8th birthday party on a budget - inspiration needed

[melpomene]

I'm stressing about my dd's 8th birthday at the end of April. We're on a tighter budget this year and can't afford a hall, so I'm wondering if she should have a party at home but our home and garden are fairly small. I've also been contemplating a picnic party at a park, but dh thinks that is a bad idea because of the risk of rain.

I enjoy the advance planning for party games etc, but am pretty rubbish when it comes to getting the children to actually play the games so I'm worried it could all end in chaos/boredom if we don't have some strong activities planned. Are 8 year olds getting a bit old for party games, anyway?

On top of this, dd has decided that she wants "a pony party" but I can't think of any good ideas linked to this.

Does anyone have any good bu cheapish suggestions for an eight year old's party?

We have always done a bigish party for dd but for her 7th birthday this year we have said she can choose 1 or 2 friends to go to the cinema, much cheaper and no stress of arranging a party.

Can you have it at home and get them all to make something pony related (sticky mosaics for example?) and then chuck them out in the garden once they've eaten to avoid potential post party food hysteria.

Do you mean something like this - [[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Orb-Factory-Sticky-Mosaics-Unicorns/dp/B00178IQBY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1300027559&sr=1-2 sticky mosaics]

link

Could you try and persuade her a cupcake party would be better, and get stuff for them to decorate the cakes?

Cupcakes could be good but I don't think it would take that long so we'd need other activities as well.

melpomene, yes! You could buy a few of those depending on how many children you invite. There are 4 in each pack and it takes my 7 year old about 45 mins to do one. They are really lovely when finished - DD1 has them hanging all round her room - and mess free!

dd's 8th is end of april aswell and on a tighter budget this year.

we're either going for a traditional street party type affair (she's sharing her birthday with the royal wedding) and hoping that the poundshops will have a good range of red, white and blue in

or

head for early morning ten-pin bowling (our alley is £1 per child per game on saturdays and sundays from 10-11am) then have a picnic in the park.

Many cinemas are £1 per child if you catch an early showing too which would be a cheaper way of taking a few of them - then just make up little bags of sweets for at the cinema. It depends how accessible a cinema is for you though or there are transportation issues.

The mosaics mentioned are lovely - my dd has them and really enjoys them. That would cover the party bag too - just take home that and a slice of cake and you are sorted.

Keep the numbers smaller for a craft activity though.

You could also play pin the tail on the pony.

You could cut out horseshoes in lots of colours and hide them around the house/party area. Each child has to find 10 in their colour. Keeps them busy a while.

Musical horses rather than musical chairs - basically the same but call it something different

Sleeping ponies - instead of sleeping lions?

make their own pizzas and singstar if you have it or can beg/borrow it.

For his 8th birthday last year DS1 had 3 friends over for MarioKart, pizza and a sleepover. They had a ball and it was very cheap.

Can only cope with a sleepover once a year though. Total pita.

We are having a cheaper party for DS2 as he is taking 2 best mates to theme park for day but then wanted to invite xyz as well!

You can hire our local pool from 8yos for about £50, you get an hour in a dining area, can bring own food (v cheap) and then I will do an Aldi Easter egg instead of party bag - total cost about £80.

Good alternative is local cinema - our arts centre one does kids' films at the weekend for £3/head.

Ds's 8th party was at home. Made own food, so not too expensive. We did traditional party games, but with a theme. His was Playmobil that year, and lifeboats the year before. We had games like stick the X on the Y (could be tail on the pony), pass the parcel (you could have a pony-related prize, and a small Easter egg or a sticker etc in each layer). Musical chairs/bumps/ statues/cushions.
Memory game (put several items on a tray, possibly horse-related, let the children look at them for a few minutes, take tray away, then they have to write down as many as they can remember.

Was all very cheap, and the kids had a great time. So long as you plan the games it will work ok.

The easiest way to keep the party costs down is to limit the number of childrne invited.

If your DD invites 4 of her closest friends to your house for a crafty party (mosiacs, t shirt decorating, hamma beads, glass painting etc) and you make all the food and don't bother with a party bag (they can take their crafts home) it shouldn't cost too much.

I just read this great blog about how to throw a kids party on budget (blog.partify.co/planning-a-kids-party-on-budget). It has a lot of useful tips for a low-budget party. Hope this will help!