15 ideas for having an inexpensive birthday party (while keeping it fun and memorable!)

Creating an inexpensive birthday party does not need to be dull and boring! There are plenty of ways to make it fun and memorable!

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Guest post written by Claire over at Clipboard Claire

As a single Mum, I always liked to go overboard with my Twin Daughters Birthday Parties! I guess it made up for their absent father and made me feel better that they were not missing out on having two parents! With only one of me but two girls having a birthday on the same day, this meant having an inexpensive birthday party was a must!

But, how on earth do you plan an inexpensive birthday party for two children and their friends? I’ll show you and I promise, it is not that hard!

Creating an amazing inexpensive birthday party that everyone will love and enjoy

Invites
The invites… guess what? You can design and print them off for FREE! We live in a digital world now, everything is digital and much more convenient. Perfect for an inexpensive birthday party!

You can create your own invitations by using this amazing website called Canva. It allows you to create free graphics, choosing from hundreds of different photos, fonts, and layouts and you can even download them for free.

Another great idea is that you get your children to decorate them before giving them out (this can also keep them occupied for a while too).

Why not send the invitations via email? An email can look just as nice and your child can help you design them, plus this will save you money on envelopes and stamps which will help with keeping this an inexpensive birthday party. An email can be kept in the recipient’s folder and you never have to deal with lost or torn up invitations.

Themes
The Theme… you don’t need to go crazy over a theme! Look around your home, pick a theme based on things you already have lots of!

For example, if your child is crazy about Spiderman you probably have lots of things related to that and can use them to decorate.

I have also been known to go into shops and ask for their old display cardboard cutouts! They often just throw them out or have a list of people who have asked for them. Get in there first!

Pool parties are always fun, you can use paddling pools if they are younger children, most love water fights and getting wet.

A picnic is a great one for younger children, they can bring their teddy bears from home and you can set up a picnic table or blanket for all the bears to sit on. What little kid wouldn’t love that?

Location
The location… Why not keep it at home? This is a great way to keeping it an inexpensive birthday party and it might even help make your children a little more comfortable.

Just make sure you remove any valuables and cover the floors. Make sure you keep the children in one room or one part of the house, it can help keep the children calm and less chaotic.

If it’s summertime, outside is always better.

Hiring a hall or venue will cost you hundreds. You can ask family and good friends to help run it, you’ll be surprised at how getting a couple helping hands can make all the difference.

Don’t forget to check out your local parks too! As long as you can get the food, decorations, and games (oh, and presents!) there without adding to your budget, it’s a great option for location. Most local parks are free just check with your community!

Share the party
Party Share… Have you thought about how sharing in the fun can help keep it as an inexpensive birthday party by cutting the cost in half? This is a great option if your child has a best friend or cousin with a birthday near to theirs. It’s worth speaking to the parents of the other child(ren) and they might be willing to do this (maybe they hadn’t even thought of it?). It can be more fun for the children and better for the parents! Win-Win!

Time
Time… This is an important one and if you are tight on money, do not have a party over lunch or dinner time. Most children eat at those times, so have a party from 10am-12pm or 2pm-4pm. Then you can just put out a few nibbles as opposed to a full meal. Food is probably one of the biggest ways you will spend money on a birthday party, try and find times around the big meals.

Food
Food Ideas… I would add things to my weekly shop to spread the cost out. Never have something catered for young children in vast amounts as it rarely gets eaten. Children want to spend the time playing, opening presents, doing fun activities, and rarely spend any time on actual eating.

Brightly colored food and finger foods always go down a treat and are not as messy to eat. Buying frozen food can be so much cheaper, and if you see party food on sale at any time of year you can bulk up and add them to the freezer, using it as and when your party is.

Plates & Utensils
Hello, Disposables…To stop a mound of cleaning up afterward and spending two hours washing dishes just get napkins, paper plates, plastic cutlery (if needed), disposable table cloths, party poppers, and plastic cups. At birthday parties, people tend to forget where they placed their cup, which plate was theirs, use napkin after napkin, using disposable ones are so much easier! Check your local dollar store or check your Costco or Sam’s Club to buy in bulk to help keep this birthday party inexpensive!

Shop Online First
Shop Online… Supermarkets and high street shops are not always the cheapest way to buy. It is so easy these days to search online for the “cheapest balloons in pink” or “best deals on paper plates”. I am the person that does this and you often find a great bargain!

Dessert
Cake…It doesn’t matter what your baking skills are like, make your own cake! Go check out Pinterest, there are tons of ideas for easy and quick cake ideas. Children love the fact you have made it yourself and you can layer their favorite sweets on top too! This looks very effective and the children love them! Maybe even buy (or make) plain cupcakes, a tub of frosting, and a few edible decorations and let the kids decorate their own at the party! They will love it and it is a great way to have dessert at your inexpensive birthday party!

Party Favors
Party Bag Ideas… This was a total favorite of mine! Plan, plan, plan! I always went to the shops after Christmas when the children had gone back to school and the discounts were at their best.

The girls Birthday isn’t until the end of April but it’s worth getting the bargains while you can! Buying packs of 4 small nail varnishes and splitting them up individually, or small toy cars for the boys. You can then store any bargains and use them the following year.

Also, visit the shops during the days after Halloween when the shops are virtually giving the plates, decorations, and costumes away. You can then, put them away for the following year.

Music
Music… There are so many ways to incorporate music into your party. I am sure you have some sort of music subscription that you can use (maybe even a friend or family member does). You can always download music off the internet or even put YouTube on. Why not borrow CDs from friends if you prefer. A great idea to an inexpensive birthday party is to have the kids make their own music, they will love it and it will keep them busy!

Games & Activities
Games to play…The old ones are the best and some can take a fair while to play meaning the children are kept occupied for longer. These are some of the best ones to incorporate into your inexpensive birthday party!

• Musical chairs
• Pass the parcel
• Pin the tail on the donkey
• Musical statues
• Musical bumps
• Sleeping lions
• Dance competitions
• Best dressed
• Limbo competition
• Balloon team games always go down well too, along with popping them at the end! You only need a small prize or sweets that can be brought cheaply from pound stores.

Piñata
Piñata… I love this idea a friend of mine did many years ago, she saved all the chocolates from Christmas that no one liked and asked family members to do the same. If the children went to parties and came back with sweets they did not like, she added them to the tub. They collected lots in a short space of time and used them in the birthday piñata! A great addition to an inexpensive birthday party!

Prizes
Prizes… Always buy trinkets and game prizes in sets. They are always cheaper than buying them individually, you can then add sweets to them making them look like a fab prize. Check out your local dollar store too, they have great prize ideas!

Guest Appearances
Guest appearances… Another great idea for children’s parties and has them entertained for free, is to ask any connections you may have to come along and have a chat with the children! If you know a policeman or fireman or farmer, that would be willing to come along (preferably with their mode of work transport). Often, they are keen to talk to children about safety in their line of work and more than happy to come.

Planning an inexpensive birthday party does not need to be hard at all! There are so many different ways you can do this. The number 1 thing you need to take away from this is to plan in advance, buy in bulk, and don’t spend more money than you can afford! Most kids are easily pleased and being able to play with their friends for a few hours is a great way to celebrate in their eyes! An inexpensive, fun, and memorable birthday party is all you need.

Hi, My name is Claire and I am a single mum of identical twin daughters. After months of trying, my twins finally convinced me to start up my blogging website so I could share my story and give advice to those going through the same situation as me! I cover topics such as being a single mum, being a mum of twins, menopause, and general life advice including tackling the world of internet dating! If my blogs can make one person smile then they are worth writing!