Save When Theyre Small
It is so cute to see people going all out for their childs first birthday, but at the end of the day the child isnt going to remember or be impressed by that effort. It makes much more sense to save on spending when your children are little, so you have more freedom to throw a party they really enjoy when theyre a little older. A family picnic or a day out to the park is going to be just as much fun for a one-year-old as a party with all the trimmings.
Shop Deals All Year Long
Gather supplies all year long so theres no splurge for supplies right before the big day. When you see sale items and come in general colors or a theme you know your child is obsessed with snag them. Cute party supplies after New Years Eve or 4th of July that can be repurposed? Stock up when theyre 75 or 80% off!
Extend Your Lead Time
Failed birthday party budgets go hand-in-hand with impulse buying. If you want to avoid spending big when youre stressed and in a hurry, increase the lead time on your birthday party prep by as much as you can. Get an idea of what youll need months in advance, then you have more opportunities to pick things up on special and when theyve heavily discounted.
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Classic Kids Party Foods: Easy To Make And Kid Approved
As I prepared the food for Immys recent birthday party I realised that so many of our favourite party foods feature year after year. Sometimes they are presented slightly differently to fit the party theme but most are our own versions of simple, classic birthday recipes. Theyre great because kids love them plus theyre super simple to make. Here are our twelve top picks for classic kids party foods.
Sticking to classic, homemade party food ideas will help you to stick to your budget. These recipes are simple to make and most can be pre-prepared in the days before the party. Click through via the green links for recipe details.
For games to match, check out our list of 12 classic kids party games.
What Are Some Party Finger Food Ideas On A Budget
If youre throwing a party on a budget, finger foods are the way to go! Classic finger foods like pigs in a blanket, devilled eggs or tea sandwiches are easy to make and only need ingredients that you probably already have at home. If youre looking to save some cash, try picking a few recipes that use the same ingredients!
TIP: Pick recipes that need the least amount of ingredients for some extra savings!
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Inexpensive Birthday Party Ideas For Kids
Throwing a birthday party for a young child seems like a competition between parents these days. But it shouldn’t have to be that way. Not every parent, or kid, wants a birthday party with a limo, Ferris wheel, or live boy band. Be brave and throw your child a cheap, but quality birthday party without the bling.
Tortilla Chips And Dips
Complement the menu of any birthday party by adding tortilla chips and dip to the mix. Add a healthy sparkle to this idea by making your own dip. Use your creativity to make a variety available, including avocado, hummus and deviled egg dips.
Image courtesy of pixabay.com, licensed under CC0 1.0
For the avocado dip, use 4 avocados, a cup of cilantro, half a cup of sour cream, one-quarter cup of lime juice, a jalapeño, kosher salt, black pepper and some dashed carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. Scoop out the avocados and place them in a food processor together with the other ingredients and blend until the mixture becomes smooth.
To make a hummus dip, chuck a 15-ounce can of chickpeas, one clove garlic, one-quarter cup of olive oil, two tablespoons of lemon juice, two tablespoons of tahini, a teaspoon of ground cumin, kosher salt and a quarter-teaspoon of paprika into your food processor and turn it on. Add a tablespoon or two of water to achieve the desired consistency.
Make your deviled egg dip by stuffing your food processor with six peeled hard-boiled eggs, one-half cup of mayonnaise, a teaspoon of mustard, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a quarter-teaspoon of black pepper. Turn it on. Let it run until the dip is smooth and then refrigerate it until the party begins.
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Create Decorations From What You Have At Home
Birthday supplies can get quite expensive, especially if they are shopped for at the last minute. Instead, you might not have noticed but there are a ton of supplies around the house you can use. With just a little bit of imagination, the supplies you have on hand could be transformed into party supplies that feel and look special. The best thing is the costs are usually less than half of what you would pay at the store.
For example, you could paint some paper plates and tie them together. You could use rope, napkins or balloons to create a string of banners. The best way to go about it is to take inventory of what you have at home, what kind of theme you would like your kids’ birthday party to be, and what extra supplies you need to buy.
What To Serve At A Finger Buffet Or Appetizer Party
When youre hosting a party, easy-to-serve finger foods that dont require cutlery are always the best choice. Its best to stay away from large entrees that need constant monitoring or are hard to serve, like lasagna or steaks. As the host, youll want to pick a few different dishes so that everyone is likely to find something they like.
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Choose Your Party Time Carefully
Nobody said you have to offer an entire meal at your party, so choose a time of day when you can simply offer morning or afternoon tea. Parties between 2pm 4pm work a treat, as there is no way anyone can assume that lunch or dinner will be served. For younger children who may still need an afternoon sleep, choose a morning party starting at 10am. An hour and a half is plenty long enough for a toddler party, so the celebrations will be over before lunchtime begins.
Mini Pizzas: Choose Your Own Toppings
Everyone loves pizza, so having mini pizzas is a safe bet for any kids birthday party. Children can easily handle the smaller size of the mini pizzas. What makes mini pizzas a great pick is the variety of toppings you can use.
Make mini pizzas a great experience by letting the children choose the toppings they want. If you have enough space, you can also let the children make their own pizzas using a make-shift toppings bar. Make sure you have all the most popular toppings such as cheese, pepperoni, ham, mozzarella, but also offer some alternative toppings such as pineapple, cherry tomatoes or even tuna.
Image courtesy of unsplash.com, licensed under CC0 1.0
Since toppings will be the most work, make things a bit easier by buying ready-made mini-pizza dough, a few pizza pans, silicone pastry brushes, small plastic containers for the tomato sauce and a variety of toppings. Let the children paint their pizza with the brush and add toppings according to their hearts desire. Pop the mini pizzas into the oven for at least 15 to 20 minutes. While you wait for the pizzas, enjoy a fun and quick activity to occupy the childrens attention.
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Create The Final Menu Plan
- Finalize the menu.
- Calculate the amounts of food you need. Hint: Use this Guest-Imator calculator to figure out how much of each dish youll need to feed your crowd.
- Calculate the amount of beverages youll need. Use this calculator for alcoholand this article will help you calculate things like tea, coffee and soda
- Create a shopping list.
Once you have your menu and your calculations consider the following
- What needs to be ordered in advance? How long in advance? Write down the item and the date things need to be ordered.
- What can be made ahead of time? How far in advance? Add that to the schedule.
- Can you use crock pots to keep things warm? Who can you borrow these from? Contact them and reserve their crockpots .
Wild West Wanted Poster For Cute Party Photos
I used a free printable from Martha Stewart to make these cute decorations and also a large wanted poster for photos of the guests.
We enlarged it, printed it in segments on four sheets of paper , and then glued it on cardboard with the middle cut out.
Although we missed a few kids, we managed to snap most of them. They made for some super cute party pics. Here are a few of the boys:
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Dinner Party Food Ideas
A lot of these ideas are classic! These are foods that people love, and the best part is that they can be cheap if you plan right! Another bonus a lot of them will also work for lunch time.
- Baked Potato Bar Baked potato bars are a wonderful party food idea! Potatoes are cheap and easy to prepare in advance. Just bake your potatoes straight in the crock pot and you can keep them warm and serve them straight from the same pot. Have a variety of toppings to choose from. Delicious Made Easy has some great potato bar ideas!
- BBQ This is a favorite for summer months. You provide burgers, dogs, or other shredded meat of choice, plus buns and condiments. Have your guests bring a side, drink, or dessert to share.
- You provide the grill, sides, buns, condiments and drinks. Everyone else brings their own meat and even a side to share. You offer to cook everyone’s meat or let them do it themselves to their liking!
- Soup or Chili Bar This is great for winter months. Avoid if children are at your party or if guests will not be seated at a table. You provide the soup and soup toppings. Ask your guests to bring a side, dessert, or toppings. Plan in advance to avoid duplicates. Get even more great chili bar ideas and tips from Garnish with Lemon!
Unicorn Thank You Cards
After the party was over we had our four-year-old write out unicorn thank yous and send them to the party guests. We created this free template online and had her fill in the name of one of the gifts she received from each person and then draw them a picture underneath.
We included a version for those who came to the party and those who sent gifts but couldnt make the party. She loved working on them with us and loved the cute unicorn images at the top.
Overall it was a low-cost, great theme for a party and we are so glad we went with what she wanted. She loved it and had the best time and we hope your little ones enjoy the theme too!
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Dessert Party Food Ideas
Great for late-night get togethers. Provide drinks and a few main desserts, as your guests to bring a dessert to share. Toss in a veggie tray for the healthy eaters.
- Ice Cream Sandwich Bar A giant batch of cookies and some ice cream go a long way! Check out this gorgeous, inspirational ice cream sandwich bar from The Tomkat Studio.
- Brownie Bar Start simple and just have everyone bring a brownie or bar to share. So yummy and easy!
- Build Your Own Sundae Bar Grab a couple gallons of ice cream the more flavors the better. Then ask everyone to bring their favorite toppings like fruits, nuts, sprinkles, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, etc. Don’t forget to have a few of the basics on hand!
We also have a plus all the topping and food ideas, be sure to grab that list!
Remembereven the simplest meals can be delicious and a crowd pleaser.
Unicorn Themed Food Ideas
The majority of our food for parties tends to be things that are quick and easy to prepare ahead of time. We love to make these ham and cheese sliders and buy things in bulk from Costco .
The rest of the food ideas we tried to make match the unicorn theme. Some of our favorites included these Unicorn themed dirt cups, a rainbow-themed fruit tray, a rainbow vegetable tray, and unicorn-themed cake and cupcakes.
We found these unicorn-themed cupcake decorating kits on amazon for our unicorn cupcakes and unicorn candles at Walmart that looked awesome on our cake. It made it so simple to make a double-tiered cake and frost and then stick in the candles. Check it out below!
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Birthday Party Activities And Entertainment
In addition to cheap birthday cake ideas, youll have to think of inexpensive party activities as well. If youre hosting the party in your home, affordable birthday party games can be fun.
Whether youre at a party venue, the local park, or at your own home, find cheap but fun activities for guests to do indoors or out. You could:
- Go on a scavenger hunt
- Play outdoor games like relay races, capture the flag, or freeze tag
- Host a dance party
- Play video or board games
- Have a pool party
- Enjoy an at-home spa day
- Set up a crafting station
- Have a wine or bourbon tasting
Base party activities on what your guest of honor enjoys most, since it is their special day, after all. For example, if they love to dance, plan cheap fun games that revolve around music. If your best friend is more artistic, create an affordable birthday event based around an arts and crafts activity like painting pottery or making bracelets out of glass beads.
Have You Ever Seen A One
I knew since the first time he wore these that I wanted to do a cowboy birthday party for Levis 2nd birthday.
Levi just happens to have a best buddy, Max, who turns two 10 days after him
And since these two have almost all the same friends, we decided to combine efforts and do a double birthday bash this year.
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Kids Party Finger Food Ideas
Published: by Aleka Shunk · This post may contain affiliate links ·
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Are you hosting a kids party and need fun and easy finger food ideas they will love? Planning a party is an extremely daunting task. Planning a party for children?? Well…that’s a WHOLE other animal. But before you change your mind, check out this list of kid-friendly finger food appetizers, snacks and desserts that are kid friendly, healthy and EASY!
This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure here.
Finding A Cheap Party Location
One of the most significant expenses when planning a birthday party is finding cheap but great places to have your party. You can avoid paying for an expensive place by having your party in your home or borrowing space from someone willing to let you host there.
If you have your party outside, consider a public park. Theyre free to use and come with pretty green grass, trees, and picnic tables for cheap birthday ideas that require outdoor space.
Having a party at home or borrowing another place can save you time as well as money. If youre wondering how to make a birthday special at home, skip the rental fee or instead focus on decorating with cheap supplies available at most stores.
If you need to pay for a venue, look into inexpensive options that dont charge too much money like cheap party halls or restaurants, or the local firehouse, playground, YMCA, or public indoor pool.
And, most importantly, if you decide to pay for a cheap party venue, dont forget to factor in tipping the staff well. Theyll be more willing to help you out on your big day!
Your birthday location can also affect your food and drink spending. For example, if you have an outdoor party, plan to buy ready-to-eat foods that dont need to be hot, cold, or cooked. If your party is inside, you can get more creative, but remember that its more expensive to buy food that needs to be served at specific temperatures.
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Bake A Cake From Scratch
A birthday cake from the bakery is expensive. You can make a cake or cupcakes for a sliver of the cost. Get some creative ideas by looking at photos of birthday cakes and cupcakes others have made for home-based parties. Visit a craft store and head to the cake- and candy-making section where you’ll find several affordable molds, icings, and decorations. Or create a chocolate-themed birthday party that kids and adults alike will love. Decorate the party treats together with your child for more memories.
Catering Food Ideas For Kids Birthday Party:
Hiring Professional Caterer for Kids Birthday Party is a great idea to make the party a success. The caterer will take care of food part, which is the most important element of any event/ gathering as food is also the major factor in deciding the success of your party.
Guests will visit you to shower blessings however theyre also attending the event for the food feast which theyre expecting at your birthday party event. Therefore, presenting them with flavorful and rich taste food will be incumbent on the host. And to make this happen you dont need to spend hours in deciding the menu and shopping around, then cooking and presenting.
Simply hire a professional caterer theyll do the job while you get to enjoy with your guests.
Although food menu should be based on the specific event, its time, location, theme and most importantly the budget, the catering ideas we are sharing here will help to make your birthday party even more memorable, these party ideas will not only delight your kids but will also impress your adult guests.
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