Creative Birthday Party Ideas on the Cheap

I cannot compete with my children's friends. The parties they have been invited to this year must have cost approximately as much as I make in a month. They have then done everything from overnight stays at indoor water parks to custom parties designed by professional party planners. My son was recently picked up in a stretch limo for his best friends thirteenth birthday. My daughter has spent the night at an amusement park, traveled to vacation homes and been a part of a tea party fit for the Queen.

Even with all this wealth, our simple homemade parties are a hit. Choose not to take out a second mortgage, instead of trying to compete, go creative and cheap. The following party ideas have been put to the test and passed with flying colors.

Scavenger hunt. There are several fun variations of scavenger hunts. Kids can hunt for natural items, go door to door, do a digital hunt in a mall or find hidden items in your home.

My experience: New in the neighborhood, my 15 year old invited several of the new girls she met to her birthday party. We compiled a list of things to find, do and capture on camera before the girls arrived. Although we forgot to ask the guests to bring a digital camera, they all managed to have technology in hand. One digital camera per group was all that is required.

When the girls arrived, they were divided into groups and given instructions. Most of the items on the list involved taking photos of one or more of the group members doing something specific, like hugging a tree, or posing under a stop sign. When the time was up, they were all to report back and check out each others photos. Kids love the instant gratification of taking pics of each other.

Baking party. Gather the ingredients for a few different recipes. Cookies, cakes, pizza, quick bread, candy, anything goes. Cooking centers for kids are popping up all over, instead of paying for the experience, host your own.

My experience: Short on time one year, I decided to cheat and let my daughter and her friends make her own birthday meal. It turned out to be an incredibly fun evening. The baking and eating took up the majority of the time and no one missed playing any games. They made individual pizzas and a batch of cupcakes from scratch. I've also hosted a candy making birthday party for my sons winter birthday party.

Sprinkler party. This used to be a summer staple in backyards. Bring it back for your child's birthday party with a twist. Adding a few cans of shaving cream and a large amount of bubble soap can turn a simple sprinkle party into a possible YouTube sensation.

My experience: A scorching hot day led to this impromptu activity. I had a house full of ten year olds and a broken air conditioner. Sending them out to play in the sprinkler wasn't quite enough, thankfully I was stocked with four cans of shaving cream.

Dance Party. Clear a room, turn up the party music and turn down the lights. Add disco lights, or black lights if you have them. A group of kids can generate their own fun if given the time and space.

My experience: For my daughter one year, I needed a very inexpensive party idea. She naturally has a lot of energy and loves to dance. We invited all her friends to dress up, provided lots of ice water, lemonade and snack foods. The weather was perfect so we set up speakers outside and used the backyard as the dance floor. A variety of music, a few hula hoops and dancing ribbons kept the girls dancing all night.

Never apologize for a less expensive party. The fun the guests have speaks for itself.

More by Sylvie Branch:
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Easy Ways to increase your child's fruit and vegetable intake
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