For some parents, the rule has always been the bigger the birthday, the better. When cost is no object, they will spend thousands of dollars for a single event. In fact, Birthdays Without Pressure has a list of out of control parties. One of them is a $250,000 party in Florida for a seven year old girl complete with limos, the grand ballroom, helicopter rides, horses, and wild animals. Another was thrown by a wealthy man in New York who hired the band Aerosmith to perform at his daughter's 13th birthday. The total cost was $10 million, including $10,000 gift bags. But those are not the norm. Birthday parties can be fun and frugal.
Birthday Party Themes
The first step in planning the perfect party is to pick out a theme. Brainstorm ideas with your child and make sure you both agree with the theme. Think about what your child likes to do or play and that can be your starting point. Some of the most popular themes include Princess, Pirate, Animal Safari, Superheroes, and Under the Sea.
Birthday Guest List and Invitations
Once you have your theme, it's time to make the guest list. How many kids will you invite to the party? A standard rule is the child's age plus one or two. Of course, parties with smaller numbers of guests can be just as fun. Invitations can be purchased at a party store or can be made at home. Word processing programs now make it easy to design and print invitations that look like they were bought in the store. To save even more money, email the invitation or send an e-greeting.
Birthday Snacks
When choosing snacks for the party, think about the theme. If you are doing an "Under the Sea" party, you could offer fish-shaped crackers. For an "Animal Safari" there are always animal crackers. At a "Pirates" party, throw in some chocolate wrapped gold coins. By keeping the snacks simple, you can cut down on the cost of a big spread. Remember, it's for the kids. They want to party, not worry about sitting down to a meal.
Birthday Cake
Of course the centerpiece of the party table will be the cake. By making a cake from a mix and decorating it yourself, you can save a considerable amount of money. There's no need to buy the expensive cake decorating supplies either. Most grocery stores have the icing tubes along with the decorating tips for different designs. Sheet cakes can be cut into different shapes and sizes. Cupcakes are another option to consider and are smaller and easier to decorate.
Birthday Decorations and Party Favors
Decorations don't have to be elaborate. A plastic cloth on the table will be sufficient. Those can be purchased at a dollar store for only a dollar. Plates, cups, and plastic ware can be purchased there as well, or you can go to a party supply store. Whatever you do, don't forget the balloons. Party favors don't have to break the bank either. Consider the theme when planning the favors. A "Garden Party" could offer flower cookies as the favors. The cookies, put together in a bouquet, can be part of the table decorations up until the guests leave. If you include any toys as favors, keep them to a minimum. The parents of your guests will thank you for it.
Birthday Games
The standard Pin the Tail on the Donkey game is always fun, but adapt it to the theme. For a pirate theme, the kids could pin the eye patch on the pirate, or in a princess party, pin the crown on the princess. Make the games yourself. Draw out a pattern on a piece of poster board, color it, and cut it out. A simple bandanna can double as the blindfold.
Other party games include Red Light, Green Light, Duck, Duck Goose, or simple relay races. The best thing about these games, they don't require any purchases! Another activity for younger children would be story time. Select a children's book related to the theme and read it to the guests. Follow up with a craft and have the kids take home their creations.
Birthdays don't have to be stressful and don't have to break the bank. Remember, the children aren't going to remember how much work went into the decorations or the food preparation. They are going to remember the fun they had.
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