To think kids' parties are a joke

You say you want it to be "as nice as possible", but is that for you or your child? Ask any 5yo how to have a really great party and they'll say things like "lots of cake, all my friends there and lots of presents". They will not say "a balloon arch" or "a really fancy cake".

get a cardboard box and fill it with balloons - kids can play with them and will love them ( a few helium ones if you feel like being bling..)

Shop cakes - either a Colin (or similar) .. or - just there regular chocolate cake - cut a hole in one - shove a load of sweets in - plop a second cake on top - maybe a bit of frosting - its a surprise pinata - cake

Or get a bog standard birthday cake and some tiny figures of what ever the like - shove them on the top - jobs done!

I had balloons for 5 year old ds. One of the children was determined to burst every last one and this made ds really anxious. He's not too keen on loud noises or people making him jump (neither am I for that matter). So cost aside, I really wouldn't bother.

That is about what we paid for the cake though.

And to put the cost of the balloon arch in context, we hired a huge bouncy castle for £70.

I just bought a kit with banners, a DIY balloon arch and cake topper for under £20 online for DD’s birthday. A family member made the cake but if she didn’t I’d just have got a plain one from a local bakery or supermarket and decorated it.

I've been to a tonne of kids parties in the last few years and I swear the traybake style cakes or Colin the Caterpillar etc. are always tastier than the fancy expensive specially made ones..
(and as side note, I actually do understand why the latter costs £75 upwards, if you think about all the ingredients and person's time with all the icing faff etc...)
Kids won't care - and neither will the adults eating it.
(I do also like the really amateur handmade cakes made my parents (i.e. mums). Wonky dinosaurs etc...

Kids prefer balloons they can play with anyway.

Aldi do a good size cake for £4. Shove a few extra chocolates on it or a cake topper. I've printed my own banners with their favourite character before. It's only on for two minutes and needs removing so you can cut it anyway. Or buy a smaller fancy one and pre cut the cheap one for the party bags as a) it saves faff on the day and b) it all ends up squished and unrecognisable regardless.

Did a small party this week and think I was under £40 for everything including food.

Decorate a digestive with icing pens always goes down well

Friends, games and a nice tea are what makes a good party. Tea/coffee for the adults. Supermarket cake. Have a look online for games to play and get a couple of the other parents to help you serve the kids' tea. Make jelly - easy peasy and my kids loved it.

way over the top for an at home party if cost is an issue. Get supermarket cakes. 3 x Colin’s or tray bakes etc. loads of choice in large supermarket. Get foil balloons from WHSmiths with their age or name it just happy birthday then reuse!

The proposed balloon arch cost is our approx budget for an entire party and between our three kids and birthdays for 3-16yr olds we’ve done all sorts from full on hire a hall and invite the whole class to a more expensive activity with a few close friends, themed parties at home, day trip to HP studios, velodrome cycling, city wide treasure hunt. I must ask my kids if they are scarred for life by the lack of balloon arches…..
The person who asked if this is to benefit your child or your Instagram feed nailed it.

Last year we had our 3 year old's bday party at soft play. We had exclusive hire for 2.5 hours and they provided a hot meal for each child and all the decorations. That came in at about £200 for about 20 kids. It was perfect and no mess in my house! Luckily my friend made the cake but if not I'd have just bought a couple of Colin the caterpillars!

I've quite big age gaps between my kids, (16 years between eldest and youngest) and I'm so bloody sick of seeing friends who have become parents within the last 10 years put themselves through stress such as lavish cakes or balloon arches for kids that are happy to run around with a jam butty and cocktail sausage chasing balloons.
Listen to the PPs, no kid gives a shit about a balloon arch.
Or a fancy cake. Please don't try and throw some kind of Instagram influencer party for your DC, just be low-key, enjoy the party and save your cash for something worthy.
If anyone says anything about not having a balloon arch say you're more concerned about the environment or call them a twat. But I can't see anyone caring really!

I think you are being seduced by advertising and keeping up with the Joneses. Honestly children do not need any of this garbage. Lots of crazy games, some fun food, or a joint activity of some sort - make a dinosaur out of cake tins, or a spaceship out of cardboard boxes. Mostly they just enjoy running around together. Make sure there is a pass-the-parcel, and games where little prizes can be won. Create an easy treasure hunt where everyone can get a little something on the way. And pin the tail on the donkey blindfold - or any variant of that goes down a treat. Maybe they could make the donkey - large sheet of card - vague animal outline then they6 could stick wodges of scrunched up tissue paper on - and they will have fun making a tail.

You need to put your purse away and get your imagination out!!

Have your child make the cake beforehand with you and choose how to decorate it; perhaps go round supermarket together to choose the decorations and icing colours - it just gives an exciting build up to the day. And make a cake frill with layers of coloured tissue paper cut into a frill at top and bottom.

lol 20 quid including cake from sainsburies.

No 5 year old gives a fuck about a balloon arch

My budget is maybe £200. Supermarket cake, village hall, entertainer, sweet cones. Job done.
Or 10 kids to softplay/trampoline park.

Fancy bespoke cake, balloon arch and a number stand (?) are all just to impress other parents.

Kids bday parties have got so out of hand! My fave memory from my bday parties was my mum had a celebration kids cake recipe book, she would let us flick through and choose a design, then make it for our party! We have photos of all of the frankly
hilarious but valiant attempts. And that’s the kind of stuff you remember. Not a bloody Insta glam balloon arch and a drip cake that cost £££.

The other trick with cake - buy a few of the same chocolate cake. Decorate one, pre cut the others and put straight into party bags (do make sure they're the same, it's stingy to use an extravagant one for show and put cheaper cake into the party bags).

Have cupcakes for the party.

Saved so much time and hassle during the party!!! And the uncut cake was relit for a second mini party at home.

Anyone else now feeling smug about how frugal they are in comparison??? 😬

DS (7) party the other week was £160 for 12 children to attend the local soft play, with a seating area for parents, chips, nuggets pizza and ice cream in the party room, plus the cost of an Asda cake (£7) and sweet cones (£28 from a local lady).

Less than £200, which tbh seemed a lot and was certainly a special treat! Seriously, kids don't care about ballon arches and fancy cake. They just want to run around with their mates and eat gak

Give over, have you heard of inflation?

No, this is silly money - £500!!! A 5 year old would be happy to just play with friends.

I have a 5 yr old, he knows no different for the last few years as he was so young so there's not really much 'making up' to do. If you've got that money spare there are so many more things you could spend it on that would create memories & experiences for all of you together than a few hrs that genuinely they will never remember!

I have a thing about balloon arches anyway (my own personal gripe!!) They are basically plastic that gets popped after at most days, like just throw some money straight in the bin instead, and crap for the environment.

You can get balloon arch kits for less than £20, card places do helium number balloons for less than £10 per number with a weight.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Balloons-Birthday-Decoration-Anniversary-Backdrop/dp/B0B6ZG83RS/ref=asc_df_B0B6ZG83RS/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=641619813492&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7239613522494332468&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006963&hvtargid=pla-1947558843320&psc=1

If you like the cake.go for it - I always decorate my own and go wild with it as I love an amazing cake (still not cheap) but if it isn't anything special shop bought would do imo.

Plenty of arches on amazon!!

Balloon arch is a bit ridiculous and suitably ridiculously priced. However, I’m not sure how realistic some of the prices quoted by pp are.
DS’s 5th birthday party was at a hall, hired at a community centre (easiest venue to accommodate his whole class). That was £175 including the bouncy castle but nothing else. 5th and 6th birthday were for the whole class amongst his friends so there was a lot of food and drink to be provided too.
His last birthday (10th) was an activity at a venue, min number for a party was 10 and the cheapest package was £21 per person, cake and party bags not included. I suppose we never managed to throw a birthday’s extravaganza for under £35, like others on this thread 😂

I came across a few on Amazon that are super cute and really affordable:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Birthday-Decorations-Balloons-Tablecloth-Supplies/dp/B0B3STXQ1L/ref=sr_1_11?crid=1H4YYPFZ03S02&keywords=balloon+arch+1st+birthday+boy&qid=1679959848&sprefix=%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-11

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Balloon-Decorations-Garland-Balloons-Birthday/dp/B09C349HQF/ref=sr_1_34?crid=1H4YYPFZ03S02&keywords=balloon+arch+1st+birthday+boy&qid=1679959848&sprefix=%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-34