Alright, so your child is another year older and the daunting task of planning a birthday party for him or her is upon you. When it comes to birthday 
parties, there really is no right or wrong way to do them. Some families choose to celebrate with family only, and some choose to go all out and invite the whole neighborhood and then some.
Some parents (actually most parents, especially those with multiple children) find the birthday time to be a financial strain, and can feel very hurt that they can’t afford to give their children huge gala events and lavish presents every year. If this is you, then don’t worry. You’re not the only one, and it’s completely okay not to give your child an expensive birthday party every year.
You may think that you have to top the year before and throw an even more amazing party for your child, but that just is not the case. It’s not practical, and it’s certainly not doing your child any favors. It stresses you out, and it gives your child the overall attitude of assumption and they come to expect a grand birthday party every year, rather than expressing their appreciation and gratitude.
Below are some kids birthday party ideas that you can do for relatively cheap on the wallet, and will still give your child an amazing birthday.
Kids Birthday Party Ideas
Just a Family Party – If you have multiple children, having a family party is one of the best ways to go. Involve all the kids and have them make the birthday kid a special present. The only rule is that it must be hand made! If your birthday child is a girl, buy her a cheap (think dollar store) crown to wear for the day. If you have a boy, buy him a sheriff’s badge (again, dollar store!) and let him be the “sheriff” for the day. Let the birthday kid pick what he or she wants for dinner and make it for them. Of course cake, ice cream and presents after dinner complete the birthday celebration. After presents are opened, have a family fun night with all the new toys and games.
Scavenger Hunt – You can do this for relatively cheap also, it just may take some time in planning. Having a scavenger hunt can be done at your home, either inside or outside. You can do this many different ways, but one way you can pull it off is hiding things you already have around the house for the kids to find. This limits the cost to pretty much nothing. Make the final destination be the birthday presents.
A tip: if you have multiple children or any other kids attending the party, put little gift bags or a little trinket for each kid at the end of the hunt. It helps the other kids to get excited about the hunt, and it keeps kids happy while the birthday child is opening presents.
(If you want to go all out with a scavenger hunt, here’s a great resource: Scavenger Hunt Planning)
Kids Sleep Over – Only do this if you’re prepared to put up with loud and obnoxious children for an extended period of time. Make sure you have some activities planned for the kids – movies, arts and crafts, games – something to make the time go by faster. If you don’t have some sort of a plan of action, the kids then turn to you for entertainment. Be prepared to combat that. If it’s a boy birthday, have a camping theme sleep over. Pitch a tent in the backyard and call it good.
Make Mini Pizzas – This became a tradition in my family for birthday’s. The kids absolutely love being able to make their own pizza. Buy a roll of Pillsbury biscuits, and give each child one. Tell them to flatten it to make their “pizza dough”. I buy mushrooms in a can, olives in a can, pepperoni, canadian bacon and shredded cheddar cheese. I put each ingredient in its own bowl and put it in the middle of the table. Spread pizza sauce on all the biscuits, and then let the kids go to town. Once all “pizza’s” have been created, bake them for about 11 minutes. It’s a very hands on activity, and it serves a second purpose…it feeds them!
Family Party or Friends Party?
All of the above ideas can either be done with just your children and family, or you can choose to allow your child to invite some friends over to participate in the activities. One thing that is worth mentioning is this : many parents fear that inviting other children to a birthday party will incur costs that otherwise wouldn’t be there. While this may be true, there’s a way around it.
By inviting other children to a birthday party, you can spend less money on birthday presents. If your child is inviting friends to a birthday party, their friends will bring presents and your financial obligation can be lessened, or at least canceled out. If you spend less money on presents, you can spend a little more on the party. Food for thought.
Now all you have to decide is are you going to have the birthday party at your home or somewhere else, like bowling or putt-putt? Ha! Good luck. 
