. My son napped all the way through kindergarten, so we skipped all parties that began before 2-3 pm. How much more would the morning cost? A morning party would be much less unpleasant for parents.

I would go 2-4. I would skip a bounce house. Or see if you can find one of those places like bounce town or jump tastic and have it there they will have air conditioning. You bring the cake and have punch and your done food wise.

Since the children are 3 and 5, I am guessing that most of the kids are no longer taking a nap?? What are the temperature ranges by hour and humidity factors in August in your area? And does it rain there late afternoon like it does in Central Florida? Here in Texas, the hottest part of the day is between 4:30 and 6:30 pm so those are hours I would avoid. What about an early afternoon party? it would be after lunch so your snacks would work out well. You might have an inside activity, go outside to play in the bounce house and then come back inside to cool down and enjoy cake and ice cream. Have fun!

I would go with the morning or skip the bounce house. I have been to parties in the summer with bounce houses and no one really used it because of the heat.

Bouncy water slide. Put on the invitation to wear bathing suit and bring a towel. Then you can do it anytime without it being to hot for the kids.

I know it may not be what you want to hear, but if the weather on the west coast of Florida is anything like the weather in South Florida, you're taking a real gamble in planning outdoor activities in the afternoon. Just looking at the past month, rainy afternoons have been pretty much a daily event in Miami. Our weather has been very unpredictable as I have found myself drenched after an Everglades hike that started 30 minutes prior with bright sun and cloudless blue skies. With rain usually comes lightning, and mosquitoes, which usually start feeding after 5 p.m. With that in mind, assuming the weather in Land O Lakes is similar to ours, a morning birthday party is the safest bet in the summer, not just to avoid the intense, burning sun, which is strongest from 12-2, but to avoid rain and the mosquitoes later in the day. If you must, plan a party 11-2, it is usually around 2-3 that it starts to get menacing and rain (at least in Miami).

I also second Ena's suggestion for a bouncy water slide, again assuming it gets as hot over there as it does here (average of 92-95 or more in the daytime). You could save some money and use it for the clubhouse rental by avoiding the bouncy house and purchasing a sprinkler hose attachment so the kids can get wet and an inflatable pool from WalMart or this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Inflatable-Tunnel-Water-Slide/2..., or even a slip and slide, like this, which can be fun if kids start racing: http://forestry.sfasu.edu/gallery/v/pwcc/Activities/Slip+.... I am sure all of these options would be a lot cheaper than the cost to rent a bounce house, which I am told is usually about $200+. Good luck and have fun!

7-9 would be the coolest time but given their ages 2-4 (after naps and before dinner) may be best.

Against my better judgement, had combined party last year for both my kids at the end of August in the afternoon. Never, ever, ever again. It was incredibly hot and humid, and a quick moving storm popped up out of nowhere (typical for the south). It was so hot and humid, the bounce house was like a scalding mattress of fire inside an retched oven set on broil. No kids played in it much and the ones that did only played for a few minutes.
My advice is that if you choose to have the party in the afternoon, rent a water slide inflatable or simply throw out a few $15 slip-n-slides. That way, the kids stay cool, and if it rains, so what! We are doing that this year. Lesson learned.