I am coming up to another Birthday Party for my daughter. Remember when birthday parties were at your house, you rented a movie and had a sleepover? Well no more! Most birthday parties cost at least $300 and involve quite a bit of parent work. My kids start planning their next birthday party the day after their last one. They get so excited that it is well worth it, you just have to be prepared

After hosting quite a few birthday parties, I thought I would share some of my favourite birthday party ideas or tips.

If you are staying at home for the party, the upside is you can save some money. The downside is you need to clean your house and entertain the kids. Usually, up until Kindergarten, parents stay with their kids for activities so keep that in mind.

At home birthday parties can be simple, you have presents to open and cake to eat but you need to kill more time. Some home birthday party activities that keep the kids from going wild are

• Make own pizzas
• Decorate cookies or cupcakes
• Slip and slide
• Park date with games planned
• Costume party
• Canvas Painting
• Handprint Art
• Dance party
• Face Painting
• Themes (pirate, princess, paw patrol)

Now, you might not have a very big house. You might be allergic to cleaning it. Here are some birthday parties ideas for younger kids.

• SPCA
• Build a Bear
• Indoor Gym
• Gymnastic Club
• Bowling
• Swimming Pool
• Park/Playground
• Movie theater
• Zoo
• Bouncy Castle

When kids get a little older, there are a million party ideas. My favourites might cost a little extra but we keep the party small. I tell the kids they can load up the van with friends, so usually 4 friends. Then I drive them all to the big venue, often West Edmonton Mall waterpark where we spend the afternoon. I drive them back to the house for presents and cake and then the parents pick them up. I have also had some great parties at local businesses. Here are some older kid birthday party ideas.

• Amusement Park
• Waterpark
• Pottery Studio: my favourite is Glazing Pot Studio in St Albert!
• Trampoline Park
• Laser Tag
• Virtual Reality Games
• Party Activity Bus: gaming or gymnastics
• Swimming Pool or Gym
• Skating or Sledding
• Movie Theater and sleepover: my son prefers this every year
• Rock climbing

Birthday Parties: The Extras

The Loot Bag

The first year I did loot bags, it was exciting buying all those little gifts and surprises. Then I priced it out and realized I spent a lot of money! The second year, I tried to do it cheaper, but the kids ended up with garbage that every mom dreads to see come home. Some moms do a candy bag from Buk Barn which I personally like. A $5 gift card from McDonalds or Dairy Queen is also a nice idea. There are a group of moms that do no do loot bags anymore and that is fine with me too. Loot bags are a big hassle.

The RSVP

Here is the real deal. People do not always RSVP any more. If you know the group of moms, they usually do but it is very common to not know who is going to show up. Something to remember; if a child has parents who are divorced and the child switches weekends at each parent’s house, the wrong parents might receive the invitation and not pass it on. This can create a problem. Just keep it in mind and follow up with those kids earlier!

These are my tips. I would love to hear yours. Please comment or contact me with your ideas!