Kids birthday parties, how much?

[Overthebow]

How much do you spend on your DCs birthday parties? My DC will be turning 3 this year and it’s the first year we will be doing a proper birthday party as she was too young before but now loves going to her friends parties and asks for her own all the time.

I’m not a fan of soft play parties where you are mixed in with all the other kids, so either want an exclusive soft play party or some kind of entertainment and a hall. Everywhere I’ve looked would come to around £400. We can afford it and would pay it but is this a silly amount to pay for a kids party or is this about right nowadays?

The prices have risen massively.
I am used to aim to spend £100 all in but am going to have to increase to £150.

Any kind of entertainment seems to want around £350; and then it's in your own house.

So it seems to be about what it costs. Do you want to spend that much on the experience?

Pretty much is. I’ve known parents have it cheaper by hosting in a local park and setting up a buffet/ cake. Very weather dependent though.

cost of hall, bouncy castle, catering and then party bags always costs double what you think so it’s better you found out early!

Last year we did a village hall with bouncy castle party for about £180. We did the food ourselves. We did a joint party for my daughter and her friend who were both turning 3, so we split the cost with a friend and it was only £90 each. Does your little one go to nursery? You could ask the nursery teacher if there are any children with a birthday around the same time.

Yes that’s right - it’s a lot. Too much.

I spent about £120 recently: £25 Hall, £40 bouncy castle then the rest on food and party bags.

Depends what the plan is.

DS ‘s 5th bday was probably £350 all in - whole class, £200 entertainer, £70 on hall, then food and favours etc.

Other DS’s 8th bday 6 months later will probably be about £50 as he just wants a few friends round for a BBQ.

Kids parties have really went up in price, they used to be a lot cheaper than what they are now.

That feels a lot to me - we have mostly done parties at home - and done the food and entertainment (just old fashioned party games!) ourselves- my Daughter just had 10 friends for her 8th birthday- bit of a squeeze, but we spent about £30 on things for games, £40 on party bags, £40 on food including a homemade cake - so £110 all in. It’s more expensive for 3 year olds at home as you have to include their parents in catering - but if the party is 2-4pm then adults only need a cup of tea and a piece of cake

If everywhere you’ve looked the cost will be around £400 then you’ve answered your own question, this is what people are paying for these kinds of parties in your area. You may well find people can do it cheaper in other areas where a hall hire type thing costs less, but if you’ve already done your research you know the cost.
I personally, even though I could afford a £400 party for a three year old, wouldn’t. It’s a heck of a lot of money and I’m sure most three year olds would have just as much fun with a little tea party at home, or a trip to a farm or similar day out. You could invite friends to something like that too.

Last year when ds turned 10 we got the gaming bus - parks up on your drive and has 10 or 12 screens in the back hooked up to loads of different consoles, they had an absolute riot. All organised by the bus guy, he ran competitions and other games in there then they came in and played football in the garden for half an hour until domino’s came.
game bus was £350 for an hour and a half and then it was probably £70 for the pizzas. Party bag plus cakes etc, maybe it all came in at around £450. However because of Covid he hadn’t had a party for a couple of years so I just sucked it up!
He probably won’t have a proper party this year, he said he would like to take a couple of friends to Thorpe Park. It may well be a bit cheaper but maybe not?! 🙈

Last year we had one party in a softplay - around 30 kids at around £12.50 per kid is almost £400. We made our own cake - cheap except for my time which is apparently worth nothing.

We had another party in a village hall, also 30ish kids. Hall £15 per hour - we booked 4h for a 2h party, so £60. Entertainment £140. Food and drinks another £50ish. Party bags another £50ish. So £300, plus a load of my time which is again worth nothing.

3? Squat all

10… just spent £280

All depends on what they have over the years.

If it's a hall and a class party it's usually around £350-400 with a entertainer.

I've just done £250 for a trampoline park party for 12 children. The price increase there now has just meant it will be £300 next time.

Cinema parties have cost around £200 in past.

I intend to hire the soft play centre for my youngest birthday. It's year before she goes to school. Due to her disability ill do the private hire option (so she doesn't get knocked over by older children) its £350 for private hire then another £200 for food.

If it's what you want and you don't think it is daylight robbery and you can afford it then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. People who have money spending that money is good for the economy and employment etc etc

I took my 3 year old to legoland discovery, during the week it’s £12 for a parent and under 5 ticket. Invited 3 friends and then took some cupcakes and juice for the kids. £48. Did some little party bags around £5 each and then went for lunch at a kid friendly place.
then went home and invited a few family members for singing happy birthday and a £10 cake. All in all £100 spent and that felt like a lot- I couldn’t face the costs of a party in a hall, after adding it up including food it was looking at over £350!

kids had an amazing time though.

We held my sons party (5) at a soft play and it was £108 for 8 children, including exclusive use of soft play area for 2 hours, food, party games and party bags. We supplied cake and candles and that was it!

Exclusive hire is always going to be more expensive.

Age 3 I would do a smaller party.

That sounds about right for a party with a hired entertainer plus food/party bags etc. If I were you though, I would save that type of party for when she is reception and whole class parties are the norm. For a 3 year old it seems a bit OTT.

Hall parties cost a lot, we usually spend £500. Activity perties (basically where you pay for all the children to do a dance/baking lesson or whatever) are voring and not really parties.

If you can I’d go joint on a hall or softplay party with another child in the class.

At 3 I really wouldn’t bother too much. Can you just have few friends and family round for a cake? Don’t get sucked into the ‘instagram’ kids party thing.

My kids love a party - it is a huge huge thing for them and they would genuinely rather that than a fancy present - so we really go for it on the party and then keep gifts more modest (plus they get lots of smaller gifts from their friends with a party which is exciting for them). We can afford it and it makes the kids very happy. We do whole class and also invite siblings so typically have 40 - 45 kids there, which is on the large side.

As a guide (and there are definitely things you could cut out or cut back on if you wanted) generally I expect to pay:

• c.£350 for the venue and activity (either a good size village hall plus an entertainer or bouncy castle OR something like exclusive use hire of a soft play centre). A smaller hall, sorting your own entertainment or use of part of a soft play rather than all of one would all cut costs.
• c.£200 depending on numbers for food and drinks (I usually get it catered - a local caterer does a lovely kids party tea for £5/head - classic sandwiches, sausage rolls, cakes and biscuits, veg sticks, fruit, crisps, cocktail sausages, pizza slices etc.)
• allow £50 for birthday cake - I usually make a two tier cake and buy a fancy topper or a toy to include in the design
• allow £100 for party bags and “extras” (party hats or masks if there is a theme for example).

I see reception and year 1/2 as the big “class party” years, for a 3 year old I would probably go for a smaller party - which can mean small venue definitely lower food costs.

Thanks everyone, looks like £400ish for a party is about right then. I just wanted to check that I wasn’t missing a cheaper option but looks like for the type of party we want that’s what it is.

We’d want exclusive hire because it’s more of a party feel if you have the whole place to yourself, and quite honestly the idea of keeping track of a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds in amongst loads of other kids sounds awful to me.

We’ve done that for the last couple of birthdays, but this year she has been asking for a party and is really excited about it. She’s loved all the ones she’s been to this year and they’ve all been exclusive hire soft play or halls with entertainment or bouncy castles. I’m happy to spend money on it so she can have the party she wants, and watching them all have fun will be brilliant.

We've just spent around £250 on a 10th birthday. Activity plus Domino's pizza for 9 kids and 3 adults. But it was on the proviso that it was expensive and it was expensive party and cheap present or big present and small party.

Hall parties are quite bad value IMO - hall hire was expensive when I last looked, and you have to set up and clear away, provide food & activities