DD wants a birthday party. Budget ideas?

[AEP123]

DD is turning 5. We’ve always had birthday party’s at home with family.. but as it’s her first year at ‘big school’ she’s been begging for a real birthday party that she can invite her friends too.

Her birthday is soon after Christmas, I just can’t afford to hire out a place. I’ve tried explaining this to her and she’s gutted, doesn’t like having a Christmas birthday.

How can I make a party at home more fun on a budget? We usually hire a bouncy castle but we can’t even afford that this year 🥲

Any ideas on what we can do would be greatly appreciated!

Just do the normal party games with a small prize for the winner. You could do nail painting too & a disco. Have the party in the afternoon so you don't need to do party food, just a piece of cake & maybe a book bought in the sales for each child to take home. When my dd turned 9 I was very lucky as the local leisure centre had an open day so all kids did go karting & softplay for £1 each. We had cake & drinks in the local park afterwards & they all had a small party bag. Total cost was £20! 🤣

I did a crafting party for my little one at home a few years back. Bought a bunch of bits from Baker Ross. Kids absolutely loved it and got to take home their creations afterwards.

Princess tea party at home. They dress as princesses you invite 4 or 5 friends and make a mini afternoon tea for them. Couple of party games and jobs done

@AEP123 Is she into crafts at all? Hobbycraft is fab for easy and cheap craft ideas. You could set up a crafting party for her and some friends at home?

Or cupcake decorating at home?

Her birthday is soon after Christmas, I just can’t afford to hire out a place. I’ve tried explaining this to her and she’s gutted, doesn’t like having a Christmas birthday.

Personally I don't think this is a good excuse. If her birthday wasn't near Christmas, would you be hiring somewhere? You need to save for her birthday in the middle of the year if this is your reasoning. I have a child with a January birthday and they shouldn't miss out just because of the month placement. Her birthday isn't a surprise for you every year surely.

I agree with this. It’s not her fault when her birthday falls.

The Princess party is a great idea! I was going to suggest an activity like cupcake decorating along with some party games. I do think winter birthdays are harder as you can’t just throw them all out in the garden!

I think at 5 you can just have it at home with a few friends and games, crafts, party tea etc.

This sounds perfect for a 5 year old.

We’ve done the princess tea party and it can be done very cheaply.
Afternoon tea style food, finger sandwiches & jam tarts go down well.
We had a mini chocolate fountain. Decorated cup cakes which the children took home with them, and did some games like stick the diamond on the crown (bought on Amazon), pass the parcel and decorate a wand as well I think.

Princess Tea Party

Princess tea party sounds great if she is a girly girl.
If not could you make a plan for a party in the spring instead when you have had some time to save?

No more than 8 kids. Make your kitchen/ dining room a place mums can retreat for a drink while you run the party.

Clear the living room as much as possible. Buy a colour changing lightbulb and have a disco at the end of the party with games like musical statues, musical cushions (like musical chairs but they sit on cushions), “Simon says” dance moves.

During the party do Cupcake and biscuit decorating. Buy lots of different types of sprinkle and give them a little bowls of white icing and help them put colouring in. Make sure you have some large food boxes so they can take their creations home - that’s your party bag sorted. You can buy quite cheap aprons on Rex London - they could take those home as part of the party bag.

Have a Party tea (if you don’t have enough chairs around your table it could be a picnic on the floor of the living room with big rugs spread out).

Depending on what your budget actually is you could book a softplay type party, not hire it out but I know the few near us that I take my daughter to have deals for parties and it really doesn’t work out too expensive if a small party and you’re not bothered about having hot food etc there. Our local ones do a small party package for up to 10 children for £100 and for that they get an hour playing and they each get a little snack box thing with sandwich/crisps/juice/biscuit in, they set a table out with banners etc & if you take a cake they also all sing happy birthday and do candles so might be an option?

What does your DD enjoy? Pirates, dinosaurs, animals, space, fairytales, fave books???? Theme your party from this. Decorate the house. Don’t waste money buying stuff just ask friends/fam to lend props, choc fountains etc. Ask everyone to come in fancydress then it builds the anticipation but make it easy with suggestions for simple stuff if they need it.

Start with an icebreaker hunting game on the theme, eg if pirates, hide gold choc coins around the downstairs of house (make it clearwhere they can and cannot go and your ground rules) or if fairytales cut out cardboard shapes on theme eg baby dragons, wands, crowns or use sparkly gemstones (v cheap for bag). As children arrive they can just join in the game.

Have an agreed signal to pull children back together to start each new game, eg
parrot squawking for pirate (use phone) bells or snatch from song.

Adapt other games to theme. Have simple well prepped craft session eg magic potion drinks and get them to mix own mocktails, decorate own pizza, make own icecream sundae with all the toppings. Label and give appropriate names.

Make your own cake. Keep goody bag simple with slice of cake, choc on theme and craft they’ve made.

These are the parties our children loved the most as they’re specially tailored to them. Hope your DD has a wonderful time OP.

Ask your DD what a birthday party is for her.
Identify what things are important
-pass the parcel

• dressing up
• music
• 2 guests or 30
• soft play or at home

And then plan around that. Often the things we think make the perfect party aren't what the child actually wants.

Girly stuff. Stickers, temporary tattoos, nail painting, pizza making, chocolate fountain with small mini ring doughnuts and marshmallows. It'd be fab.

Havent read all replies yet. But we have no savings. We live paycheck to paycheck (and into or over our overdrafts) almost every month. There is no room for saving up all year for her birthday unfortunately. Perhaps that’s why I feel so guilty. I just feel like we’re not in a good place and so the kids can’t have nice, reasonably normal things kids should have.

Thanks all. I love the princess tea party idea. I think she’ll enjoy that too (if I throw in some unicorns 😆)

our house is very small, with a open plan living room/kitchen so we’ll all be in one room. Should be fine if she only invites 3/4 friends.

Call 5 friends, tell them to wear their best princess dress, put just dance videos on you tube and they will love it.

Get real.

Don’t feel guilty. PP is shortsighted and judgemental.

DD went to a princess party at someone's house when she was 4 and it was excellent, the parents organised fun party games with home made giant bubbles and seeing who could eat biscuits dangled from string the quickest.

Have you checked if there's any church halls that are cheap to hire?

When my dd was 5yo I hired a church hall for about £30, I did traditional party games, simple buffet food and a home made cake.

Total cost approx £50.

I'm not short sighted but she told her child that the reason is because her birthday is so close to Christmas so yes I am judging that.