What are some creative and fun birthday party ideas but on a budget? We have all seen the big expensive cinema or soft play parties, but you don’t have to spend a fortune for your child and their friends to have a great time. Every child’s birthday party is a special event. You want to make it memorable and fun, but you don’t want to break the bank. Here are some ideas for great kids parties on a budget.
- Have your party at home. Hire costs or arranged parties cost a lot more than the cleaning of your house afterwards!
- Invest in some cleaning wipes, tarpaulins and protective coverings to stop the worst of the mess
- Ask your child what they would like to do at their birthday party – they might want a quiet one!
- Have everyone dress up as their favourite character (from books, movies or TV shows)
- You can create decorations to match their favourite characters
- Have a treasure hunt with clues that lead to hidden items or prizes
- Play Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Musical Chairs, Musical Bumps – all the retro games that are such fun and wear everyone out!
- What about a theme? For example, we could have an underwater adventure party. This will involve playing with bubbles, making jellyfish lanterns, and having blue-coloured drinks. You could also incorporate the theme into the decorations with aquatic-themed balloons and streamers – or by displaying pictures of fish on the walls. When it comes to food, you could make some cucumber sandwiches cut like fish and some seaweed salad.
- Crafts are great for kids parties- print out pictures for colouring, or find some more great ideas here.
- Party bags don’t have to be expensive. Most kids just want cake and a few sweets. Don’t get sucked in to parental competition!
Food ideas
The key to an enjoyable children’s party is good food. Take time to think about what the kids might enjoy and then take some time in advance to plan and prepare. The best parties happen when you have taken care of everything in advance, leaving you free to have fun with the kids!
For younger children, a buffet table with plenty of finger food may be the best option. You can make a selection of dips and sauces for them; crudité; fresh vegetables cut into bite-sized pieces; fruit – peeled or cut into chunks – and different kinds of crackers or breads for dipping. For added fun, include, sushi rolls, olives stuffed with anchovies or cream cheese, mini pizzas made from pre-made pizza dough and garlic bread.
You could even have a pizza party – give the kids a pre made pizza base, and let them loose! You could have bowls of toppings – cheese, tomatoes, peppers, ham, sweetcorn and more. They will love doing it and it also serves as an activity AND the food!! Check out some other ideas here. We hope you have loved our ideas for kids parties on a budget, come back soon for more.
