Kids budget birthday party (in a small house!!)

This year, my daughter keeps asking for party. She’s in year one now and last year she went to more parties in six months than I did in six years.

Honestly, those kids have a better social life than us parents.

Something seems to have happened between the 90s and now. Kids seem to expect parties as a given. I hate to say it but “ back in my day” only some kids have parties. There was one girl that had a disco every year. You might get invited around someone’s house for a bit of cake and some musical statues. But these days it’s all TEMU decorations, hiring big halls, inviting an entire class, triangle sandwiches to feed an army, entertainers, a bloody massive cake, and balloon arches.

And this is just a basic level. It seems to be that this is just a given now you’re expected to have a mermaid rainbow a Spider-Man Pikachu party all this while we’re at one of the most expensive times in recent history.

Everything is expensive. Just today I was fantasising over time when a bar of dairy milk was just a pound. In the co-op last night it was on offer at a bargain of £1.65 .

I don’t want to deny my kids parties. Instead, I want to teach them what a party can be. They doesn’t have to be an entire class — IMHO they kids often find overwhelming. I want to teach them a party can be a couple of good friends doing something fun, hanging out watching films, playing stupid games in the garden, going to the park together.

Well, this blog is about to saving money on your kids birthday party. It’s also about saving the planet a little bit too. Think, if all 30 kids are having parties in the class, all 30 kids are buying those plastic decorations from TEMU, and having 100 balloon arch not to mention those giant helium numbers. That’s a lot of waste for the planet. A lot of stuff to scrunch up and go to landfill at the end of the two hours.

So in this blog, you will find tips to save money on your kids birthday party, and you can feel pretty good that you’ll be cutting down your carbon footprint for that party too.

You’re not going to find me directing you to cheap places to find brand-new decorations. Or tat for party bags it’s just gonna go straight in the bin.

Birthday Party Ideas on a Budget

Firstly, host it at home

Hosting a party a home might sound crazy, especially if you have a small house. However, kids don’t really notice if your house is small, they’ll just know if they’re having fun. Maybe don’t invite the entire class though. Just a few friends who you know you can keep entertained in one space.

If you have a garden and the weather is good, set something up outside. Here are a few ideas to keep the kids entertained.

These would be suitable for 3-8 year olds, but they could be adapted for older kids.

Obstacle course

One of my friends told me about the best party game from her childhood. The party was in a small living room. The mum set up an obstacle course around the best china and plates. The kid was blindfolded and spun around. The mum then moved all the china in secret and the other kids had to pretend it was still there and direct her where to go. Love this idea. Also love that my friend remembers it so fondly even in her mid thirties.

Bean bag toss

For outside and inside. Toss beanbags into a range of hoops, moving them further away with each turn.

Musical statues

I don’t think I need to explain this one, but just incase. Music on: everyone moves. Music off: everyone pauses.

Pass the parcel

Decide if you want to do old school rules with just a prize for the winner, or something in each wrap. Add sweets, books or little figures from the charity shop.

Biscuit decorating

Buy a pack of rich teas and make up some icing in a couple of different colours, or even just white. Let them decorate with sprinkles and chocolate.

Treasure hunt

Hide chocolate coins around the house (In the places you’re happy for everyone to go) and let them go on a hunt to find them all.

Pizza making

Layout toppings on the table and let the kids add their own toppings. You can go to Pizza Express and do this, or you can do it at home for a fraction of the price.

Mystery challenge
Hang envelopes on a string with challenges inside (like “do a silly dance” “hop around the room like a frog”). Guests pick an envelope and perform the task. You can adjust this to suit the kids ages.

Colouring

My girls love the colouring table at parties. Think make your own crown, print outs ready to colour.

Pottery painting

Buy some clay things to decorate online, or even find some large stones. Get some paints or paint pens and let the kids get creative.

How much will a budget kids party cost?

Here are my estimates based on having 10 guests and doing pass the parcel, musical statues, mystery challenge, treasure hunt, face painting, and biscuit decorating.

Game	Items to Buy	Cost (Estimated)
Pass the Parcel	Small gifts or toys from the charity shop/sweets wrapping paper or news paper, tape	£4–£10
Craft Station Face paints	Pens, stickers, paper, glue stick Face paint pens	£10–£15 £8-10
Chocolate Coin Hunt	Chocolate coins	£4-£6
Biscuit Decorating Food and drinks for 10 kids	Plain biscuits, icing, sprinkles Pizzas, veggie sticks, hummus, cake, biscuits, squash	£8-10 £20-40

Here’s what you’re looking at if you host in a hall

Expense Category	Items / Description	Estimated Cost (GBP)
Hall Hire	Local community hall or church hall (2–3 hours)	£40–£80
Entertainer	Magician, clown, or children’s entertainer (1–2 hours)	£100–£200
Decorations	Balloons, banners, tablecloths, streamers	£20–£40
Party Food	Sandwiches, snacks, drinks, birthday cake	£40–£70
Party Bags	Small toys, sweets, stickers, bags	£20–£40
Tableware	Plates, cups, napkins, cutlery, serving trays	£10–£20
Music / Sound	Portable speaker or playlist setup	£0–£10
Miscellaneous	Cleaning supplies, extra bin bags, unexpected extras	£10–£20

That’s £240-480 in total.

Or host at home and you’re looking at £40-60

Yes you’ll have mess to clear up. Yes it will be an intense two hours. Pro tips, ask parents to drop off and cut the guest list down as small as possible! If parents do stay, try and keep them in another room with a coffee (or Prosecco!) so the kids have more space for activities.

Prepare the house

Move everything off surfaces and put out of the way. Push furniture against walls or move out the room if possible. This will make it feel different. Cover units and tables with table cloths. Make bunting out of paper, or look on Vinted for fabric or create paper decorations to jazz up the living room and create a theme.

How to have a kids party on the cheap

If you can cope with a little clear up and some adult participation, a party at home is gold. If you can extend the celebrations into the garden then you’re in for a win. If it’s winter, tell the kids to bring coats. There’s no reason why they can’t go out in the cold!