Birthday parties are so expensive

katknapp

Its my daughters 5th birthday soon,so i thought we would have a hungry caterpillar theme....im so amazed at how much more expensive everything is from when my eldest two were younger and the expectations are bigger and so much more expensive!some of the parties my daughter has been too have had entertainers,face painting one of those activity buses,smoke machines and bubble machines,bouncy castles, even one where they had an ice cream van!..so theres me trying to organise a party on the cheap how on earth can you compete with these parents that spend an absolute fortune on a party for a 5 year old!

frogmorton

Kat

heaven only knows :roll:

We have had fancy dress parties 'princess' ones (most kids have the outfits) at home with a friend doing their nails for them

Mmmmm old fashioned mc*nald parties are the same price as usual.

mmm....

good luck

Love

Toni xx

Ps l LOVE hungry caterpliiars.

To be honest most kids love old fashioned games pass the parcel and the like...maybe you could have a pinata????

mellman01

It's so much cheaper when your older, I'm happy with 4 cans of wife beater and a Rubby Murry these days!.

katknapp

To be honest most kids love old fashioned games pass the parcel and the like...maybe you could have a pinata????

yes thats what we are doing,except its pass the caterpillar lol and i have found a caterpillar shaped pinata oh and musical butterflies!i have managed to get hungry caterpillar tableware from ebay too its so cute!! I think i just get shocked at just how competitive parents are trying to outdo each others parties with no limit to money,my niece is 9 soon and shes having a sleepover in the garden in tents my sisters buying a big bucket of kfc and lots of ice cream and letting them get on with it!

Melman a couple of bottles of wine and a kfc is my idea of celebrating lol!

barbara12

Hi Kat
I have two granddaughters, and I do there parties every year...and they have always been at our house, most kids love old fashioned party's...in fact some of the kids have said we love them because we can do more a less what we want...dancing ...playing in the garden...and not be organised..apart from the music games that is.
I know how worrying it is when you cant compete with the others....but I promise they will enjoy it....and dont forget the goodie bags are the main feature...that came off my youngest GD
Just another point dont get the goodie bag stuff from the supermarkets go to cheaper shops..
Good Luck

cthornley

We did a teddy bears picnic at home this year (3yrs old) and a couple of the parents actually commented how nice it was to not do the mega soft play/ bouncy castle/ trip to the farm etc - we just put out two large picnic blankets (1 in the kitchen for the food, another in the lounge for the teddys and toys, we'd planned to have it in the park but the weather was against us)
We then just let the kids play, eat some nice food, have a scrummy cake and let the parents relax with a glass of wine - it was really nice
I'd been panicking that I hadn't 'organised' enough - but actually it was just right. Personally I hate some if the over the top stuff as it just seems too much especially when they are little
I love the hungry caterpillar stuff it's so cute, so good call
Good luck
Chrissie

tkachev

Most places charge £10 per child per head and boy does that add up! My son has announced he would like a double decker London bus birthday cake so I looked online today and found 2 lovely cakes....£160 and around £125 !!!!!!!!Suppose I'd better start practicing to make my own!

Elizabeth

NinaKKang

I don't "do" parties for my girls, as such, just birthday teas like the ones already mentioned, few friends, famililies, pass the parcel, musical statues, cake and party bags etc. We always end up with about 20 people, no matter how many times we say "let's just have a couple of people" and it all ends up going into the night, but we're sociable people, me and my hubby and the girls are the same. We just like doing it on the cheap

My middle one has the honour of being an April baby so we always have garden parties for her (the other 2 are January and November). Ever since she was born, her birthday has always been a nice day - usually the hottest one so far that year.

I've never felt the need to compete with other mums in parties and presents - I do what I can afford and I've always given our girls a choice: nice present or posh party. And to who said some parties cost about £10 a child? Bowling parties are £12 a child! Who can afford that??? I just wait for my girls to be invited to one LOL

I think 10 is a special age and my eldest had a Bollywood theme party. Me and my mum cooked, we had Indian food and hired our local church hall for the evening - it was about £40 for that. Easy peasy. Our middle daughter is 10 next year and we'll probably do the same but with a different theme.

I totally agree that it's more fun to have a relaxed party and one that's not "organised".

Nxx

katknapp

Most places charge £10 per child per head and boy does that add up! My son has announced he would like a double decker London bus birthday cake so I looked online today and found 2 lovely cakes....£160 and around £125 !!!!!!!!Suppose I'd better start practicing to make my own!

Look on fb for a local buy sell swap in your area,they do alsorts,i have found a lady who makes wonderful cakes to whatever design you want,shes making a hungry catterpillar cake plus butterfly cupcakes to put around it all for £30! i really wish i could make them..however my true talent lies in eating them

Nina a bollywood party sounds fabulous! we have one of those adventure places(you know play gym thingys) and thats very popular but its £12 per child :shock: and all they get to eat is fishfingers and chips!

NinaKKang

Yeah, Kat, the Bollywood party was a success We leant some outfits but it was sweet how many people found their own, did henna tattoos, had dancing, all of that.

£12 for a play area??? When my eldest little, we had a MacDonald's party which I have to say was quite a good deal. For £5 a child, they included entertaining the kids, the happy meal, a cake, CD and present for the birthday girl. It only cost us about £50 all in all. But that was about 8 years ago and you're right, my how things have changed!

Nxx

frogmorton

[yes thats what we are doing,except its pass the caterpillar lol and i have found a caterpillar shaped pinata oh and musical butterflies!i have managed to get hungry caterpillar tableware from ebay too its so cute!!

The kids will enjoy yours the most serioulsy Katnapp

well done for being traditional

tkachev

22 years ago I splashed out and hired a hall for my daughters 3rd birthday, local catering and entertainer and invited all my family and all the neighbourhood kids( some who were bullies and horrible to my girls but felt I would not leave anyone out as it was petty). My dad drove my Neices and my Sister to the party and a friend recorded it on video. 6 weeks later my dad died unexpectedly. So this video is priceless and the party was worth every penny to just have those memories.

Elizabeth

valval

the posh partys our for the adults and children who have not had the chance to enjoy life a picnic at the play park (paddleing pool ) and icecream of there choice always goes down well. it was always hardest with oldest son his birthday in november so often games and some fire works in back garden before them all going home one year put big tent up top garden ran electric up had lights and music they picniced out there ran wild but had great time .
it the preperation your own children enjoy making decorations pin the tail on donky what ever you can always tell every one to come in old cloths and have paints and rolls of lineing paper for them to paint on to there harts content depending on age . but make sure you have old towels and plenty of soap and water to clean them up val

NinaKKang

How poignant those memories must be for you, Elizabeth, of your dad?

And Val, such good ideas! I may pinch a few but our next birthday isn't till November Plenty of time to save - our youngest is quite the madam!

Nxx

prefabkid47

The expectancy of todays kids is so much greater,I'm sure much of this is due to the power of advertising mainly via television.They try every trick in the book to extract as much money from parents as possible under the guise of 'must have'.
Gone are the days when kid's birthday parties consisted of sandwiches,jellies and cake.Games consisted blind man's bluff (not pc now?),pin the tail on the donkey (animal cruelty?) and pass the parcel (health and safety hazard?).We all seemed to enjoy ourselves without the need for themed parties,bouncy castles,professional entertainers etc,etc,etc.......We would take a present for whoevers birthday it was and we certainly didn't expect to leave loaded with goody bags (another con!!).
I might sound like a grumpy old f*rt but I know I'm bl**dy right,it all boils down to greed (oh dear it seems I might have caught this venting my spleen thing off the forum,mention no names!).

katknapp

it the preperation your own children enjoy making decorations pin the tail on donky what ever you can always tell every one to come in old cloths and have paints and rolls of lineing paper for them to paint on to there harts content depending on age . but make sure you have old towels and plenty of soap and water to clean them up val

Ah ha well we have hit on the idea of cutting out loads of butterflies and catterpillars and letting the kids go mad with glitter then we will pin them up in the garden!Rather proud of myself i am so organised this year,my two eldest birthdays were november and january both dull cold weather one of them we had a tropical party and laid beech towels out on the carpet and put bucket and spades out(we put cakes etc in them) it was great fun,certainly brightened the day up,

NinaKKang

That's a really good idea, Kat, a tropical party, might try that on my youngest in November, she'll be 8... mind you, I'll have to make out that it's her idea and make it "cool" - she's very sophisticated, y'know, except she pronounces it "so-pis-ated" Not as easy to win over as her older sisters.

Nxx

tkachev

I think kids do still love these home parties Prefabkid. I know we have had some very successful home parties with pass the parcel, pin the tail on the donkey with home made food. Kids just wanna have fun! They don't have to cost the earth.

Elizabeth