Before you decide on the theme, location, and other party details, figure out a realistic budget. Remember that the birthday party is going to last for a few short hours, but the repercussions of spending more money than you can afford could last far longer. Once you have a handle on how much your family can stomach financially, then you can start brainstorming ideas for a fun-filled, creative party that your child will remember for years to come.
One of the most whimsical birthday parties my children have ever attended was a Teddy Bear Bash. The birthday girl was turning three and all the guests were asked to bring a favorite teddy bear or other stuffed animal. We arrived to a fanciful set-up in the family’s dining room where picnic blankets were set around the room and each guest had a comfy cushion waiting on the floor with a brand new teddy bear friend for each child. The kids got to pick adorable outfits from a big picnic basket to dress their new bears and the rest of the party revolved around all things teddy bear. This included a game of “hide and seek,” bear-themed coloring pages, and a pin the tail on the bear game that the clever mom made out of construction paper. An adorable bear cake was served with gummy bears galore and within 2 hours, the party was over and everyone left happy, full, and carrying a new bear friend!
Party cost:
Bears and outfits: 10 bears for 10 kids at $5 each = $50.00
Cake and gummy bears: $15.00
Grand total: $65.00
Just recently, my daughter went to a Princess party. The 10 girls who attended were asked to come dressed as their favorite princess from one of the Disney movies. They all got to make crowns with sparkling jewels, had some glittery face painting, went on a Royal Scavenger Hunt where they found little bags of glass beads which they turned into bracelets, and then helped decorate the cupcakes that they ate and brought home. They all left with a new princess book as their favor.
Party cost:
Craft supplies: $ 15.00
Cupcake supplies: $10.00
Face painter: $Free—the girl’s babysitter did this as her gift to the birthday girl.
Royal Scavenger Hunt items and books as favors: $25.00
Grand total: $50.00
Most kids enjoy making treats. One popular and easy treat to make is chocolate. You can get a variety of fun, playful molds and chocolate melt flavors. Melt the chocolate in the microwave and then kids can pour the gooey goodness into the molds and get as creative as they want with decorations and even lollipop sticks. The molds set quickly in the fridge or freezer and clean-up is a breeze if you put wax paper down on the kitchen island or other work station of your choosing.
Party cost:
Chocolate: $ 25.00
Molds and accessories: $15.00
Wax paper: $5.00
Grand total: $ 45.00
This idea takes a bit more work, but if you have a big backyard, or even a large garage, and can spend a few weeks planning and creating some neat games, this can be a frugal alternative to going to a bowling alley, gymnastic studio, or other pricey venue where kids get to be active.
you may include some games like a mini golf course, a ring toss on soda bottles, a beanbag toss, and you can have a cotton candy and popcorn stand. you can also have a tattoo station, face painting, and balloons. Prizes will be given as well.
Party Cost:
Cotton candy machine rental: $30
Balloons, accessories, paints, prizes: $40.00
Food: $30.00
Grand total: $100
Many tween girls love to create things. Channel that interest into a craft-themed party. Buy some unfinished items such as wooden trinket boxes, unpainted pottery, T-shirts, picture frames, and bags. Make sure they’re as plain as possible so that they make for a nice blank slate. Present the partiers with some fabric, paints, sparkles, glue, markers, and any other decorative items and let them go to town. Decoupage is also an awesome way to create one-of-a-kind decorations for girls’ bedrooms. Get ideas from your child of what she’s interested in, and then the two of you can spend some time quality time together shopping for the items you’ll need. The financial investment for a craft party is pretty minimal—bits of fabrics, glitter, paints, picture frames, and other such items are pretty cheap. So you won’t spend a ton, but the kids will leave the party with something special that they made in their own individual style.
Those are just a few of the many wonderful party ideas for a tight budget. A few others are: indoor camping parties, cooking parties, scrap-booking parties, or stewardship parties where kids spend a large part of the party gathering items for a food pantry or making a thoughtful craft for people at a local nursing home.
And don’t forget that sometimes less is definitely more. Kids don’t need a fancy party or an entire park of wild animals. What they want is to spend time with you and their friends doing something fun.
For Toddlers and Younger Kids
Idea #1: Teddy Bear/Stuffed Animal Party
One of the most whimsical birthday parties my children have ever attended was a Teddy Bear Bash. The birthday girl was turning three and all the guests were asked to bring a favorite teddy bear or other stuffed animal. We arrived to a fanciful set-up in the family’s dining room where picnic blankets were set around the room and each guest had a comfy cushion waiting on the floor with a brand new teddy bear friend for each child. The kids got to pick adorable outfits from a big picnic basket to dress their new bears and the rest of the party revolved around all things teddy bear. This included a game of “hide and seek,” bear-themed coloring pages, and a pin the tail on the bear game that the clever mom made out of construction paper. An adorable bear cake was served with gummy bears galore and within 2 hours, the party was over and everyone left happy, full, and carrying a new bear friend!
Party cost:
Bears and outfits: 10 bears for 10 kids at $5 each = $50.00
Cake and gummy bears: $15.00
Grand total: $65.00
Idea #2: Storybook Character Party
Just recently, my daughter went to a Princess party. The 10 girls who attended were asked to come dressed as their favorite princess from one of the Disney movies. They all got to make crowns with sparkling jewels, had some glittery face painting, went on a Royal Scavenger Hunt where they found little bags of glass beads which they turned into bracelets, and then helped decorate the cupcakes that they ate and brought home. They all left with a new princess book as their favor.
Party cost:
Craft supplies: $ 15.00
Cupcake supplies: $10.00
Face painter: $Free—the girl’s babysitter did this as her gift to the birthday girl.
Royal Scavenger Hunt items and books as favors: $25.00
Grand total: $50.00
For Elementary or School-Aged Children
Idea #3: Chocolate-Making Party
Most kids enjoy making treats. One popular and easy treat to make is chocolate. You can get a variety of fun, playful molds and chocolate melt flavors. Melt the chocolate in the microwave and then kids can pour the gooey goodness into the molds and get as creative as they want with decorations and even lollipop sticks. The molds set quickly in the fridge or freezer and clean-up is a breeze if you put wax paper down on the kitchen island or other work station of your choosing.
Party cost:
Chocolate: $ 25.00
Molds and accessories: $15.00
Wax paper: $5.00
Grand total: $ 45.00
Idea #4: Backyard Carnival
This idea takes a bit more work, but if you have a big backyard, or even a large garage, and can spend a few weeks planning and creating some neat games, this can be a frugal alternative to going to a bowling alley, gymnastic studio, or other pricey venue where kids get to be active.
you may include some games like a mini golf course, a ring toss on soda bottles, a beanbag toss, and you can have a cotton candy and popcorn stand. you can also have a tattoo station, face painting, and balloons. Prizes will be given as well.
Party Cost:
Cotton candy machine rental: $30
Balloons, accessories, paints, prizes: $40.00
Food: $30.00
Grand total: $100
For Twins/Teens
Idea #5: Craft Party
Many tween girls love to create things. Channel that interest into a craft-themed party. Buy some unfinished items such as wooden trinket boxes, unpainted pottery, T-shirts, picture frames, and bags. Make sure they’re as plain as possible so that they make for a nice blank slate. Present the partiers with some fabric, paints, sparkles, glue, markers, and any other decorative items and let them go to town. Decoupage is also an awesome way to create one-of-a-kind decorations for girls’ bedrooms. Get ideas from your child of what she’s interested in, and then the two of you can spend some time quality time together shopping for the items you’ll need. The financial investment for a craft party is pretty minimal—bits of fabrics, glitter, paints, picture frames, and other such items are pretty cheap. So you won’t spend a ton, but the kids will leave the party with something special that they made in their own individual style.
Those are just a few of the many wonderful party ideas for a tight budget. A few others are: indoor camping parties, cooking parties, scrap-booking parties, or stewardship parties where kids spend a large part of the party gathering items for a food pantry or making a thoughtful craft for people at a local nursing home.
And don’t forget that sometimes less is definitely more. Kids don’t need a fancy party or an entire park of wild animals. What they want is to spend time with you and their friends doing something fun.
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