Children’s birthday parties are a pretty big business and parents spend lots of time and money on giving their child a day to remember. Gone are many of the ‘come to my house for jelly and icecream and a game of sleeping lions’ parties. Instead many are themed or have entertainers to take control leaving parents free to sit back and watch. Having thrown many a party, I have put together some simple party planning tips that have saved me money and my sanity more than once!
We all want our children to feel special on their day but with research suggesting that the average birthday party for a child costs over £200 we are often looking to deliver a great party for less. Much of the money is spent on hiring a venue or going to a party organised by a local attraction. You can certainly save money by having a party at home and doing it yourself.
All children love balloons and no party is complete without some. illooms have upped stakes with light up balloons, they are the world’s first LED latex balloons and since their launch in 2008, they have become a must-have item for any party or celebration.
I gave illooms ago and found them great. They come in a range of designs including marble and stars. To activate the LED, hold the top of the balloon with one hand and pull the tab out of the neck with the other hand. Inflate the illoom to the recommended size using a balloon pump and the inflation band (included in the pack). Once inflated, tie a knot in the neck of the illoom to stop it deflating illooms® glow for up to 15 hours.
I found that the lights actually lasted way longer than the 15 hours expected. They were still glowing several days later which I thought was excellent. They looked really great in the evenings and although they were hard to photograph for the purpose of the post, the appearance of them was great.
Party Planning Tips
Firstly set a budget and then plan within your means. Sharing the costs with a joint party can be a good idea as you can then spend more on the activities or entertainment.
Decide on your party type, do you want to pay more but just turn up and walk away at the end with no stress? If so a soft play, adventure course, sports party may work best for you. This often costs about £10-15 per head.
A cheaper way is to do it yourself, for the sake of a few hours full on madness you will spend less and have still give your child the party they want.
If you don’t want the party at home book the venue and make sure you add in the time for setting up and tidying away. You are likely to need at least 30 minutes each side of the party. Check how many children the venue holds or the minimum amount needed for the party.
Create a theme, it could be a bouncy castle party or magician or whatever. Having an entertainer takes the pressure off. However, I have often tasked my teenagers with planning and doing party games for a small cost. See this post on party games for inspiration.
Party favours are also given at many parties. However many of us are trying to reduce the amount of single-use plastic and there are plenty of alternatives and we have found that a book from The Works or similar is often appreciated.
Do you have anymore party planning tips?
I am also giving away some illooms balloons ready for your party. To enter just hop on over to my Instagram account and like the photo and leave a comment. You can do this via the rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
2 Responses
Aw Erin’s combined party with her classmates sounds great fun! My eldest son had a village hall party this year and it cost a fortune by the time you factor in decor, food, bouncy castle etc! The personalised banners sound fabulous and I love the Olaf lamp