It is true—life with kids can be… expensive. At the same time, remember the fact that parents can buy their baby all of the fanciest toys in the world, yet the TV remote control or a simple set of keys may still end up being the little one’s favored toy. Money does not buy happiness, and planning a day to celebrate a child on their special day doesn’t have to break the bank! With a focus on having fun and spending time with their friends, kids have their priorities straight and their values in the right place when it comes to birthday parties. So check out these fun-focused birthday themes that kids will love, plus a few additional money-saving tips that are perfect for parties.
Summer Campout
Pop a tent, build a campfire, and tell the kids that camp is in session! Activity ideas include playing games like capture the flag, Mafia (rules can be found online), four-square, or even flashlight tag. Creative kiddos will enjoy super simple crafts like making beaded bracelets, painting rocks, or even putting on a talent show. Throwing water balloons at a target is a great way to practice aim, just like they do with archery and riflery at camp–it is also a great way to cool down. Hot dogs on the fire, corn on the cob, chips, and s’mores can help parents stay on theme and within budget. Plus, most homes have lots of items that can be used to set the ambiance, such as lanterns, sleeping bags, tents, and string lights.
Chef Celebration
Knock out the theme and the activities all in one swoop with a cooking party. This party theme is ideal for kids who love spending time in the kitchen making tasty treats. Pre-made pizza dough can be purchased inexpensively at most grocery stores, or go all out and make it from scratch! Party guests love personalizing pizzas with a variety of toppings, and a fun twist would be pairing off into teams and having a competition to create the best-tasting pizza! A trail mix or candy buffet can also serve as an activity, with guests decorating their bags and taking their mix home as a party favor. Making homemade buttercream for simple sugar cookies is memorable for party-goers, and then guests can decorate their own cookies for dessert. Additional activities include pin the topping on the pizza and apron decorating!
Gaming Party
Board games, video games, and backyard games make for a fun party that is super easy on the pocketbook. Ask party-goers to bring their favorite games to share. From classics like Twister, Connect Four, Battleship, Uno, and more, it is so fun to compete! To give everyone a chance to win, throw in some simple games like cup stacking, balloon keepy-uppy (keep two balloons up for as long as possible by booping them) or cookie face (start with a cookie on the forehead and try to wriggle it down to the mouth–no hands allowed!). Simple prizes can be purchased for game winners like slinkies, silly putty, tattoos, stickers, and more—it isn’t so much about what the prize is, kids just like being able to win! And since the games are all being brought to the party (or are already owned), splurging on some inexpensive prizes is within reason.
Fairy Party
A summer garden is the perfect setting for a fabulous fairy party! Guests can transform into fairies by using face paint to paint each other’s faces with butterflies, flowers, etc. Fairy crowns can be made using green pipe cleaners, ribbon, and artificial flowers, while fairy wands can be designed with paint pens and cut-down dowel rods (most hardware stores will cut them for customers if they simply ask!). Another cute activity would be painting small terra cotta pots (less than a dollar apiece at Wal-Mart) and planting seeds, or craft paper flowers out of tissue paper for the pots! Serving up drinks in mix-and-match thrift store tea cups would be an adorable addition! Crafty and fabulous, the fairy party uses more creativity than cash!
Mad Scientist Party
Get the party animals ready for some scientific inquiries—Amazon has kits complete with lab coats, goggles, magnifying glasses, and more (only $33 for four complete outfits). Beyond that expense, the common house already has many ingredients to create experiments! Crowd-pleasing chemistry experiments like elephant toothpaste, slime-making, and baking soda/vinegar volcanoes would make for some ooo’s and aaah’s! A great party favor for this theme is sensory jars; save jars and bottles so guests can whip up their own creations using baby oil, glitter, googly eyes, pom poms, food coloring, and other add-ins (Tip: It is a good idea to super glue these shut). Buying a few Stomp Rockets would keep the kids entertained and active, too.
Additional Money-Saving Tips!
Be tech savvy! Keep it simple when it comes to invitations. Websites like punchbowl.com are free and eco-friendly, too. Spending money on fancy invitations and stamps only takes away from the budget for fun activities.
Be selective! The same budget can be spent more freely with fewer party guests; keeping the guest list low allows more dollars available per partyer.
Be thrifty! Hitting up local thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, or even yard sales is a great way to stay fiscally responsible. From party decor, games, craft supplies, and the truly miscellaneous, it is amazing what treasures can be found with a little searching.
Be a planner! Throwing a party during meal time means feeding an army (spaghetti, anyone?). However, planning the party during a non-meal time can help lower the budget. Instead of a meal, a wide variety of snacks can be offered!
Be a baker! Save the lavish cakes for weddings. Most kids want to devour their cake and get back to playing, anyway. If the budget allows, grocery stores have adorable themed and licensed character cakes. But if the budget is tight, rest assured that kids will enjoy eating “homemade” box cake cupcakes just as much as a fancy fondant cake—funfetti will always be a hit!
Staying within a tight budget for a party doesn’t automatically mean cutting out fun. Take a cue from the kids and shift the focus to spending time with cherished friends and doing things together. Sometimes, simple truly is best! Happy partying, and most of all:
Happy Birthday!
Love,
Colorado Family Magazine
