Children’s birthday parties have changed considerably since most of us were children.  Generally speaking, gone are the simple days of cake, ice cream, and a lively game of Pin The Tail On The Donkey.  Instead, many of today’s parents feel pressured to host elaborate and expensive parties that will awe their young guests.  For many of them, it is easier to hire someone else to do all the work involved, such as the planning, cooking, and clean-up.  Holding such orchestrated parties may cost hundreds of dollars to parents who are just trying to make their child’s birthday party memorable.  It is time to take a step back and consider not only the economics involved, but also the message we are sending to our children.  As parents, we are constantly teaching our children what we value (whether we intend to or not).  We also teach them how we are willing to use our family resources such as money and time.  Hosting a successful birthday party should not automatically require spending a lot of money.

 

It is possible for any parent to plan a fun-filled, affordable birthday party regardless of budget constraints.  Just follow these four F’s to ensure that the party is a great success:

 

Food - Young party-goers need fuel to have fun!  Prepare the food choices ahead of time so that you can watch your child enjoy the party.  Sloppy Joe’s or hot dogs work well in a crock pot, staying warm until it is time to eat.  For older children, making their own pizza is a great way to get the party going.  Adding 2 or 3 side dishes will satisfy even the pickiest of diners.  Side dishes might include a veggie tray, fresh fruit, cheese sticks, and frozen yogurt.  A decorated cake or cupcakes can be the grand finale to the meal.  It might be fun for preschoolers to decorate their own cupcakes.  The Internet also offers creative ideas on how to make a theme-related cake (www.familyfun.com).

 

Flare - Decorations are an integral part of a birthday party, but you do not need to ‘break the bank’ in order to create a festive atmosphere.  Do not use balloons at a party where children under age 3 are present, as balloons should be considered a possible choking hazard.  If the guests are over age 3, by all means decorate the house with colorful inflated balloons.  Use inexpensive paper streamers as well to compliment the balloons.  A roll of streamers goes a long way!  On the night before your child’s birthday, be sure to use streamers to decorate his bedroom door frame.  He will be so excited when he walks through his special doorway the next morning.  In regards to paper products, use generic paper dinner plates and plastic silverware, but splurge a bit on character-themed dessert plates and napkins.  Keep juice boxes or mini-waters on hand in the refrigerator as these are easy to grasp (and also save on buying paper cups).  Create your own invitations by utilizing “Google images” to find photos that fit the theme of the party.  Insert the artwork on a word document and simply add your party’s details before printing it out.  Tape the information page onto a piece of colored construction paper and (voila!) you have invitations for under $.25 each.  EBay has super personalized invitations that can be made for you for under $1.00 each.  As your children grow older, www.evite.com is a free way to send out birthday invitations electronically.

 

Fun - Games and activities are a great way for all the guests to ‘party hearty’.  Plan ahead to choose games which will not only fit their age bracket, but also keep them entertained and occupied.  Before you rush out to purchase packaged games, search your household for games you already own that could be used as party games.  These might include croquet, tic-tac-toe, magnetic darts, ladder ball, sticky-ball target game, or any others.  A highly recommended game to purchase is “Bucket Blast” ($35).  It is actually 20 games in one that any child over the age of 3 would enjoy (www.lolofun.com).  Perhaps the fun at your party might be sledding if you have a convenient hill nearby, or swimming if you have a pool in your yard.  Blow-up pools and sprinklers are still fun for 5-year-olds.  Of course, you can always create your own action games like red light/green light, musical chairs (what a lost and lively game!), water balloon toss, or the various relay races (www.amazingmoms.com).  Be sure to ask a few family members or other moms to be ‘helpers’ at the party.  They can each take a game or activity to supervise and children can rotate through them in a timely manner.  Finally, as a teacher, I like to offer an opening and closing activity at my own children’s birthday parties.  The opening activity is something that the children can do right away while waiting for the other guests to arrive.  For younger children, coloring pages is a busy activity.  You can download free theme-related pages on the Internet (www.kaboose.com or www.dltk-kids.com/coloring.htm).  For older children, give them a plain white gift bag to decorate with markers, stickers, foam shapes, etc.  These bags can then be used for prizes or piñata treats.  Alternatively, you might supply the older children with thematic word searches or crossword puzzles (www.abcteach.com).  For a closing activity, end with a game of bingo.  Kids of all ages like bingo!  You can use a purchased bingo game or Zingo (www.discoverytoys.com), or you can download theme-related ones on the Internet (www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/bingo1.asp).  This is a wonderful game to play while waiting for all the children to be picked up.  Skittles or M&M’s make great bingo markers.

 

Favors - Many parents want to give a favor to their guests as a way of saying ‘thank you’ for attending the party.  If a piñata was used, the child’s bag of loot obtained from the piñata game might be used as the designated favor.  Think for a moment about the various favors your children have brought home from parties.  What happened to them?  Most of the favors break and end up in the trash within a few days.   It would make more sense to purchase items that are durable yet fun.  If you plan ahead, you can find things on clearance and stay below a $5 per favor limit.  For young children, books are ideal favors.  My son is turning 3 and getting ready for his Mickey Mouse-theme party.  We obtained Mickey Mouse books ($4 each) for the 6 children being invited.  My daughter had a water party for her birthday last summer with blow-up pools, a borrowed slide, and sprinklers. The favor was a beach towel found on clearance at Target for $2.50.  Sledding party?  Try a new pair of mittens or a hat.  Slumber party?  How about cozy socks or a pillowcase that the guests can each decorate while at the party.  

 

It is possible for parents to plan a perfect birthday party without spending a fortune.  It is not necessary to use lavish decorations or entertain with pony rides or magicians in order to have a fun-filled party.  By being creative and practical in planning the food, flare, fun, and favors, you can give your child and his guests a wonderful experience to treasure for years to come. 

 

 

Kilee Christnagel, B.S.,M.Ed, LPE, holds a MN teaching license for early childhood, elementary and Parent & Family education.  Kilee has been teaching with Minneapolis Public Schools for over 10 years.  She started her own business, Start Your Kids Engine, as an educational speaker specializing in parenting seminars and teacher workshops.  For more information, visit or contact Kilee at www.startyourkidsengine.com or call 612-919-0237.