Low Cost Birthday Party Ideas

Throw the birthday party you want, without throwing money away.

Kids are expensive. Pretty much everything kid related has a hefty price tag on it. Don’t get me started on clothing, sports, or college. I’m sure I could Google some statistics on the current and rising costs, but I don’t need to. I know that whatever it is, I’ll be frowning (and probably cursing a little).
Right now I’m listening to my 3 year old in the background saying his new favorite phrase over and over again, “What the heck?” It’s on repeat. Who knows where he learned that. Maybe me, maybe his brother, maybe a movie? All I know is I can relate little dude. When I think about all that money, I say What the heck to myself.

Less money for the party = More for everything else

One thing I pride myself in, is my ability to throw a b-day party on the cheap. I mean real cheap. I don’t have the numbers down to the penny but I can gauge that the party I threw for my eldest son’s 5th birthday cost me around $20. It was a half day affair that was fun for the kids and easy on my wallet. He still talks about it as one of his favorites, so it must have been good.

There are a few steps I follow when planning a low budget birthday party. It is hard to do on short notice, so having a plan is key. This way, if things aren’t going the way you like, it isn’t too late to make substitutions or change course altogether.

Start a long time before the party date

You have to keep your eyes on the sales rack. Going full price will make or break your budget. There are a few things that you’ll probably have to get that aren’t on sale, take the deals whenever you can. I like to use Groupon.com or LivingSocial.com when I want to throw a party outside of the home. Deals involving kid stuff come around quite often, and they are typically good for a few months. This makes planning a bit easier and sometimes gives me flexibility in case I need to move the date around for any reason.

Another trick I employ, is using my wish list on Amazon.com. I like to put items on there that I know I’ll want or need eventually, that way I can be notified when they go on sale or the price drops, without having to search all over again. One thing less to do on my own.

Pick your theme

Keep it real simple with this one. I like to do general ones so I can mix and match to fit the budget. The one I used for my son was robots. He wasn’t obsessed with robots, but he did think they were awesome. I got the idea one day while I was at Michael’s (the arts and crafts store). They used to have the best selection of temporary tattoos, which he was obsessed with, and I was checking out the clearance section when I came upon these make-it-yourself robot kits for $1.50 each. They weren’t anything too intricate, just cardboard and windup feet with some stickers, but they looked pretty cool, and each box made six robots. I bought 2. Each kid made 2 robots, spent about an hour doing that, then they gathered around the kitchen floor and spent another hour playing with them. So easy!!

Sometimes the theme picks you. If you have a kid that wants a Barbie party and would really hate the general princess theme, then try your best to find Barbie merchandise on sale. I myself would just try really hard to convince my kid that Barbies aren’t that fun for everyone.

Keep the guest list light

If you invite your kid’s whole class, then be prepared for extra cost. It may be fun to have a lot of people around for your child but we parents know that the more the merrier isn’t always true. It gets hard to wrangle thirty kids and mingle with parents at the same time. There just isn’t enough time, energy or money. After your kid gets to be 5 then the parents aren’t really needed at the party. I like to have them drop their kids off at the door/location and just tell them what time they need to be back. Ten less mouths to feed already!

We typically have 4 – 6 kids come for our son’s birthday parties. This way I can manage and feed them all and I don’t have to worry about keeping the peace, since he only invites his close friends.

Don’t go crazy with planning

It all goes out the window when the party starts. I made this mistake with the first real birthday party I threw. I had specific games planned and a long list of activities for the parents and kids. I don’t know what I was expecting from a bunch of 4 year olds. For my 2nd son’s 4th birthday I’m just going to let the kids sit on a bunch of balloons in the grass until they pop since that’s all they did at my oldest’s. They sure had a blast popping those things.

Activities cost money. The less you plan, the more money you keep. If you do have a penchant for planning and must have a roster for events, then I suggest making a few of them physical activities like Simon Says, races or a hand stand contest. Those don’t cost a thing.

A Few Ideas To Get You Started

Here are some cheap party ideas guaranteed to make your little one happy.

1. Water party – Plastic tarps spread across the yard. Just add a little baby shampoo and the sprinklers for a good time.
2. Mud- This one is a blast if you don’t mind your yard getting dirty. Sand toys and plastic shovels in the dirt with a little water in the mix and the kids entertain themselves for hours. They love it when you spray them with the water hose at the end of it.
3. Baking theme – Little girls especially love to make their own personal birthday cakes. All that is needed are some boxes of cake mix and icing and a few different types of candy for toppings.
4. NERF battle – Every little boy my son is friends with has their own cache of NERF guns. I supply the bullets and they bring their own guns. The bullets are typically pricey but I stock up on Black Friday and get hundreds for less than ten dollars. (this is where the planning-ahead-of-time step comes into play)

Don’t stress out- it’s just a birthday party

This is the most important step of all. It’s just one day. Even if it doesn’t go as planned, your child will still feel special and happy that you threw them a party at all. Heck, if you mess it up, you can always make up for it the next year. 🙂 So go out there and plan, plan, plan away while still feeling thrifty.

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