These days, parties for kids can end up as contests for their parents. Parents try to throw a party for their child that is as good or better than the others that the child has gone to throughout the year. The parents also might search for an exciting, expensive location for the party. In fact, more and more places are opening up that cater to children and throwing these lavish parties.
What does this mean for a parent who refuses to give into the spending competition, but still wants to throw a fun and memorable party for their child? Really, it just means that a parent needs to be a little more creative. To plan an inexpensive party that your child will love, find a theme that fits the personality of your child. Think of fun and inexpensive ways to celebrate within that theme. Here are a couple of examples to get you started:
Cowboy/Cowgirl Party
Send out invitations with a wanted poster on the front saying, “Wanted: You!” Ask party-goers to dress in their Wild West best. Serve BBQ sandwiches or hotdogs and baked beans. Play games such as potato sack races, horseshoes, or a square dance. Make small goody bags out of bandanas tied with raffia.
Dress-Up Party
Search through your closets and pull out all of the possible dress-up clothes that you can find: high heels, boas, scarves, hats, and dresses. Let the girls pick out their own outfit and do each others’ hair. Provide hair clips, hairspray, and tiaras. Take Polaroid or digital photos of each girl to send home. Have a tea party, serving smaller versions of “grown-up” appetizers. For fun, the girls could string beads on a necklace and perform a fashion show.
Remember that spending more does not mean that the children are going to have more fun. For instance, children generally could care less about whether the paper plates are character-theme or just plain white. Think minimal, since the kids are really not going to be judging the party by how much money you’ve spent. They just want to have fun.