9 Tricks to Save on Children's Parties

Children's parties are an excellent occasion to use all kinds of fun decorations. Don't miss out on these money-saving ideas!
9 Tricks to Save on Children's Parties

Last update: 27 December, 2021

Children’s parties don’t necessarily have to be a waste of money. Remember that the main idea is to allow children to have fun and enjoy the occasion to the fullest. Of course, we’re used to balloons, confetti, flashy and colorful decorations, as well as gifts and the candy table and other snacks.

Regardless of the budget you have, we’ll give you some ideas to keep the joy without having to resort to so many expenses. You’ll discover that there are many alternatives to make everything look splendid without going over budget.

Preliminary aspects to organizing children’s parties

Celebrating as a family is always a reason for great expectation and implies prior preparation. Of course, whoever decides to lead the organization takes into account not only the tastes of the child the party’s for, but also the preferences of the guests and, of course, their own. This mixture of tastes always helps the result to be very satisfactory. By drawing on various sources of inspiration, the organizer has a very wide scope for creativity.

A colorfully decorated birthday table.

Take into account the weather of the season. Although this may seem like a minor detail at first, it’ll greatly influence your preparations. If it’s an outdoor party, you don’t need to go out of your way to decorate, just a few key elements (large and colorful) will do the trick.

For example, you can opt for windmills, a nice tablecloth with the cake, bubbles, and toys that can be enjoyed as a group (balls, foam rubber sticks), and so on.

9 tricks to save on children’s parties

1. Evaluate the space well

This is a very simple trick to save money. Instead of renting a party room, it’s preferable to evaluate other options. Not only for the economic aspect but because, sometimes, the money from renting a room can be invested in other things that will make the party much more fun and memorable.

Throwing the party in on a terrace or in a backyard is a great option (as long as you have such space). Let’s remember that children can have fun anywhere. It’s also possible to organize children’s parties outdoors, in a park or public area that’s safe.

2. Simple and creative decoration

As we mentioned earlier, we often strive to make the decor sumptuous. And although children like it on the first impact, they tend to forget about it and throw themselves fully into sharing, playing, and laughing.

How many times have parents invested in putting together over-the-top party decor only for the children to end up paying more attention to a simple balloon?

Today, many web pages can be consulted when looking for ideas, so we encourage you to do a few searches. You’ll be surprised to see the usefulness and beauty of many simple objects.

3. Snacks and treats

Most of the expense of children’s parties resides in the food and beverages to be consumed by those at the party. Therefore, it’s important to know that both the birthday cake and the sweets should be eye-catching but simple. You don’t need to place them in very elaborate containers as long as they’re original.

For example, you can put trinkets, chips, or popcorn in the plastic pails that children often play with on the beach. After the party’s over, they can keep the bucket and play with it whenever they get a chance.

Savings step-by-step:

  1. Find and evaluate various options. This will allow you to compare different prices and find options that fit what you need.
  2. Be careful regarding quantities. It’s important that everyone has enough to eat (and have seconds!), but you shouldn’t overdo it when buying food.
  3. If you’re going to invest more in the cake (because you know what the child enjoys the most), reduce the amount of sweets a bit.
  4. Make sure that soft drinks aren’t the main drink available. There are equally tasty, healthier, and less expensive alternatives (like cold hibiscus infusions and lemonades).
  5. To save money on snacks, you can play with inexpensive, colorful foods that you can prepare in various ways at home. Jellies, fruit skewers of the season, etc. You just have to be creative!
Jello with pieces of fruit in it.

4. Say goodbye to disposables

We often believe that using disposable plates and cups is the best option for festivities, but with this, we manage to throw a lot of money in the trash. If we have children, it’s not a bad idea to invest in heavy-duty plastic party tableware, which we can wash and reuse as many times as we want.

5. Gifts or gift bags

It’s customary to give small gifts or gift bags to guests at children’s parties. They usually consist of small bags filled with treats, confetti, and some small plastic toys, for example.

It’s important to note that this gesture isn’t mandatory. Ify our budget is a little short, you can simplify the party favors. Even a little bag of homemade popcorn is a great idea!

6. Simplify your child’s outfit

Girls wearing tutus and jumping on the bed.

There’s no need to spend money on a stunning party outfit, especially since your child may get tired or want to run around and enjoy themselves. They’re likely to get dirty and won’t want to worry about taking special care of a fancy outfit. What’s more, it’s something your child may never wear again. Keep it simple and comfortable.

Children often enjoy little things much more than luxuries. For girls, investing in colorful tutus and some plastic jewelry is very effective. At the same time, animal masks or ears together are always very good ideas.

7. Homemade cake at children’s parties

To continue saving money, it’s best to make your own cake at home. Today we can find many recipes on the internet that fit your kitchen abilities. You can prepare recipes for cold cakes, for example. To decorate the cake, you can also find a recipe. But if you’re not very good at this, you can always resort to the basics: a cake covered in chocolate and colored sparks.

8. Include a memorable item

All children’s parties have a memorable element. And you don’t need to spend money on it. Rather, be creative and look for the best options. You decide what you want to remember about this party: The moment your child blows out the candle, the games, the interactions with guests, the moment your child opens their presents, and so on. The important thing is to put excitement into the moment.

For example, when singing happy birthday, you can change the song a bit and include funny phrases.

9. Traditional games at children’s parties

It’s always a good idea to resort to traditional games such as ”pin the tail on the donkey ” and spontaneous dances to cheer up both the honoree and the guests. For this, you don’t need to rent sound equipment or a stage, just let yourself go and have a good time.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.