Are you wanting to throw your child a birthday party but don’t want to end up with a massive cost? You would be surprised how easy it is to keep a child’s birthday party affordable with these inexpensive kids birthday party ideas. It is all about keeping to budget while ensuring everything has a great time and makes lots of wonderful memories.
Kids Birthday Party Ideas on a Budget
Consider a birthday BBQ breakfast on the weekend. Sausages, eggs, bacon and bread. Bring your own drinks. It is nice and cheap and all over by 11 am so the younger kids still get a nap! Hold it in a local nature reserve, national park or next to a kids playground to ensure the kids get to have a good run about without having to provide entertainment. You could supplement with some old school games like passing the parcel, pin the tail on the donkey and musical freeze but you can get away without these additions too.
If you are worried about the cost but still want a celebration keep it simple. Kids care less about decorations and food than you think. Aim to please the masses, not the individuals, a plate of pies and sausage rolls and a platter of fruit is all you really need. Buy blue and pink plastic disposable cups and plates from your local dollar shop. You can do any themes you want with those primary colours. Once finished with them wash them up and use them again for the next birthday or throw them out. You can also wait until after any major holiday and you will notice the supermarkets have these on sale.
Fun inexpensive party entertainment
- Bubbles. Kids are nuts for bubbles and you can even make your own mixture and buy the bubble blowers in bulk via eBay.
- Eating donuts or cheezels off a string or apple bobbing in a bucket, without using their hands is a cheap and cheerful game
- Have a cupcake decorating station, which can then become the party favour.
- Host a tea party for a small group of friends.
- Water bombs, red/blue teams in a park can be a lot of fun, especially for active kids. (Make sure parents know to bring a change of clothes)
- DIY Pinata – Google is your friend, there is literally no limit to the themes of pinatas and there is definitely no need to buy one. The difficulty level is basic, it’s more about time and patience than technical ability.
- DIY Wizard hats and wands for a Harry Potter Themed Birthday Party is an expensive and fun party game idea.
- Have a nerf party. You can buy small nerf guns and foam bullets online. (always let other parents know this in advance as some parents do not allow their kids to play with nerf guns)
- Hire a jumping castle or a blow-up water slide. It keeps the kids occupied the whole time and you don’t have to worry about too many games. The price can be as low as $150 and removes the need to hire or do anything else for entertainment.
- Combine party games with party favours. Have a treasure hunt and everything the kids find, they put in their own lolly bags. This will save you time too.
General budget birthday party ideas
- Start and finish times are a must and will reduce your stress.
- For older kids, a sleepover party is a lovely way to develop deeper friendships. You could turn this into a games night.
- make 4 batches of different brightly coloured play-doh, put a ball of each colour into a small take away container, put that in a brown paper bag with a personal message to each child on the bag instead of party bags.
- Hold a baby smash cake party when they are too young to notice
- Send your invitations via Facebook or email. The bonus is you are more likely to get RSVP’s.
- Have birthday parties every second year and on the off year, head off for an experience instead perhaps to a nearby zoo, waterpark or even whale watching.
- Order your party “stuff” online. You will save more money than you can imagine when you avoid the overheads of retail outlets.
Affordable Kids Birthday Party Food Idea
- Often birthday parties are targeted to the morning or afternoon to avoid catering but lunch can actually be the most cost-effective option. Buy sausages and bread from your local markets and hold a sausage sizzle. This will cost far less than catering to traditional party foods.
- Buy a stack of bulk individual spring water bottles from the supermarket warm then cool and label with each child’s name. Costs around $7 to cover drinks.
- Superdoopers or similar water iceblocks are loved by all kids and provide a surprisingly cool and cheap “treat” alternative.
- Popcorn is cheap, yummy and cheerful.
- Put the party bags in the homemade piñata that way there is no fight over the lollies when they come out.
- Pack a take and toss plastic cup for each child and had a big cooler of water instead of soft drink, you could even put a bit of food colouring into the water cooler to make it more fun.
- Don’t be afraid to make your own cake, or buy an inexpensive slab and slap it with store bought icing. Throw some Maltesers on top and you have yourself a cake that will be loved by all!
- You don’t need to invite every child in the classroom. You really don’t. Limit the invitation list and limit the cost.
Parting tips for kids birthday parties
If you’re having it in a park – double check all the facilities before the day. Check whether the BBQ is woodfired or gas and have a Plan B in the event of rain. Also, consider the possibility that someone else will arrive before you and grab the picnic tables, so have a grandparent ready or an alternative plan in the event you miss out.
Finally, our favourite tip. Put your decorations at kid height. The party is for them to remember.
We hope we have convinced you can have an inexpensive kids birthday party and still make it the best party in the world!
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