- Have it at a location but then do a joint party with someone with a close birthday (we do this with my son’s class there is a boy just a week older and invite all the boys from the class — there are a lot of boys in his class). It really makes it reasonable. You can then have a lot more kids come and you just have them bring one gift and they split the gifts.
- I do homemade cupcakes. They travel easy, there is no need for plates or forks or knives and they can be made cute really simply.
- I’m not a fan of the goody bags. But I have sent them out. I like personally doing something more like you were talking about, which I have done, or I find something that’s $1 at the store to give out that is more functional (summer = water guns, buckets with shovels). This last party I ended up finding clearance items at Target for a quarter and got a couple things and threw them in a bag, even though it was against what I usually do — but it was so cheap, I had to!!
- If it’s an ok time of year, the covered picnic area at a park is good.
- An idea I’ve had but never been able to use is finding really cheap t-shirts and putting their names on them or decorate them as the party favor. When I think of it I don’t find the tshirts cheap enough.
- Keeping it simple is always the best! Kids just have fun being together.

I think next year we’re going to switch to my parents method on birthday parties: a friend party on even birthdays and just a family one on the odd. It really helps to cut down on expenses and also makes the friend parties even more special, not routine.

Great tips!