Low cost birthday party venues or entertainment?

As many of you know from our Green Birthday platform on Enviromom, we're fans of simple birthday parties that generate little waste and are gift free. But we do want the birthday parties to be fun, and the idea of not having it at home is appealing (the cleaning, the planning, the potential chaos of a bunch of grade schoolers hopped up on a sugar high...). But, oh, the cost of birthday entertainers and destination parties! Magicians, puppeteers, gymnastics studios -- they all cost an awful lot. We dream of one of those lovely, low-key summer parties in a public park. Some home-made cupcakes, a big play structure, and voila! Kids are playing and having a blast. But that's just dreaming since Heather has a November birthday to contend with, and I have a January.

One friend summed it up nicely: either you pay in money (i.e., destination or entertainer) or you pay in time (planning, cleaning, creativity, etc.). Does anyone have any great low-cost birthday party ideas to share, especially for non-summer birthdays?

Comments

[Melissa]

Not as inexpensive as a summer outdoor party but the community centers in Portland offer either a room to rent to eat treats after indoor gym/park or you can buy a package.

[marianne]

How sad that for an August birthday in our family, we stayed indoors for a gymnastics party. I second the rec center idea. We've been to some very nice parties at Hillside Community Center. Also, I know some preschools allow parties to be held in their classrooms for reasonable fees. We just went to a party at Oaks Park. During the cold months, the roller skating rink would be great for good old-fashioned fun. (Don't have any idea how much it costs, though.)

[lilah]

Maybe it's just me, but what ever happened to having some friends over and playing games and having cake? Why is that so hard? If your house is small, invite fewer kids. It shouldn't be this hard for all of us Moms. It seems like everyone tries to out do the last party that they gave and it is just dumb. Kids just want to have fun. Play twister or musical chairs. Pin the tail on Sarah Palin. Did I really just type that? Oops.
Seriously, why does this have to be so stressful? I vote for taking the stress out of things that used to be so simple.

[H]

For me,having chilren,say 5 of them is not so much the problem for a home party.Its when you've got the 10 parents and one of them brought their grandparents(really happened)and so now you have 17 people to feed,find seats for,keep track of the kids ect.We are not old enough for drop off partys yet.I am blessed to have a huge house to hold everyone.I prefer the location partys at this time though,when the kids are older and we can have drop off partys and overnights,I will be all for just staying home.Also,Last year a mom MADE all of the parents leave and it was SOOOOO uncomfortable,we will not be going to this childs party again.

[Gaylen]

Bowling alley!. We did it for the first time this summer with 5 year olds and it was a smash. For 6 kids and 4 adults, we payed $55.00 and brought a few snacks for the kids. Simple and Fun.

[JillyBean]

Love a Kid's Bowling Party. We are actually going to a 40th Bowling Party tonite. It's wholesome fun for everyone - young and old!
Whoever invented the Goody (crap) Bags at kid's B-day parties should be shot with a pre-mature wrinkling gun. Make them go away.
I love a home party with a craft activity and cake.

[Phyllis]

Oh Lilah, I'm so with you on the home party. Simple, short(the younger they are the shorter the party), and small. But saying and doing are two completely different things sometimes. A home party can be harder if you have an infant to care for or a toddler to run after.

We did bowling in our hallway with filled water bottles and a small soccer ball. The kids wanted to do it over and over and over... Everytime they played a game they got a small container of homemade paint in a different color. Before they went home they got to pick a paint brush.
Easy peasy.

A carnival theme was easy too. It's gender neutral and multi-age appropriate. A box of bottles + cheap bracelets = ring toss. Another box with trianges cut out of the flat side + a sock filled with beans (& tied closed!) = toss for points game. Tickets as prizes can be turned in for "carnival food" at your kitchen counter "consession" at snack time. Juice, popcorn, a hot dog and fruit kabobs (use straws not bamboo picks).

Cake? No, cupcakes, plain with tinted bowls of cool whip and a few sprinkles. Everyone got to decorate their own.
Easy clean up (damp face cloths at the ready!).

Even less mess "cake" (my favorite) is the petit four (sorry if misspelled) cake. Sheet cake (or 9x13 pan brownies)cut into little squares (tip:freeze for less crumbs) and drizzled with tinted icing (powder sugar + water). Decorate each with a letter. Spell out the kid's name on a cookie sheet. Fill in with plain or other decorated pieces. Tell the kids they can have as many pieces as they like. WHAT A HIT. Plus, no mess, it was easy, no cutting! You can even buy the letters from a cake store.

Don't forget pin the tail on the Pali.. oops!

[Mandy]

Look for low cost Christmas Party Venues then follow this link
http://www.jigsawconferences.co.uk/expresschristmaspartyvenues.aspx

[Becky]

Brooke once told me..as many kids as the age your child is turning. Sounds like good advice. My gal is turning 2 this year and we are having a play date get together. For invitations I am posting some sort of info -photo collage or fun poem- on the family blog and then e-mailing the link to everyone. The info will include a local park, instructions not to bring a gift (they can use the money for gas instead ;)) I don't do goody bags...so don't come to my party if you want one. Cake..we don't care for or really eat cake so instead we will be serving Izzy floats. 1/2 bottle to each person (less for smaller ones), proubably 2 flavors to choose from and a scoop of organic vanilla.

As they get older we will keep the get togethers small. You don't have to spent tons to have fun. We just can't afford to keep up with the Jones.

[Phyllis]

Oh, I love, love the Izzy float idea!

[lilah]

I say we start a NO Goody Bags petition!
Just say no to crap.

[Leah]

I agree that we parents should come together and ban the crap! We have kept our parties simple and at home, yet have had so much fun. My older son has a November birthday and we've gotten away with a brunch party the last few years which included parents but was just as much a party for the parents (mimosas!) as it was for the kids. I always do decorate-your-own cupcakes--it's a little messy, but it's the "project" for the party and the kids love it. My younger son is in July and we had an ice cream social for his birthday this summer--it was so fun, I think we might do it again in November for the older one! I put out 3-4 different kinds of ice cream, cones and lots of toppings and let people go to town. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it. Instead of gifts and favors, we've done a lot of book exchanges and that's fun too--everyone brings a book, everyone takes a book home. Much more useful than a bag full of plastic crap from China.

We went to a birthday party last Spring at Krugers farm that was really fun and I think could be done in November if you tell guests to dress accordingly. Farmer Don took the kids on a hayride, they played some games and then ate under the covered picnic tables. I dont think it's too costly.