Tips for budget birthday party at the park

[Coldcoffeekindamorning]

DS is turning 4 years old in a few weeks and I want to throw him a small birthday party. He hasn't really made any friends of his own so I was planning on inviting all the kids he knows including older siblings friends and their siblings so kids who are 4-9 years. There should be about 18 kids. My plan is to have a big birthday picnic in the park and for the kids to just play together. Is that a rubbish idea?

I don't have much money so was going to put up some bunting and buy some giant beach balls for them to kick around and basically hope they have a great time together playing in the park. Apart from the obvious birthday cake is there anything else I can do to make it a bit more special on a budget?

Balloons and party blowers.

I did this last year for DS’s third birthday and am doing the same this year for his fourth.

We are starting at 2pm so assuming most kids will have had lunch. We’re doing snacks including hummus with veg sticks, crisps and tortilla chips, cheese straws, biscuits and watermelon.

He really wanted pass the parcel, so I’ve made one with a sheet of stickers and a mini haribo pack in each layer. I have extra sweets for prizes so we might play musical statues too. They love pass the parcel!

We’ll take a few things we already have to the park, including a small bubble machine a few larger bubble wands and pavement chalk for them to play with. And I bought a load of temporary tattoos which we can put on the kids using a bottle of water and a sponge.

We’ve also done party bags, but that might be a bit too expensive for 18 kids. Ours just have a lollipop, a small sweet, stickers and a small scratch art thingy in each.

If I were you I’d go with a few snacks, the big balls, pass the parcel and maybe do a temporary tattoos. Enjoy!

Consider doing it inside or next to a good playground?

Party bags if you can budget for it - sweets and stickers.

Sounds fabulous x