To ask you for cheeky cheap tips for child's birthday party?

[Midge1978]

Having a traditional village hall party for dd's 6th birthday, looking for some ideas of little things to do or add that might make it nice or a bit special?

Giant balloons from cards galore, they're so much cheaper than elsewhere. Ebay for party bag items in bulk, Asda do good little £1 prize ideas. Make up paper bags with food in for each kid, saves prepping far too much

Musical statues with bag of haribo for a prize. Get a parent to walk around with a feather duster to get some giggles out of the statues. We spent about half n hour replaying this one.

If you have help/someone to serve/kitchen facilities, hot dogs are good idea. Saves prepping and transporting.

Ask your DD what are her friends favourite songs are compile a list or Spotify playlist.

If you can't afford a face painter, a friend or relative with a wet flannel and box of kids tattoos see eBay/yellow dragon goes down really well and is cheap.

Can never have enough balloons. Blow up a load the night before and pile into giant black plastic bags

Glow sticks are like crack to small children. Even in broad daylight. 59p a pack from Home Bargains.

Instead of prizes between layers on pass the parcel - put silly challenges, things like hop around the circle, pull a silly face, moo like a cow.

Home Bargains.

Shitload of balloons.

A craft table with paper crayons ect.
Musical statues
Pass the parcel
Anyone you know good at face painting?
Play song of your phone.
Pin the tail on the donkey

Den building & a nerf battle in the woods.

You need some easily accessible woodland, a dp who's handy with wire & pruners to build the dens (borrow someone else's dp if necessary), a couple of wholesale packs of nerf pellets and some fine weather.

Invite your small guests to bring their own nerf guns. Take a picnic.

My ds' birthday is in August so it's worked well twice.

You do need to go back later and pick up as many pellets as you can find but at least it's inexpensive.

I agree, serve he food in paper bags, much less mess to clear up and easier to dish out. Instead of messy jelly and ice cream for dessert, what about cheap Cornettoes, tesco etc do boxes with 4 for £1

You def need music, small prizes for games and helpers (if possible) Musical chairs, pass the parcel, all in a circle playing chinese whispers, a little 20 to 30 mins disco. Sandwich in a bag each, a donut in a bag each, party bag each to go home containing a balloon, piece birthday cake, little colouring book, small crayons, etc.

Sorry, not small prizes for helpers, just the kids!

One tip I'd have is for musical chairs and the likes have 2 'out' at a time. Firstly it saves any tears if you have any dramatic kids there and it also makes the game quicker so less time for the kids on the side to get bored. If you keep the prizes little then it doesn't add to the cost to play a couple more rounds of each game.

Musical statues you can lengthen with "Oh I don't think anyone is moving. You are all soooo good" to balance out any timing issues from extra games of something else.

Definately plate/bag/box up their food. There's much less wasteage, there's no grubby fingers digging into anything and it's also easier to keep any seperate if you need too for allergies or the likes.

Party bags: get a load of paper bags (you can get 100 nice old-fashioned pink and white striped for about £3). Get a couple of wholesale boxes or jars of old fashioned sweets. You can produce about 100 party bags of old-style pick and mix for under £25 this way. Much cheaper than any other party favours, kids love them and no plastic tat needed.

Get a big box/clean bin...fill with shredded newspaper. Buy a load of cheapo poundshop toys/books/sweets. Wrap up and put in box/bin. Lucky dip. Kids love it.

Pinata...you can buy them in supermarkets and fill with your own sweets.

Cupcake station. Buy/make a load of plain fairy cakes/biscuits. A few bowls of icing and sweets and they can decorate their own cake/biscuit.

Are you having a theme? I try and tie everything together. Don’t buy all the table wear themed though I normally buy something like themed napkins or a table cloth and then just buy plain coloured plates/cups etc in matching colours.

Don’t bother decorating the walls etc as unless you have a fuckton of stuff it just looks silly having a little banner per wall!! I would concentrate on decorating the food table and maybe the entrance

Just put some balloons down in the hall and as soon as they come in they will chase the balloons and have more fun doing that than any planned entertainment - that’s usually my experience!!
Bubble machine also good.

Craft table to keep them entertsined as they wait for others to get there. Heaps of balloons. Dancing competition (ie silliest dance). Dead fishes for 2 minutes peace. Musical bumps/statues/pass the parcel/pin the tail on the donkey/lucky dip. Tesco/Asda for party bag crap and bargain post Xmas sweets. Plate meals up so heaps of food not wasted/passed round. 2 or so big jugs of squash. Ice cream with toppings and cheapo sauces/sprinkles instead of heaps of biscuits and puddings (generic but can be tarted up to taste). Small sweeties between pass the parcel layers. Don't go crazy on food options (i don't bother with the obligatory fruit/veg as it tends to end up wasted. Plastic wine glasses (pound land) and cheapo fizz for cake cutting toast if you fancy it. Get in heaps of help and delegate like fuck so you can waft round like the perfect hostess stress free on the day.

#6 Pinyata from Amazon.

Poundland deliver, last year I ordered sequin frozen pictures for £1 each, plus sweets for party bags. £3.99 delivery was worth it not to trail around the shop.

I second the old fashioned sweetie babe- birthday girl could run the "shop."
Digestive biscuits or ready made fairy cakes (plain) with icing pens and cake decorations as a craft activity
paper plates to make into masks ....
"Selfie booth" (a patient mate with a phone )..

Bags not babe!!

The Book People often have 10 books for £10 if you're looking for an alternative to party bags. I always make the cake and hire a tin from the local cake shop if she wants a particular shape.

Craft table, we did make your own crown but dd was 3 so might need something more grown up.

If getting a piñata make sure there is somewhere to hang it...

To save money I'd say don't worry too much about the food - they don't eat it and don't care! Individual bags or boxes is great idea. Cake decorating went down a storm with 5/6 yo boys although get decent writing icing, not the stuff you find at the back of the cupboard from a couple years back

A treasure hunt for wrapped sweets
Big screen with retro cartoons or a short film
Karaoke machine
Sleeping Lions
Junk modelling in teams on a theme (Space, animal, funfair etc.)
Oranges and Lemons
The Farmer's in his/her Den

EduCated you must of had the same experience we had or came to DD's party

I was the poor minimum wage Saturday job kid who ended up holding a dangling piñata from a broom handle after I pointed out that the suspended ceiling would be quite expensive to replace

Oddly not the most ridiculous thing I’ve done for work!