How to throw an awesome kid's party on a budget

It seems that kid’s parties are big business these days but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune to throw a memorable party that’ll be fun for the little ones and the adults too.

We’ve got the recipe right here to plan and execute the best birthday party ever, so check out these great party ideas!

Planning

As with most things, it’s all in the planning. Things to consider are:

How many kids to invite
How many adults to invite (hey, just because it’s a kid’s party doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun too - right?)
Where to hold your event
Your party themes
What to eat and drink
What games to play
What to put into a goody bag

Numbers

Obviously the bigger the party the higher the cost so try to limit your party to no more than 10 kids (focus on the besties and anyone who has invited your child to their party in the last year). Friends and family like to celebrate the little ones’ birthdays too and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking them to bring along a plate of food.

Location

Nothing beats your backyard for keeping things simple, easy to organise and cheap. Opting for venues like play centres, laser tag or bowling will set you back a fair amount of cash, so even though you’ll be left with the post-party clean-up, your bank balance will be quietly giving you a high-five in the background.

Theming

A good party theme helps to tie the whole thing together so if your little one is stuck on Frozen, Lego, Paddington or Wreck-it Ralph, get in early on eBay, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace to grab some bargain theme pieces. Your local discount shop is also a good place to hit for your decorations and balloons.

Food and drink

There’s absolutely no need to go all out in the food stakes for the little ones. They’re not interested in gourmet and will be perfectly happy with a few simple but tasty options. Include things like:

Something warm – think party pies, sausage rolls, pizza nibbles, marinated chicken wings and cocktail frankfurters with plenty of tomato sauce
Chips and nuts
Cheese and crackers
Fairy bread
A fruit platter or fruit kebabs (add some marshmallows and they’ll really love them!)
Refreshing watermelon lemonade for the kids (just blend some watermelon and mix with lemonade)
A few bottles of bubbly for the adults

No party is complete without a birthday cake and even if cooking isn’t your forte you can dress up a cheap store bought cake or one that you’ve made yourself from a pre-mix pack. Spreading a chocolate cake with Nutella and then covering it with Maltesers makes for a gooey and decadent cake that the kids will love and don’t forget you can buy edible cake toppers on eBay or from your local cake shop.

Cupcakes are a great birthday cake idea too and they can look great if you pile them onto a cake stand (head to your local Op Shop and you’ll be sure to find one).

Games to play

There are loads of games for the little ones to play that will keep them amused for the duration of your party. Forget about hiring a face painter or expensive jumping castles, the old classics are just as good today, so give some of these a whirl at your next party:

Pin the tail on the donkey
Treasure hunt
Scavenger hunt
Egg and spoon race
Under overs (pass a parcel from one child to the next, going over the head of one child and through the legs of the next child in line)

The all-important goody bag

It’s nice to send your pint sized guests home with a goody bag but since they’ll already be overloaded with sugar we suggest ditching the sweet treats and loading up your loot bag with some bits and pieces from the discount store. Hair clips, bubble wands, colouring book with pencils, jigsaws – your local discount shop is the place to find them and you can fill a nice little bag for just a few bucks.

Want to make it a bit grander?

You can definitely organise an awesome kid’s party on a shoestring budget but if you want to organise something on a grander scale, we can help out with a little financial assistance to make it all happen. Just check out our flexible mini-loans from $1K - $5K to find out how quick and easy it is to get your hands on some extra funds. Once a loan is approved, we can usually deposit the cash into your bank account within a few hours - so you can start planning that amazing party tomorrow!