How to have a great kid's party on a budget

You'll be able to let your child invite as many guests as they want and still stay within a tight budget

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. One of the easiest ways to economize on the expenses of your child's birthday party is in the food served. Young children will be just as happy with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or macaroni cheese as they will be at pizza. A cake that they helped make, even if it is from a cake mix will be just as popular with younger children as a bakery cake and can be easily decorated with a packet of m and m's or other candy. For older children the party can be a "pizza party" where they actually make pizza, so the food also doubles as the entertainment.
2. One of the easiest ways to keep young children happy is to set up a arts and craft project. For young princesses crown shapes can be cut out in advance and they can either stick on foil or paint the crowns, as well as stick on buttons or sequins.
   
   Inexpensive arts and craft supplies and a little imagination can give each child a take home gift like a crown, or handpainted sign (on thin weight wood) or hand puppet (from small paper bags)
   
   The arts and craft projects can be part of the "party favors" that the child takes home.
3. Entertainment expenses can be minimized by encouraging the children to entertain each other. If you had them create handpuppets as a craft then set up a place where they can preform their plays.
   
   Games like Red Rover, sack races, or three legged races or even freeze tag will keep kids entertained for hours.

Tips & Warnings

• Spend some time in advance organizing what activities you are going to have.
• Schedule each activity so that there is never any activity for too long so the kids get bored.
• Use the children to entertain each other
• Don't try to keep up with the Jones's - you don't have to have a pool party, if it's hot turn on the sprinklers and tell the kids to bring swimsuits.
• You don't have to serve expensive food, just make sure there is sufficient simple food and snacks.
• Cut up fruit and homemade salsa isn't expensive
• Know in advance that having a "cheap" party will involve more work from you, you will be the entertainment, and the caterer, so recruit some help!