To be shocked at kids party prices

[4babiesforever]

almost 4 year old has been getting invited to birthdays parties at nursery and from a club he goes to over the past year and a bit and has now asked for a birthday party of his own this this year.
AIBU to be shocked how much it seems to plan a birthday party for kids or should I have expected this?!

• will be inviting up to 30 kids (nursery class, some pals from club, and lots of cousins lol). cant fit that in our house and I thought th cheapest option would be to hire a community hall as DS would like a bouncy castle. he would like a theme and I’m thinking I could make a lot of the decorations from cardboard, a friend has offered to dress up lol, but even so adding up the cost of hall hire, bouncy castle, and food it all adds up. I’ve been trying to think of an activity that could double up as party favour to take home for example painting themed plaster cast models (I’ve seen kits that have several peices), and making themed cookies to take home (or price of the cake) or books from works etc but still adds up (and I’m planning in a way do I don’t even have to spend on an actual ‘gift bag’) I will provide food for adults as my family would have to travel. everyone I try and cost everything up it comes up to £300/400 - is this normal?
  or does anyone have any good tips? AIBU to be so clueless about this all or to ask for advice please oh ps - theme is ocean animals Tia x

To invite the child with disabilities is a lovely gesture. Hope your DC has a great time.

I know what you mean. No individual item seems overly expensive but £400 for a kids just seems too much!!

Never done class parties similar to what others have said I allow my DCs to pick an activity or event they would like to do for their birthdays and allow them to take a friend I would much rather spend £300-£400 and even then don’t spend that much.
For my Dads birthday last year we took her to Legoland with her friend.

We used to hire the local big soft play around £400 and bring your own food and drinks. The works 10 books for £10 and a pick up a box of haribo tiny bags for favors. That did 60 children though.

We found the food we took was always too much as they were always off running around and mostly wanted to grab drinks.

The parties we attended in halls with bouncy castles the children definitely ate more food as they kept stopping more.

My ds is 10 now but we hired soft play or trampoling a couple of time it was 12/15 a head and we invited 10.
if you are going to do a big party then I’d try to cut corners. Obviously you have the hall and bouncy castle hire I’m guessing £150-200. But if you get the food for Iceland, buy cheap themed decorations off Amazon, get a supermarket cake (or make one) and party bags- cake, haribo and bubbles or sticker s. You will massively reduce the extra costs.

We used to share parties between 3 or even 4 if it was a class. Also for gifts we suggested just buy one gift and do a “lucky dip” so you didn’t end up with 30 gifts.
Also did cheapo home parties for up to 10 old school style- pass the parcel, pin the tail etc. Then run around in the garden. They all loved it.
Easier for summer parties I know.

When mine were that age I got a job lot of books instead of party bags. There are some really good bundles online. It worked out much cheaper and the parents appreciated it rather than a load of sweets etc. That and a piece of cake is fine.

In my experience, at that age they will just be happy on the bouncy castle together, some places do bouncy castle plus some additional ride-on scooters (or similar) hire, could look at that?

Our council leisure centre has there own bouncy castle, so renting the hall and castle from them works out much cheaper then booking location and entertainment separately.

Even with the activities doubling up as party favours, that will still work out as expensive, plus lots of young kids won't actually do the activity. Personally, I'd just let them bounce around for an hour, then give them a bag with some sweets, mini bubble mix (10 pack from £1 shop) and a slice of cake.

I don’t think I’ll do afternoon though as my LO and I know others who say their kids get more grump etc and avoid afternoon activities etc but could do like 10-11-30? Dunno will think more on that.

I would love you for this! We have had to turn down party invitations because they are smack bang in the middle of the afternoon, would definitely be able to attend so many more if they were in the morning.

Our local leisure centre does bouncy castle parties - think they're about £120 so cheaper than hiring bouncy castle and hall separately. They include a little assortment of soft play bits too.

I would possibly put out a table with simple colouring / stickers for kids who want a break from the bouncy castle and you could do musical statues or corners (sea creatures can be the 4 corners) for completely free activities or pass the parcel for something low cost, but most of the kids will probably be happy just with the bouncy castle.

For food, I'd keep it very simple and try not to over cater - for that sort of age I'd allow for half a sandwich each (as in, 1 slice of bread), a satsuma, a packet of crisps, a packet of biscuits like mini party rings or mini cookies - multipacks from the poundshop or B&M for those. Jugs of cordial rather than buying fruit shoots or similar. Cheap supermarket cake like the tray bakes that serve a lot and remember little kids only need a little slice. The Works books are a good shout instead of party bags - we did that a few times and it always went down well. Have fun, I miss these types of birthday parties 😀

The hall and bouncy castle are your biggest expense, and they'll be the same regardless of how many you invite. I'd invite everyone, you always get people who cancel on the day with sickness, plus those who can't make it to begin with.

Choose a time either in the morning or later afternoon where lunch won't be expected. Cuts down on food cost and waste. Just get crisps, biscuits, sweets and loads of drinks. You can get a big tray of water from Costco for less than £5.

Parties are about treat food, so don't worry about fruit, etc.

Don't bother with the book. A lot of thought for you and tbh most of the books we've been given at parties we already have. The party favours my kids like the best are sweet cones or a bag of haribo and a piece of birthday cake.

My eldest is in year 6 and has already had a couple of class parties this year! They seem to have made a comeback for the class as a 'last party' thing which is nice.

Keep the party to 90 minutes and don't stress the kids will run wild, eat treats, drink and have a great time.

I'm doing a party for my DD 8th birthday in February, the hall is £25 per hour so I'll have have 3 hours, DJ/entertainment is £225 for 2 hours. If I wanted a character or face painting that would be an additional £75/80.

Thanks everyone. Might just invite everyone if the cost is not actually that’s different Since we will anyway be hiring the castle and hall. (I’ve checked local pleasure centres and they don’t offer that).
I will pay for it, I think I just didn’t realise the cost involved lol.

DS wants the party as his gift so we are not spending anything outwith the party. I will make the majority of the decorations as we have a lot of cardboard to recycle lol so a pp suggested throwing bean bags through something (I will paint a shark with a big mouth and cut them out out)
And pin the fin on the dolphin I can make that too.
don’t need many games as there is the lucky castle. But I think it will be fun planning it!!!

Oh I have a question about serving food at the party - depends on the time we have it of course. But if we could only have it over lunch time for example…

is it better to have it out on a table like a buffet style they can help themselves too when they want from the beginning ?
or is it better to have an eating time and have them sit down then put food out?
or have a buffet but just take it out half way through?

Sitting if you can! It takes time out of the party, gives the kids a chance to reset and have a drink. You have the birthday child sat to bring the cake out and sing happy birthday.

also to add, you must serve food no matter what time the party is! It will be 100% expected.

a bit like no party bag, it’s odd not to serve food at a party.

Great thanks ☺️ it will give the grown ups a chance for a peaceful cup/nibble too!

do you think having an adopt a whale/dolphin/shark wall with little plushies to adopt work as a party favour or do kids prefer party bag?

Definitely have the come and sit down. Kills a bit of time! But I always do the cake as soon as they sit down, before children wander off after eating.

I think it’s the idea of the bag the kids love and the birthday child usually loves handing them out, just add some cake to the bag and some sweets and then they can add the plushie to the bag too and that would be a lovely set of favours.

Oh then I could cut it up to add to their bags while they eat!

Adopt an animal for a kids party favour?
What happened to glow sticks and wrist snappers and stickers/slime?

Either get friends to do it or have another cake pre-cut. You really won't have time!

Sounds cheap to me. We have always budgeted about £1000 - £1250 and it’s always come in around that including the one we have within the next month or so

We did class parties the first 2 years of school for each child.

over the years the private soft play centre hires with food have cost the same as hiring a hall and castle. Around the £600 mark. My bouncy castle hire was cheaper than a hall. I could get a castle for £75-90. But a hall for 4 hours was £140 for just a local village hall. Scout hut, church halls all charged more. To hire a soft play centre exclusively was £300 though for up to 100 children. (These years I did a joint between 2 children so I’d have 60 kids for that £300)

by year 2 we start only inviting our close friends so limit numbers at that point.
These days we generally pay £12-16 a head for bowling or cinema.

this year one child has chosen a climbing wall which is £9.50 a head. And I have it on a private hire. It should have been more but as members we were able to negotiate the cost. And I removed all the extras as they really just wanted the activity and not the other frills.

Another has chosen a party that’s similar to build a bear at £23 a head plus hall. (I could do it at home but having children in the home is to overwhelming for my autistic son)

I don’t mind while they are young. My older children have outgrown parties so it counteracts the higher costs of parties as I have 2 that just want a game of bowling or a meal with 1 or 2 friends sort of thing now.

I’m considering actually doing it as a cupcake stand 🙃