10 Ways to Save on a Kid’s Birthday Party

Birthday season is in full swing and I love planning birthday parties for my kids! But it can definitely start to add up with all the (sometimes unnecessary) bells and whistles. Here are my 10 ways to save on a kid’s birthday party.

Party at Home (or a Park)

There are some pros and cons of celebrating at home, but the best pro is that it’s completely free. You also can start prepping and planning any time. If you’re able to reserve a site at your local park, that works too! You do have to take into account transporting everything back and forth, so keep that in mind.

Time it Carefully

This is key in order to save money on food and drinks. I personally like doing early morning parties, around 10am because I can have some snacks out for the kids but not a full lunch or dinner. This way, they can enjoy playing games rather than concentrating on eating. Also, they’ll have enough time to eat cake and burn off the energy before an afternoon nap!

Send E-Invitations

Instead of spending money on invitations, there are many sites like Evite and Paperless Post that send out customizable invitations. Just make sure you have everyone’s email addresses!

Pick the Right Theme

I like coming up with a general theme for the party with my child (think superhero vs. Captain America or winter princesses vs. Frozen etc). This way, you can buy or make things that don’t necessarily have to have Captain America or Frozen characters on them. If your child is pretty young or doesn’t have an opinion, I like to do a color themed party so that I can use any leftovers for future parties!

Shop Throughout The Year

Keep your eye out for specials on small party favors or decor throughout the year. Taking the superhero party as an example, I was able to get red, white and blue decor after 4th of July on sale. Also, if your child has a late fall or early winter birthday, you can get Halloween candy on sale November 1, which is always a great deal!

Buy Online vs Party Store

Buying party supplies in bulk is such a helpful way to save money. Amazon and Dollar Tree have some great deals on party packs that include cake toppers, decor, cutlery, plates, napkins and cups that all match!

DIY As Much as You Can

This is a simple suggestion, but it’s a great way of saving! Professional cakes are beautiful, but everything’s going to the same place, so why not save a bit and make cupcakes? You can even let the kids decorate their own as one of their activities!

Party Games

Although it’s always fun to have a bouncy house or petting zoo or magician, kids have such amazing imaginations, they don’t really need those things if they have some direction! I like setting up various stations around the house and in our yard for them enjoy. A slime area outside is great as is gathering up all of our random toy cars and setting up a race track inside. One year we even did an inflatable pool full of bubble solution and had a bubble party! Just keep the T.V. off!

Double Up on Party Favors & Activities

Instead of traditional party favors, have the kids take home their slime creations or artwork they’ve made during the party. This way, the favors are more personal and they’ll remember your awesome party!

Combine Birthday Parties

If your kids’ birthdays are close or they have a cousin who lives nearby, just throw one big party! This will save on everything and the kids will have even more fun with more kids to play with. This can even work if your kid has a friend with a close birthday!