How much did you pay for your child’s last birthday party?

[catcatcat24]

I am starting a business hosting children’s birthday parties.

I do not have any children myself and so I would appreciate some input from others regarding how much you pay on average for your child’s parties and the maximum that you would spend on a 2 hour party.

Thank you!

£600 for primary age kids inviting the entire class, price includes everything (entertainer, venue hire, catering, cake, party bags, pinata). I wouldn’t pay more and I am not bothered at all about decorations. My priority is to have the kids fully engaged for 1.5hrs so the parents can relax and socialise. And then another hour for food/cake and kids roaming around burning the sugar rush..

The most we've ever spent was £350 on a full class party. Up until year 2 it was full class parties then around 6-10 kids after that. £200 was average but I'm in cheaper part of UK. It's about £18 a head for venues like soft play/clip and climb/trampoline/ninja warrior and includes food and sometimes a basic party bag. A bouncy castle hire around here is £80-150, church hall hire £12 an hour. If you are expecting people to host at home and doesn't include food or party bags I think £35 a head is very expensive for that age range, maybe more reasonable for tween/teens who might only invite a few friends. But it depends on the affluence and demographic of where you live.

That’s really helpful, thank you and everyone else for the responses!

Average around here is £25ish pp including an activity (laser tag, clip n climb) and food - pizza, nuggets etc.

I shudder at that price and am grateful he’s now in secondary school so full parties not needed!

I am pretty surprised at the prices being mentioned here and think you need to do a lot of detailed research into your local area and market.

I have had whole class parties for less than £200 a few times. Our local leisure providers will hire out a pool or run an activity like football etc for about £150. I have also done things like take the kids to an activity as a group but not booked as a party and then on to McDonald's for £10/head.

Mine are older now and so less people involved each time but we have done cinema with goodie bags and an escape room them home pizzas after.

We are doing a watersports party which is more expensive but will still be under £300.

I categorically wouldn't spend £30+ per child for school friends or younger children.

Last month, 12 kids less than £200 including venue.
This weekend. For 10. At home. less than £100

Typically most parties include

• venue
• food
• activity(ies)
• party bags

Obviously some parents will definately want ALL those things done by one person, but I think a lot won't mind if they aren't. I quite enjoy catering for example. However what I would say is that budgets will include those things. Obviously if you are doing a package with EVERYTHING, parents will be happy to pay a lot more. If they are spending maybe £100 on hall hire, £100on food, and something on party bags, you need to be thinking of your charge being what parents will be happy to spend minus £215 say. If you are providing a venue, food and party bags then all the money they are spending will go to you.

To clarify this was 1 hr air gliding, 1 hr trampolining 1 hr food and venue did the party bags. We did extra bits for the party bags/extra food for parents, balloons and cake.

DS did an escape room thing with 12 friends it included food at the venue, we made our own party bags as theirs were a bit rubbish, it cost about £375 not including the cake (I make them so not sure about ingredients cost) which was much cheaper than the one in the hall with a bouncy castle and catering! That was full class though.
I'd pay up to £500 ish but for that I'd want the venue provided and to just turn up and the event is run for me.

ETA we always do a family party at home too and cater that, so I don't want to go overboard on the friends party

I also meant to say that I think we are fairly unusual in having had parties nearly every year for all our children.

A lot of families we know do not have parties every year and alternate with smaller family stuff or days out.

I know plenty of families who don't do parties at all too.

Some families want to do 'different' things leading to others not wanting to book the same so you'd need a wide area or pool.

I think really careful market research is required. I think it could be a very tough gig.

£180, 10 kids for football party at goals including party bags and food. The most I have spent was for a church hall do with around 25 kids, self catered, bouncy castle which was around £450, was too much effort and wont be spending that much time or money again

We do parties every year for both our kids and we always have it in a venue. It’s either soft play, trampoline type place but did have it once at a slush/dessert place where they did some specific activities and games. Ours have varied from £16-23 per head. Usually end up with around 20 children (sometimes more or less) and pay around £300-£400ish.

£400-£500 for a Ninja Warriors/ Air hop type thing for around 15 children. Food and sometimes party bags included

£150 max for 7 kids trampolining, food, cake and party bags

previously £200 max for c.25 kids and a bouncy castle in the garden with food, activities, party bags

also did one for about £60 in the garden for 12 kids. Cost was just for some food and bits for games.

Similar

About £300 including food for a 2 hour party for 6 kids.

Bloody hell! What did they do for their birthday?

We're in London and by 9/10 the thing seems to be for a party at home with maybe 8-10 friends, possibly a themed craft, pizza, pinata and hanging out (maybe a film). I don't think we've been to a whole class party since 6?

There might be a thing like a cat cafe or climbing etc- again would likely be a smaller group. So might be worthwhile thinking about age. By later in primary school they're usually pretty clear who their mates are. I don't think most people we know would spend more than a few hundred quid, tops. But you might live near a more showy demographic!

So my daughter's last party was a craft party for 6 children. The person has a shop so hosted there. It was £165. I had to supply nibbles and party bags (because of the craft taking the full time we didn't do a full on party buffet).

We have never done a big whole class party. Looking back most parties we have booked are generally in the £110-150 bracket for around max 10 children, this has been bowling which included hot food, swimming (where I then had to do a party food buffet on top), a science party which was around £135 plus hall hire (£25) then food.
The most expensive party was £200 for an indoor go kart party, then food on top of that. Oh and also I did hire a princess to come to my daughter's party once on top of already booking a bouncy castle, so that party overall would probably have been around £250 for princess, bouncy castle, hall hire and food.

I think depending on area your price seems quite high.