How to throw a birthday party for less than $200 and make it memorable

Cost of living pressures and a desire to bond with those closest to them are seeing parents opt for pared-back birthday parties focused on smaller groups and nostalgic, old-fashioned fun.

The luxury of simply being together has replaced the trend for grand, lavish children’s birthday parties in these times of financial stress.

While a select few still choose to spend up to $30,000 on their children’s parties, most have opted for a more pared-back option of smaller groups, celebrating with nostalgic, old-fashioned fun.

Loyal Reject Shop customer Sam Tolley says she’s found many ways to entertain her children and their friends on a budget.

“Trying to make something nice on a budget is what a lot of people want now because parties can get very expensive, especially if you have more than two kids,” Tolley says.

“If you have a party at home where you do your own cooking, budget shopping, make your own goodie bags and keep the guest list to a minimum, you can save a lot of money and still have a great party. I want my kids to have their closest friends, not everyone they know which was the trend a few years ago.

“You could easily do it for $100 to $200.”

Birthday parties with simple food in a park where children can play can help keep costs low.

Traditional games such as musical statues, pass the parcel, pin the tail on the donkey and musical chairs still work well for younger children while tweens are happy to dance to TikTok videos or play karaoke through the family TV screen.

For Victorian mum Mel Myers, her children’s parties have always been about family time, simplicity and letting the kids enjoy the outdoors. “It’s about the quality time you’re spending together so we have homely, warm parties and, since Covid, it’s even nicer to have gatherings at home with the people you care about,” Myers says.

“We have about 30 people because we have a lot of family and mostly leave the kids to amuse themselves by playing outside. The family brings things to help us and helps us clean up at the end so I don’t lose my marbles.”

She’s also attended other children’s parties held at the beach as a picnic or in a local playground where the children can play together, eating little more than fruit, birthday cake and some honey joys.

A special moment at the family birthday party thrown by Mel Myers in the park.

GET CREATIVE

Faber Castell Oceania managing director Michael Karakatsanis says the pre-Covid trend to have lavish children’s parties became too expensive.

It’s part of the reason Faber Castell have created art play packs for children to enjoy together and hold creative games such as Mini Archibald contests at parties rather than play video games.

“We’ve noticed from a business perspective and anecdotally that the cost of living has come into it, but parents want their kids to have some celebration so it’s less material and more memorable now,” Karakatsanis says.

“They want their kids to build the same memories they had as kids, which wasn’t about having pony rides. It was being home with friends and doing creative things like building a fort or having a little art show in the backyard.”

Lenzo party planning director Elleni Pearce says even her high-end clientele, who can spend up to $30,000 on a child’s birthday party, are wanting to hold more memorable events since Covid that don’t have to be about a big spend.

“People just want to get together and see, and celebrate with, their loved ones,” Pearce says.

HOW TO KEEP COSTS LOW

● Buy a mud cake from a supermarket and cut it into your child’s age. Decorate with marked- down confectionary such as Smarties.

● Use decorations you already have at home and repurpose other items such as reusable cups, fabric bunting, and preserved flowers.

● Restrict parties to no more than 12 children.

● Hold parties every second year and choose one or two friends for a sleepover on the alternate year.

● Choose colour themes to minimise decoration costs. Rainbows are popular for gender neutral parties. Boys love Spider-Man and girls love mermaids.

● Some retailers offer bulk packets of treats for goodie bags.

Originally published as How to throw a birthday party for less than $200 and make it memorable