Birthday Party on a budget

[CarolineDB]

Hi.....I thought I would share with you what I am doing for my daughters upcoming 7th birthday party. I'm a single parent, and at the moment am currently not working, but isn't stopping me having a party for my daughter, but I'm doing it on a budget.

So I was thinking of activities the kids could do for the 2 hr party, enough to keep them amused, and that they'd enjoy.

I used Sparklebox and freefunfings.com to download some colour in masks, I've got princesses, pirates, lions, flowers, and and am getting them photocopied onto card for 10p per copy. Getting 30 done, as will keep some for the summer hols. Also bought 4 packs of felt tips - which are currently on offer at Argos for 50p a pack of 12, and the kids can colour them in, and once they've done that, I'll attach some elastic and they can take them home.

Also got a few small items for the middle of the pass the parcel presents, 1 for girls and 1 for boys. Think they cost me about £2 in total.

Also have been on a course recently which is fun things to do with kids, and we're making a papier mache dinosaur, this may be converted into a pinata, which I will fill with sweets and lets the kids destroy.

That along with music from the ipod.

I'm hiring a hall, which is free, there are places that will let you use the hall for nothing, as wouldn't be used for anything else.

In regards to food, as a treat for the children am doing pizza and chips...not the healthiest, but every once in a while doesn't harm them. And just water, orange and blackcurrant squash.

Then comes the issue of the party bags, I've decided not to do them, and instead of party bags, they're going to get Kinder Eggs, a little bit of chocolate and a toy in 1, and at the moment Tesco have them on offer for 3 for £1, and then of course they have their masks.

Then I've got the balloons, plates, cups etc. They don't all have to be themed, think they cost me in total less than a fiver.

On the day I am having pink and white tablecloths, always worth asking the venue if they have any you can borrow, and then I am getting a balloon display - Clintons do 3 plain balloons and a helium balloon display for £5.85 now.

Then the birthday cake which will cost me about £8.

So all in all for about 20 kids the party is costing me about £30-£40, and as I've got the stuff over a number of weeks it's not been too bad.

Could be made cheaper by making my own birthday cake....but overall the total cost is quite good I thought.

This may or may not be helpful for some people - but thought I would share.

Will let you know how it goes next week.

xx

[LightShinesInTheDarkness]

Well done, you!

I am not a single parent but was really impressed by your post.

Your DD is lucky to have a mum who has gone to so much trouble to make her day special.

Hope it all goes well. Come back and tell us!

(Go on - make your own cake, save another fiver! Pink icing, silver balls, candles on a sponge cake is dead easy. Let DD help decorate and she will love it even more!)