To think it’s impossible to do a whole class party on the cheap?

[Andjustgo]

Is it possible to have a party without spending close to £500? (I’m talking around 25 kids here, there isn’t really a way of inviting fewer guests.)

Definitely absolutely do not want to host at home, it wouldn’t be practical as they are young children so parents would have to stay. And the thought gives me the shivers.

So local soft play / inflatables / role play cafe either charge per head at around £20, working out at around £500, or you pay for exclusive hire of the place for a bit more money. Both these options include food etc.

Or I could hire a hall (but then would need entertainment and bouncy castles seem popular 😱) or a magician / princesses or something. That’s around £200 plus hall hire, food and party bags. On the face of it cheaper but a lot of work involved.

I don’t mind paying but I’m just wondering if this is typical now.

(I do get a large percentage of MNetters wouldn’t dream of anything as vulgar as a kids’ party - this question is for those who do!)

Look around for a cheaper hall, do traditional party games, a plentiful but simple party food, your own decorations and cake, and budget friendly party bags.

We're lucky enough to get the hall for free, but with enough planning I can usually keep it close to £100 for around 20 children and 20 children.

Hire a hall and run your own party games. Halls round us are £35-50. Can do food fairly cheap - £50ish. Don’t go nuts on party bags and prizes. I think you could get it for £120-140

Organise them into groups, blow up wnough balloons for one each team amd play keep the balloon up. Prize for winners. Honestly this kept year 1 entertained for about an hour at Christmas. Musical statues and fancy dress and you’re ready for food. 2 hrs max.

Village hall? Our hall has a kitchen, a bouncy castle suitable for up to 8yo, and charges £15 an hour. If you ask nicely, you can go in and dress the hall at 9am as well. It will take 30 dcs easily.
Add a buffet & a home made cake, you can do the whole thing for £180.

We always shared with others in class. Or only invited girls (for DD) and then can manage at home.

Do not do a bouncy castle - they are expensive!

Hire a hall - our local ones range from £50 to £200 for an afternoon, so call round a few to get prices.

Next entertainment - you definitely can do this cheaply on your own without hiring an entertainer- do you have any family who’d help ? Pass the parcel, sleeping lions, some cones and hoops for an obstacle course/races. Etc

load of party food and done.

You will need to be organised but it should be fine.

^ bouncy castle also death trap and needs lots of monitoring.

One year I hid lots of dry pasta shapes ( could use Lego or buttons) around the garden and every time they found one and brought one to me or whoever they got a smartie from the jar. Was a great opener while children arrived as they could just join in. Or do a Liz from Motherland and throw a few pound coins into a room and tell them they can keep them if they find one. Genius. 😂

I just did the soft play, honestly it’s way easier and there’s nothing for you to do only stand there 🙌🙌 at our soft play they provide the food and cake so it’s a win win! 2 hours later it’s done, you have no cleaning to do. Dc are happy and everyone had fun!! Job done 🤣I’m ALL for the easy life!

I second the joint party if at all possible - twice as many hands to organise and help and the cost is halved.

Church hall type parties are better if they have a theme - eg mermaids and pirates and theme the games around that so try to find the pirate's treasure, sleeping fish rather than sleeping lions etc

I did one when DD was little and obsessed with lazy town and got a local PT who was ex army to come and lead an "exercise session" - the little boys were so excited that they would get to meet a "real soldier" (who was actually a woman which they were slightly less impressed about)

As they got older it got easier - the last whole class party I did was for Y3 girls and we booked a local community art centre who ran a mosaic workshop (bonus was that the mirror they made was the take home present). The year before we booked a street dance session in a community centre - cost very little as the hall was cheap and we could DIY the catering and the dance leader was about £50 for the whole session.

I don't think this will go down well. You'll get most parents being snippy about the balloons. Then you'll get half of them crying as the balloons pop. The other half crying when they don't win the prizes.

Hire a hall, traditional party games, do your own food (I've seen parents make up food boxes for each child, which both helps manage allergies and assures you don't have lots left over. You don't need a fancy entertainer (that the children might not want to sit and watch anyway, depending on how old they are).

This. Also Share the Party with any available ‚Birthday Twins‘

I mean, you can also just do it at Home, but you need a Summer/Late spring Birthday, good weather, a downstairs loo and a very large garden.

Mine always come out at about £500.

A lot of little kids don't want to do games or join in so no entertainment isn't always option.

Bouncy castle/ soft play hire is £80- £150
Food and drink/ tableware- £100
Cake- even homemade £50
Decorations- £50
Sweetie cones/ partybags- £20/ £70
Always do craft type table- £50
Hall hire 3hrs starts at about £70 round here.

I've been to super cheap ones, a hall, bouncy castle and just massive bag of crisps and squash with a cheap traybake. No Decorations or anything and they look quite sad. But that does save a few hundred if you're desperate.

We did a whole class party in the park once. Traditional party games (we brought props for egg n spoon race, sack race, pass the parcel etc), lots of running around. Medals. Picnic tea (we provided this). I took a massive punt on the weather being OK - first week of Sept. Sixth birthday (DS is eldest in the year).

Edit - It cost peanuts, but we barely had that at the time. Could do similar with a hall if worse weather, especially if it has outdoor space.

If you have a big enough park it’s ok, just use one area. Last year DB did one in Wells Street Park Hackney for his 7 year old son’s birthday. I think he did hot food, and just had games. Lot of organisation but went well. This was end of June. Our local park has a bouncy castle for parties, the kids are only in one space there in front of the cafe. Rest of park is free for other patrons.

Our local park has a pizza oven business next to the cafe, I’m sure they’d start earlier for a party.

Good suggestion - all the same kids, halves the cost

Highly recommend a cinema party. Cineworld charged £10 per head including a snack box which was popcorn, magic stars and a
drink. Exclusive use of a huge screen and 30 mins after the film for the kids to run riot. Minimum 20 and one adult to every 8 kids required. Debatable for 5 year olds but was absolutely brilliant for a bunch of 7/8 year olds (and some younger siblings!) We did it jointly so really reasonable! Easiest party I’ve ever done.

Otherwise I agree, OP, it’s very expensive. We did one all
class party - hall, entertainer etc. joint with a friend. It was still v expensive.

You needn't hire a bouncy castle or magician etc. music and games and simple food is enough for that age group.

You could do a picnic in the park which is obviously free, but if weather too cold then a church or community hall. You can I'm sure rope in a friend to be the 'DJ'.

Home made cake, crisps, fruit, biscuits, sausage rolls and maybe some ham/cheese/salami and bread/rolls?

No need for party bags except maybe some stickers and a small pack of sweets? Most parents don't want their kids bringing home lots of little plastic things that just get forgotten about or trodden on!

I had 25 Reception age DC in my home, my DS had quite a lot of dress up costumes and toys, all they wanted to do was run around the garden playing. I paid £180 for an entertainer, who didn’t engage with the DC and one by one they left the lounge to play outside. No other parents stayed, although they were welcome. We ended up putting on music so they could dance for the last 30 minutes, they had a great time. My in-laws were with us and helped make it a great day.

Soft play but hold it at a funny time, that will get the numbers down. After school 4-6 pm, early Saturday morning, Sunday evening.

Last year my nephew who was 5 had his party in a trampoline/gym place in local sports/leisure centre, food was in a separate room. I’m sure that cost wasn’t astronomical. In Somerset.

I think one of the key deciding points when choosing between organised soft play or similar and DIY is the amount of help you will have on the day. If you have useful family members who you can rely on on the day DIY is fine, if you are likely going to be on your own running party games, unclingfilming sandwiches, mopping up spilt drinks, refereeing squabbles, then I’d throw money at it and opt for an organised venue. One thing I would advise is keeping it short. An hour and a half is fine for little ones.