Make Kids' Party-Planning a Family Affair

God has the devil. Superman has Lex Luthor. Philadelphia Eagles have the Dallas Cowboys. For there to be a perfect balance in the world, for everything positive, there must be equal negative to create a level playing field.

If I had to pick my polar opposite, it would be Martha Stewart. I couldn’t be more different. I have a hard time keeping a clean house, let alone do I press my guest towels. I usually cook something out of a box or a can, and seldom even follow a recipe, let alone create my own.

Regardless, it doesn’t mean that, as a mommy, I don’t want my kids to have the things I imagine Martha Stewart may create if she weren’t a robot. (Let’s face it; no human being can do all of those things.) One of the things I do try to go all out on is my kids’ birthdays.

Don’t get me wrong. I am completely against something on, one of the many things MTV has over-sensationalized, a “My Sweet 16” level. I don’t plan on taking out an additional mortgage on my home to fund a bash. It isn’t about the glitz and glam, and surely on our family’s budget, it isn’t about spending the cash. It is about making them feel super special.

Our kids’ parties start with a theme. They each get to pick, on their special day, what the concept will be. Inevitably, my children will pick something no party store in the nation carries. For example, for his fourth birthday, my son wanted a Sonic the Hedgehog party. No, he didn’t want a sports theme, or “Cars,” or “G.I. Joe,” or any other popular, easy-to-find topic. He wanted Sonic.

I guess that maybe is what started the hands-on nature of my party-planning. Besides a heavy hand from my hereditary OCD nature, my kids seemed to be into things that weren’t so “mainstream.” Instead of doing what most moms do, we didn’t take a stroll down a Party City aisle. Instead, we had to get creative. I had to think of decorations and games and cake-toppers to get the theme across for my kids without just making a simple purchase.

As the years pass, and some years I get “lucky” and have them pick something more basic, I still focus on this homemade idea with our parties. Ultimately, I think it makes it more special. Plus, it is crazy cheap! Why spend $100 at a party supply store on décor alone, when you can do a lot of this on your own? You can also choose to have the kids get involved and make it a bonding experience, too.

No matter what the theme, here are a few of my money-saving tips for your next kids’ party.

1. Make the food

It seems like a lot of extra work, but I think this is where we save the most money. My first rule of thumb with food is to make it easy. Kids like simple foods, so don’t go too crazy with the menu. Pick what they love.

Once you have a menu, make some or all of the items. Why shell out $60+ on a tray of chicken nuggets when you can get an entire box for about $8 at a bulk store. Pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes, and you are set.

       2.    Make the cake

The cake is another crucial place to save some dough, no pun intended. A store cake is about $50 with a desired character. We almost always pick a toy (action figure, doll made of plastic) and add it to the dessert as a cake topper. Not only does it prevent you from having to get too creative with cake decorating, (I’m no Martha Stewart, and forget about me being even a Cake Boss) but your kid can also keep the topper as a toy.

3.  Make the decorations

We almost always make some of them. It is a fun, crafty activity for the kids leading up to the week of the party, but also saves you a bundle. Instead of a giant banner, I take each letter in our kids’ names and make it into a happy birthday sign. Each letter can have a character on it. Print them on your home printer or draw them with the kids.

4. Get creative with games

For young children, games are a key part of the action. You have food, you play games, you have cake, you open gifts. Consider having the kids do age-appropriate crafts, movement games (tag or duck-duck-goose) or your basic party games, like Pin the Tail on the Donkey. We usually play almost the same games every year, but each year, we change the rules for the theme.

Playing hide and seek? Why not hide pictures of the characters? Thinking of having a game of pin the tail? Try instead pin the mustache on Mario or the hair on Rapunzel. (I speak from experience, both of those were a hit.)

No matter your child’s chosen theme, the season, the size of the party or the location, there is only one thing that matters: Is your kid happy? Because if they are, forget about impressing the other mommies, the inevitable cranky child guest or your own thoughts on how the day went (i.e. how many hairs you pulled out). All that matters in the end is the smile on that angel face.