Creative Kid's Parties On A
Penny Budget
Birthdays are an exciting event for children and really
not complete without a party. The challenge is to plan a
party that won't throw your budget clean out the window.
Organization and planning ahead are the keys to success
for any party. The simplest way to organize a party is
to write your ideas and plans down on paper. Talk to
your child to get their input as to what kind of party
they would like and who they wish to invite.
For one and two year olds, you might want to invite the
Grandparents or other special relatives and friends for
a home cooked meal or coffee and dessert, unless half a
dozen sticky toddlers complete with parents and siblings
is your idea of a fun time. For 3 to 5 years olds, limit
the party to between 3 and 5 children plus your own.
With the short attention spans of this age group, one
and a half to two hours is usually long enough. The 6
and over party can be larger if you wish or you can
invite a couple special friends and go on an all day
excursion to an amusement park, ski hill, swimming pool,
hockey or ball game, or other event or attraction in
your area. If you plan these activities in advance, you
can take advantage of group rates, special offers and
discount coupons.
The time and location of the party should be decided
with the age of the children in mind. If your child is
often difficult to get along with in the afternoon, a
morning party might be more appropriate. If you plan an
outdoor party, have a backup plan and location in case
of poor weather. With half a dozen children counting the
days until the party, it's best not to disappoint them
by changing the day.
Choosing a theme sets the focus for the party and
simplifies planning. Select a theme based on your
child's interests and age. Design invitations,
decorations and activities to fit the theme. Helping
your child make her own invitations is a fun and
inexpensive way to involve her in the planning. Balloons
and crepe paper streamers make colorful inexpensive
decorations. Party napkins, plates, glasses, place mats
and tablecloths are nice but not required. Check
discount bins and buy in advance to take advantage of
sales. A large white sheet of paper to cover the table
and markers or crayons can double as a warm up activity
for early arrivals and a tablecloth. Put a layer of
newsprint under the paper to protect the table.
Activities can include games, craft projects or any
activity which allows for maximum participation. A
summer party could be held in the back yard with a
child's pool, lawn bowling (a rubber ball and empty
plastic bottles to knock down), golf (a cardboard tube,
small ball and large tin can with both ends cut out for
a target), and other activities available for free play.
Limit group activities to 2 or 3 well planned ones.
Choose activities that do not emphasize winners or
losers. Giving prizes is unnecessary. Saying something
like, "Sarah won that time, now let's play again"
recognizes the winner without emphasizing it's
importance.
A fun way to end the activity session is to have a party
favor scramble. Give each child a bag and throw handfuls
of individually wrapped candies, gum, pennies and
inexpensive items such as bookmarks, pencils, erasers
and stickers. The children try to quickly pick up the
items and put them in their bag.
Party favors are not required but if you wish to give
them out, choose inexpensive, theme related and unique
items such as a mini flashlight (camping party), a
magnifying glass (detective party), helium balloon
(circus party) or sunglasses (swimming party). Check
dollar stores frequently and buy favors ahead of time to
take advantage of sale prices.
No party is complete without refreshments. A drink, home
made cake and fresh fruit are simple and easy to prepare
and serve. Cupcakes work well with small children. For a
simple, yet attractive look, ice the cupcakes and
decorate with animal crackers and soft, sugarless
candies. Serve the "Zoo Cakes" on a tray surrounded by a
paper cage. Serve "Jungle Juice" (unsweetened orange
juice with a little ginger ale added is good) and some
fresh fruit. Choose refreshments that can be completely
prepared and stored in the fridge until serving time.
End the party on a positive note by stopping it while
everyone is still having fun. It's better to leave them
wanting more than to drag it out and lose their
attentions.
