HT: Kids Birthday party

Are kids birthday parties over the top?

Edited by Renata85

I reckon of you love it and you know your kids get a kick out of a big celebration then go for it - if it stresses you out don't do it to yourself or your family!

I really enjoy organising my girls birthdays. I try and keep it quite cheap so we make a lot of our own decorations. I think I probably get more enjoyment out of it than they do, all they really need is their friends and cake and a few basic games. I am sure they still appreciate the 99 butterflies I cut out and stuck around the house;)

We often do face painting because all the other kids really look forward to it (my own kids are usually the only ones not painted)

We got a bouncy castle for our daughters last birthday because we were so busy at the time and I hadn't done anything else. They just had a bit of afternoon tea and a cake, and that was all I did. It was by far the easiest, stress free birthday. And probably one of the cheapest too.


Through my work I see a lot of huge birthday parties!! Bouncy Castles, Fairies, Huge tiered birthday cakes, 3 course meals for 100+ people as well as face painting.... I think that is over the top, and has probably warped my idea of a what a birthday party should be.

No idea only been to one kids birthday party so far and I thought it was great, the parents hired a little bouncy castle and got a pirate in to entertain the kids, they've got the money and the kids loved it. DD learnt how to squeal.

I was thinking the other day that if you've got the money, and that's how you want to spend it, a carnival in the backyard is fine. And fun for the other little guests, because lets face it, most of us can't afford that!

What really gets to me is when people go into debt for a party / flash presents they can't afford (I know some who have). SO not worth it, especially when kids will be just as happy with less.

We had a pretty quiet first birthday here, but that's just because it suited us.

I have no idea what I'll do for DS's 1st birthday, I'm supershy so will probably only be family and those who spend time with DS unless he manages to make some little friends despite my lack of socializing with their mums.

I LOVE birthdays - for big kids and little kids!!

If we had the money, I would totally hire a mini farm or bouncy castle or something. As it is, we don't! So I put the effort in myself, because it brings me so much joy to do so!! Others think I'm completely mad lol.

For my daughter's 3rd we had a Dora party. I got 10m of purple fabric for $10 and made little backpacks for all 16 kiddy guests (we have a large family!). I even sewed on little popper closers, and then made some 'maps', and put in a little maraca each ($2 shop), a couple of colouring pencils ($1.99 for a pack of 12) and a printed 'We Did It!" colouring sheet. The kids went on an adventure to find the birthday cake that swiper 'swiped' - they checked their maps and then we went to Crocodile Lake. This was a blue tarp spread out with a stuffed crocodile on it (a friend had one!). Going over the lake was a 'bridge' of those foam numbers, except that the numbers were missing - the kids had to search all around the room to find them, then they took turns putting them in the right holes.
We made our way after that to 'Lizard mountain' (just a raised area!) put there was a sleeping bear blocking the way. This was my BIL and we had to wake him up....what could we use from our backpacks?? The maracas!! The kids had loads of fun, and we even had 6 and 7 year olds joining in wholeheartedly.
Once he woke up with a big roar and moved off we searched all around for the lizards that were hiding (I got 2 packets from the $2 shop). The got one each and put them in their backpacks. Next we had to go through swiper's secret hideout. This was a tunnel made of 3 fridge boxes taped together, with a padlock at one end. The key was hidden inside a Star Pinata (got from the warehouse on special for $12). The kids had a blast breaking it open and put the lollies they caught in their backpacks. Then we went to open the tunnel but OH NO here is Swiper!! (this was my darling hubby simply with a piece of blue material tied around his head that we cut some holes in!) He crept up menacingly and we all said 'Swiper no swiping' 3 times just like on the tv show.
We unlocked the tunnel and the kids BLASTED through the tunnel. At the other end it led into another room where we had the food and cake sitting on table in front of the tunnel. I hung big material butterflies (from $2 shop, I bargained the guy down to give me 3 of them for $4) at the end of the tunnel.
The cake was a backpack cake I made myself, from a big tray of brownie that I shaped into a backpack then covered with pettin icing I bought at the end of christmas for 99cents (it lasts for ages!). It looked a bit rough because I suck at using that icing, but I tried my hardest and she had no idea!

That was it! The kids had a BLAST, it was pretty cheap, and my DD still talks about it all the time.

Oh and my top favourite thing I made for the party food was little milkyway cars - Get mini milkway type bars, and stick in a tiny teddy. Then use melted chocolate to 'glue' on 4 smartie wheels. Voila! Easy as and looks soooo cute!
I also made little jelly shots using the plastic shot glasses from the supermarket and filling them with jelly. Again, super easy and was a big hit with the kids.