Birthday parties have somehow become a controlled expense with great effort to compete with celebrations at any age level. One often wonders if the party was designed to entertain the parents rather than the children present. This certainly doesn’t have to be the case and I assure you that the birthday boy will feel just as special, if not more so, with a traditional party that is aimed at fun rather than expense. Here are some tips for throwing an inexpensive birthday party that will impress parents and kids alike.

The best parties are those in which there is a lot to do and everyone feels part of the celebration, with the birthday boy or girl in the spotlight. A return to these basics will ensure pleasant memories everywhere.

To get started, set a theme for your party or just throw a traditional party with games and cake. Select birthday invitations that include all the necessary information such as date, time, and location address with your phone number. These can be delivered in person or mailed. It is best to ensure that they reach the parents directly. Do not hand them out at school unless you are inviting everyone in the class.

Before parents rented party venues, inflatables, ponies, and clowns, parties were organized in individual homes with parents and family members helping out. Simple crafts and games made the party jump before presents were opened and cakes and ice cream were consumed. The birthday girl was happy, the guests left happy, and the parents ran out of bills to pay.

Start with simple crafts to keep everyone interested and happy while you wait for others to arrive. Kids can make their own birthday party hats and goody bags. Have them decorate pre-cut hat shapes with crayons and stickers, then staple them together and add a rubber band. Goodie bags can start out as plain brown lunch bags. In them you can collect economic prizes from the games played.

Everyone can enjoy simple and timeless games like musical chairs, pin the donkey’s tail, go fishing, or toss a beanbag. Easy to create and inexpensive, children will enjoy the games and parents can easily handle and enjoy the laughter that accompanies them. The prizes can be inexpensive and keep them in your goody bags. At the end of each game, make sure everyone gets a prize for competing and being a good athlete.

A homemade paper mache piñata is a lot of fun and inexpensive to make. Let the birthday girl or boy help design, paint and fill it with bulk candy beforehand. Take it outside for everyone to enjoy. This loot can also be put in your goody bags.

When opening gifts, place a gift in each child’s hands and pass it to the right while the music plays. Once the music stops, the birthday boy opens the birthday cards and the gift he is holding or the one closest to him. Repeat until all presents are opened. Next is the cake, song, and candle blowing. A homemade cake is pretty simple with boxed mixes and pre-made frosting. Or individual cupcakes can be fun too. Add a scoop of ice cream and small cups of juice and enjoy.

For a final closure while waiting for the parents to arrive, play a game of charades until all the guests have left. With bags of goodies in hand, everyone leaves happy. Simple and traditional, host the party outdoors weather permitting. Make sure the birthday party invitations specify an end time and relax. You have done your best knowing that each year the party will be a little easier and your child will be a little older and more independent!