How to Have an Almost Free Kid's Birthday Party

Last year I had a gem of an idea for my son's 5^th birthday party. I wanted to have the party at our local firehouse. I expected to pay a nominal fee to rent out the party room so we could accommodate all of the kids.

I set up a meeting with the Chief of Fire Safety Education. He advised me that since we are residents of the town, there is no charge to have a birthday party there. The Fire Department does request a donation that is used only to support fire safety educational programs. Included in the party program are a fire safety video and a demonstration by the firemen. The demonstration included the firemen putting on all the parts of their fire gear and then showing the kids how to escape a fire. They made it fun for the kids and not scary at all.

The kids were called on to participate in helping the firemen put on their uniforms. All of my son's friends raised their hands to be called on and were actively engaged during the entire program. I was thrilled that my idea was working out so well. I believe that this type of party could be done for both boys and girls. There were many girls at the party and they enjoyed it as well.

After the demonstration we had the pizza and cake. Of course, I did pay for the food. However, most of the party centers around my house charge at least $15 per child and that does not include the food. If you can get a deal on the pizzas and buy juice boxes on sale at the supermarket, the cost of the food will be reasonable.

After the food, there was one more event at the party. The kids were given a tour of some antique fire engines and they were allowed to sit in the driver's seats of some of the engines that are used today. The parents loved it and took lots of pictures.

At this point, my son was given a chance to spray the hose and the kids loved it! It was a hot day in June and everyone got a little wet. I did hand out goody bags at the end of the party. I ordered them from an online company and paid approximately $2.50 each. The fire department also provided a coloring book and a plastic fire helmet to