Sometimes, throwing a kid’s birthday party can be a real pain. You have to prepare a bunch of food for your guests, entertain a house full of kids, and pull it all together with a little style.
It can be expensive and stressful — but it doesn’t have to be!
Here are five tips for throwing an awesome kids birthday party on the cheap:
1. Choose a theme
While choosing a theme isn’t a necessity, it can help you pull your party together.
When you choose a theme, you can come up with snack ideas, games, and décor more easily. Choose a simple theme that your kid is sure to love, and use it as your party guide.
For example, my youngest daughter has a birthday just around the corner. When trying to come up with a theme, she jumped from rainbows to flowers to ladybugs. My solution was to just have a “spring adventure” theme, for which I could pull all of her ideas together.
2. Prepare simple food
Food and drink can be the most expensive part of the party. That’s why keeping your menu simple is the best way to keep costs down. Instead of trying to please everyone, just offer bottled water, freshly brewed tea, and juice boxes. As for the food, classics like hamburgers and hot dogs will work just fine.
3. Buy supplies at the dollar store
The Dollar Tree is my party supply store, but you can visit any of your local dollar stores. You’ll find so many party supplies for only one dollar — go elsewhere, and you’ll spend at least triple the price. Some of my favorite party supplies to buy from The Dollar Tree are plates, balloons, snacks, napkins, cups, and decorations.
4. Play free games
You can’t put a price on fun — but you don’t have to pay for it either!
Some of the best party games won’t cost you a penny. Here are some of my favorites:
- Hot Potato
- Red Rover
- Egg Toss
- Duck, Duck, Goose
- Treasure Dig
Since my daughter’s party is a spring adventure theme, our big game will be a treasure hunt. To successfully pull this off for young children, I’ve bought a six-piece puzzle and will hide the puzzle pieces all over the backyard. The kids will receive clues that guide them to the next puzzle piece, and when they put all of the pieces together, they’ll be told where they can find the hidden treasure!
5. Choose your party favors wisely
One of my family members goes all out on goody bags, which makes me feel bad for throwing many of its contents away. Today’s goody bags (which aren’t cheap to make) mostly consist of cheap plastic toys that never get played with, plus tons of candy.
Think outside of the box when it comes to party favors. For instance, if you’re having a cowboy-themed party, give each kid a bandana. If you’re having a beach party, give kids a sand pail. For my spring adventure party, we’re giving away bug-catching kits (bought at The Dollar Tree, of course!).
If you start planning your child’s birthday party a month or so in advance, you can look for good deals, let your creativity flow, and have a great birthday party — without the high cost.
How do you save money on kids’ birthday parties?
The post 5 Tips for Throwing a Fabulous Kid's Birthday Party on a Budget first appeared on MoneyNing.