Many moms today loathe throwing their kids’ birthday parties, and it shouldn’t come as any shock. We’ve all experienced the pressure to make everything look Pinterest perfect while watching some moms spend thousands of dollars on unnecessary gifts, decorations, and activities. Well, we’ve had enough.
Luckily, across the internet we are slowly starting to see normality return. More women are comfortable showing their imperfect homes and cluttered floors without embarrassment or shame. They highlight special moments with their children playing running through sprinklers or helping to make homemade cookies.
We would all do well to extend that mindset to kids’ birthday parties. Your cakes may be made from a box, and you may only have a few streamers, but as long as you are making happy memories, that’s what matters.
With that in mind, here are five ideas for creating fun birthday parties on a budget.
Simple Budget-Friendly Birthday Party Tips
- Manage the guest list and gift expectations early and clearly. If you only have the money for a small gift, help your child prioritize what he or she really wants. If you only have the budget and space for one or two buddies to come over, remind your kid that they will still have fun. Minimalism in the size and scope of the party and the presents is okay as long as you communicate honestly with your child beforehand. You don’t want them inviting too many friends without your knowledge or getting their hopes up about tons of gifts they won’t be getting. That will lead to disappointment for the child and the parent. So, just be up-front about the birthday plans.
- Keep the timeframe manageable. It doesn’t have to be an all-day affair! In fact, two to three hours is plenty, especially for little kiddos. Also, schedule the party between regular meal times so that you can just offer cake (and maybe light refreshments, if you so choose) without having to feed large groups of people a full dinner.
- Forget renting fancy bounce houses and hiring actors. Instead, create activities out of seemingly mundane things. For example, instead of buying fancy goodie bags, have the kids decorate regular sandwich bags with stickers and markers. You could fill those goodie bags with cheap items from Oriental Trading Company, or let the kids fill them up with candy from a pinata. For games, you could create a homemade scavenger hunt or do word games using birthday-themed words (both of these options can be found online, as well, if you aren’t feeling particularly creative). You do a dance party with the child’s favorite music, or let the kids decorate their own cupcakes. It’s also okay to have downtime where the kids watch a short show or play independently while you organize food or other activities.
- You don’t have to rent out a special space; your house or backyard is perfectly acceptable for a small kids’ party. Buy decorations and supplies from the dollar store. Yes, it’s true that dollar store prices are rising, but you can still find basic party supplies there for pretty cheap. They may not have all the trendy themed balloons and tablecloths, but that’s okay. Truthfully, that’s not what the kids will remember anyway. If you have limited funds to invest on a party, don’t spend them on fancy cutlery when clear plastic forks will work just fine. Bonus tip – you can create free invitations on Canva or Paperless Post and share them digitally, as opposed to spending money on printing and mailing paper invitations.
- Shower the child with praise! Remember, this is the reason for the celebration in the first place! Have guests write down a compliment for the birthday child, or fill balloons with nice things about the child that they can read when they pop. This is how the memories are made.
Celebrate the Child
Remember, living on a budget does not make you a bad parent or deprive your child of happiness. No matter how you celebrate birthdays in your family, the point is to honor your little one and all the joy he or she brings to the world. Don’t worry about making your kid’s party Insta-worthy, because it doesn’t have to be. If you take extra care to make your birthday child feel loved and celebrated, then you are doing a great job as a parent.