Fun Inexpensive Party Entertainment
- Bubbles. Kids are nuts for bubbles and you can even make your own mixture and buy the bubble blowers in bulk via eBay.
- Eating donuts or cheezels off a string or apple bobbing in a bucket, without using their hands is a cheap and cheerful game
- Have a cupcake decorating station, which can then become the party favour.
- Host a tea party for a small group of friends.
- Water bombs, red/blue teams in a park can be a lot of fun, especially for active kids.
- DIY Pinata Google is your friend, there is literally no limit to the themes of pinatas and there is definitely no need to buy one. The difficulty level is basic, its more about time and patience than technical ability.
- DIY Wizard hats and wands for a Harry Potter Themed Birthday Party is an expensive and fun party game idea.
- Have a nerf party. You can buy small nerf guns and foam bullets online.
- Hire a jumping castle or a blow-up water slide. It keeps the kids occupied the whole time and you dont have to worry about too many games. The price can be as low as $150 and removes the need to hire or do anything else for entertainment.
- Combine party games with party favours. Have a treasure hunt and everything the kids find, they put in their own lolly bags. This will save you time too.
Have A Sleepover Party
If the children are a bit older, you could think about having a sleepover party. They’ll love staying over at their friends’ house and staying up later than normal.
You might still be hearing some giggles at midnight, but it’ll be a night to remember for your kids and the only cost will be the food. Plan an easy-to-prepare breakfast like toast, fruit, pancakes or cereal.
Awesome Birthday Party Ideas For Boys
Im a mom of three boys, so boys birthday parties are always on my mind. Whenever I see a great party idea, I have to . The boys are always changing their minds on what kind of birthday party they want. But one things for sure they love a themed birthday party.
As of now my 2 year old wants a Train/Cowboy party and my 5 year old wants a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle party. Lets see when the time comes if they still want those, but Ive made sure to pin a ton of ideas.
I wanted to create a list of party ideas that my boys would love to have. I wanted to share these great and creative ideas with everyone and even add a couple Ive thrown for my boys as well!!
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Giants Wizards And Elves
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This is a unique birthday party game that you probably haven’t seen anywhere else. Players are on teams that meet in the corner of the room, and each group is either a giant, wizard, or elf. There are a few fun rules that everyone needs to follow to make it all work, and let me just warn you, it includes some shouting. This fun game could easily be used as an icebreaker. It would be perfect for a wizard-themed birthday party.
There’s no reason why this birthday game has to be just for kids. Adults can get in on the fun in a totally silly spontaneous way. This is really perfect for any large group.
Whats The Time Mr Wolf
This is another perfect game for large groups of kids to play in an open space. One that will remind parents of their own youth too!
How to play: One player is chosen to be Mr Wolf and stands at one end of the playing area with their back to the other players who are lined up at the other end. The rest of the players call out Whats the time Mr Wolf? and Mr Wolf replies with a time e.g. Its four oclock. The players then take that many steps towards Mr Wolf. Once they get close enough, Mr Wolf can reply with Dinner time and turns around to chase the other kids. If they catch someone, they then take over as Mr Wolf.
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More Fun Outdoor Birthday Party Ideas
Need a few more fun birthday party ideas? Visit our kids party page or see a few fan favorites down below.
Fun Subscription Box Gift Ideas Monthly Gifts for Cooking, STEM, Books, Toys & more
Keep Your Kids Busy This Summer Plan an awesome Summer Camp at Home with this 30+ Page printable with everything you need.
I hope you found some fun outdoor birthday party games & ideas for your childs next birthday!
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Fantastic 6th Birthday Party Ideas
If youre not an experienced party planner, dont despair. Here are some of the best 6-year-old party ideas that dont cost a fortune:
Sleepovers: Around age 6, most children are ready for sleepovers with friends. Nothing beats having your childs besties over for a night of movies, pizza, and popcorn. Plus, it doesnt require much work from you. For bonus points, decorate your living room to look like a campsite and make smores in the microwave. The kids will adore this.
Cooking party: If your child loves experimenting in the kitchen, why not invite their closest friends for an afternoon of cooking? Its a win-win when you take into account that they make their own food for much less than the cost of store-bought meals. Aprons make a perfect gift if you decide to include goody bags.
Backyard carnival: It sounds fancy and expensive, but it doesnt have to be. Making your own carnival games with household items is easy if you have the time to plan. Once your guests arrive, these games offer plenty of opportunities to keep the kids entertained. Prizes from the dollar store make the perfect gifts for partygoers to take home. Add face painting and a tattoo station and youre good to go. And if youre feeling elaborate, you can always rent a cotton candy or popcorn machine for a low price.
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Keep The Guest List Small
Your little one might be the most popular kid in class, but inviting everyone isn’t always affordable. Plus, handling 30 children at once is a mammoth task.
Keeping the guest list to just a bunch of good friends and family is an easy way to keep costs down. A smaller party also means you and your child can spend quality time with the guests.
Trampoline Park Birthday Party Packages
If you are needing a last-minute idea for your childs birthday party, a trampoline park will provide a unique experience with lots of open space. Everyone on the guest list will have the best time at the trampoline park as there are many good options for endless hours of fun.
You kid will have a blast pretending to be a ninja warrior while they climb through the many obstacle courses and jump into the foam pit. While this option may not be the cheapest on the list, it is great for last-minute party planning.
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Ing Tips For Kids Birthday Parties
If youre having it in a park double check all the facilities before the day. Check whether the BBQ is woodfired or gas and have a Plan B in the event of rain. Also, consider the possibility that someone else will arrive before you and grab the picnic tables, so have a grandparent ready or an alternative plan in the event you miss out.
Finally, our favourite tip. Put your decorations at kid height. The party is for them to remember.
We hope we have convinced you can have an inexpensive kids birthday party and still make it the best party in the world!
Cheap Party Favors & Small Prizes
Kids love to get small prizes for the winning team and cool party favors at the end of the party. My secret to saving money on these is shopping at Dollar Tree. Yep, youd be shocked how many great birthday party items you can find there. Grab cheap goody bags and all kinds of small items the kids will love.
And lets be honest all the stuff they get in party favors is junk their moms will end up throwing out anyway so why spend a ton of money.
Get tons of ideas on what birthday items you should be shopping for in my Favorite Cheap Birthday Party Supplies at Dollar Tree.
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Where To Take Kids For Their Birthday
If you have decided to have a special outing instead of a birthday party, the good news is that there are tons of kid friendly places to take your child on their special day. These birthday celebration ideas wont make you or your kid feel like they missed out anything by skipping the party!
Some suggestions include:
Bowling alley
Movie theater
Indoor play area- We have one of these locally called Play Street Museum. My one year old loves it there! Perfect option if you are celebrating a first birthday or birthday for a younger child
Build A Bear
Birthday Party At The Library
If youre looking for a fun and educational birthday party place, consider hosting your childs birthday party at the local library. Libraries offer a variety of activities for children, such as storytime, crafts, and games. This is an excellent option for children, especially young kids who are interested in reading and love spending time in the library!
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Set A Birthday Party Budget
Kids birthday parties do not need to be expensive! In fact- most of the home parties we’ve thrown over the years have cost less than $100. Here are some tips to streamline the cost:
- Run the games, activities, and crafts yourself vs. hiring out the entertainment
- Plan your party in the afternoon and offer snacks and birthday cake vs. a meal
- Have the party craft also serve as the party favor
- Don’t spend money on pricey themed paper goods and decorations! Buy solid-colored paper goods that are cheaper, and allow you to use leftover pieces at future parties! Decorate with inexpensive balloons or steamers
I have lots of tips on how to plan an inexpensive kids birthday party at home- and include budget planning worksheets, party timelines and more in my book: How to Throw an Awesome Kids Birthday Party at Home for Less Than $100This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you.!
Ellys First Big Birthday Party
We decided to have a big party for Elly and 13 kids from school came over. It worked out great.
First God was good and it was 55° outside so they could go out and play on the swing set and tire swing while everyone was coming. We were also able to play our games outside.
Elly wanted a penguin party. For decorations, I put a dark blue piece of material I had on the table. I used regular white paper plates and napkins and then purchased some white disposable cups for $2. We put her white Christmas tree with penguin ornaments for the centerpiece and her set her stuffed penguins out around it.
We decorated the room with streamers. We purchased them from a garage sale for .25. Mom found a 36 hanging penguin on clearance for .50 after Christmas and we hung that down from the center of the ceiling fan with some balloons .
For games, we planned a race where the kids carried baby stuffed animals between their legs, like penguins do, across the yard to see who would get to the finish line first. We also did a treasure hunt. The treasure was a bag of assorted candy for each child that we bagged using after Christmas clearance candy. We set them all over the front yard for the end of the treasure hunt.
I made the penguin cake, which took a long time, but it did turn out cute. I burned the first cake so the total cost was about $2 for the cakes. 🙂
The birthday party turned out really nice.
I think all together we spent about $20 for everything for her party and gifts.
Tawra
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+ Halloween Party Beverage Ideas
Halloween Party Drinks
There are many ways to spookify drinks for your kids Halloween party. You could go as far as chipping off small pieces of dry ice to create a fog effect. Check out the Witchs Brew recipe at Kids Activities Blog.
If youre afraid to handle dry ice around children, there are other simple options, like these:5. Halloween Juice Box Mummies from Simply Creative Insanity
Bonus Worm Ice Cubes
Freeze gummy worms in ice cubes to add a gross factor to your party drinks! If youre concerned about whats in conventional candy options, make your own gummy worms using fresh fruit, juice, and agar powder.
Hire A Local Village Hall
This is a pretty popular one. I have hosted two and have been to hundreds, I am kidding, but I have been to a lot. It initially seems inexpensive as the hall hire fee is quite low, maybe £40-£50. Versus tons of people in your house, it feels good. But then you get into the logistics who to invite its a hall so you can invite loads, kids and adults. That means a lot of food and drinks, be it tea, coffee or wine that could easily come to £100. The obligatory cake, and if there are many people, it needs to be pretty big, which makes it more expensive, say £50, unless you made it yourself.
Then there is entertainment. When you get into the realms of four and up, entertainment is good to keep them happy. But it comes at a price, I have seen DJs costing £200 for two hours of kids entertainment crazy magicians, again the going rate was £100 per hour. The local zoo will bring animals along. Or you could hire a big hall and put up a bouncy castle. A hall childrens party is looking to cost you around £400 including entertainment, so quite a lot. And it is a lot of hassle too, especially if you are making the food yourself.
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Where To Celebrate It
To start, look for a space for your Kids birthday party that doesnt cost you or has a reduced price. You can always celebrate it at home with a limited group of children, in the common areas of your neighborhood community by requesting prior permission or, in good weather, having an outdoor party in the garden or in any park near your home. Other cheap places to celebrate a birthday may be municipal sports facilities that are rented for hours. So children can practice one of their favorite sports during the celebration.
Kids Birthday Party Ideas On A Budget
Consider a birthday BBQ breakfast on the weekend. Sausages, eggs, bacon and bread. Bring your own drinks. It is nice and cheap and all over by 11 am so the younger kids still get a nap! Hold it in a local nature reserve, national park or next to a kids playground to ensure the kids get to have a good run about without having to provide entertainment. You could supplement with some old school games like passing the parcel, pin the tail on the donkey and musical freeze but you can get away without these additions too.
If you are worried about the cost but still want a celebration keep it simple. Kids care less about decorations and food than you think. Aim to please the masses, not the individuals, a plate of pies and sausage rolls and a platter of fruit is all you really need. Buy blue and pink plastic disposable cups and plates from your local dollar shop. You can do any themes you want with those primary colours. Once finished with them wash them up and use them again for the next birthday or throw them out. You can also wait until after any major holiday and you will notice the supermarkets have these on sale.
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Throw A Splash At Indoor Swimming
Many rec centers and local pools offer party packages for children these days, so it can be a fun and inexpensive way to go. After all, kids love splashing about in the pool, and it will keep them busy for hours!
Its also a hands-off approach as all you will need to bring is your kids, swimsuits and some inflatable pool toys or balls to play catch with. Ask your local rec center about their packages, find out what food spreads they offer and whether theyll provide a cake or not.
Alternatively, it wont be as time-efficient, but its likely to be more cost-effective to make the food and cake to bring along yourself, so make sure to ask if thats allowed.
Birthday Party At A Local Church
When planning your next childs birthday celebration, you may want to look into a local church. You can throw a really great kids birthday party at a church as there is plenty of room to have games, activities, and a cake.
Churches also have volunteers who are more than happy to help with setting up and cleaning up your party. This is definitely a great option for those on a tight budget.
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