To be shocked at kids party prices

Cheapest take home craft is to buy small paper bags (party bag sized) and provide stickers, foam shapes etc for them to stick on. (you can get these from Poundland, The Works etc and relatively inexpensive).

Buy rich tea biscuits, make up icing and provide a selection of small sweets for them to decorate.

Put them on a paper plate that they have decorated round the edge using felt tips.

I'd personally avoid doing crafts if you have a bouncy castle though. Particularly for that number of children.

Traditional party games will be fine at this age and again pretty cheap.

So your main cost is food and hall hire.

In the 80s my mum invited about six kids to my house for sarnies, cake and pass the parcel.

Ask yourself if you really want 30 new toys coming into the house, too.

Find out whether anyone at nursery has a birthday around the same time and do a joint party

We did half a dozen friends at home (small flat) with food from Iceland (they loved the popcorn chicken), few traditional party games and party bags.
If you're hiring a place for 30 kids - it's going to be expensive.

Parties are expensive.

Do you have a local leisure centre with a small soft play, I've always found hiring one of those to be the cheapest way to do it when they are little. Then a lunch box for food and simple party bags. Sometimes I may add tattoos, which are cheaper and easier than a face painter. I'm not talking about the big soft play venues that charge £20+ per child, I mean the smaller council run leisure places.

At £300 for 30 kids that's only £10 a head which is really pretty cheap. I've never invited that many kid as we couldn't afford it!

Yes I’d say that was normal, all my 5 year old dds parties have cost around that so far and we’re about to start parties for our younger DC too. The only way to make it cheaper really is if you either do everything yourself which means not hiring a bouncy castle, or limiting invites to say 10 friends and doing a small activity instead.

Sounds reasonable to me. You're hiring a hall and bouncy castle, and catering for 30 kids plus adults.

I never did a class party. Ever.

Instead actual friends…. Between 6-10 and did something really good. Go ape, animal encounters (brilliant!) trampling and then pizza express, Climbing.

Probably less than what you’ll pay and the kids really enjoyed and SO much less stress

Normal for a full class party with an activity I’m afraid! My dc are now teens but I remember their class parties being £300-400 a few years ago. Village hall, party bags , entertainment and food all add up.