My daughter is turning 5 next month and I'm desperately seeking creative and economical birthday party ideas. We've done parties at Bounce U, Chuck E. Cheese and a gymnastics studio in the past so I'd like to do something a little different (and cheaper), especially since she'll be a "big girl" this year.
I had planned to take her to Libby Lu's at Fayette Mall but they've closed down. Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas?
Thanks much!
Wow, I received so many great responses and suggestions, one of which I think I'm going to go with: a "dress-up" party. I'll host the party at my home (or the fabulous club house at my aunt's apartment building). The girls will dress up, have their faces made up, and then we'll do a runway show and take pictures. It'll be a blast and the photos and the memories that will be created will be wonderful.
Thanks again for your input. It's greatly appreciated!
Why not do a "Libby Lou" at home? You could get some help from either family or other parents and do a whole homestyle libby lou- complete with mini mani and pedi, makeup and do's. Have some treats there all done up special for all of the attendees and make it fancy. I would have loved this as a kid.
Leshia
What about at a local park with a picnik shelter and a playground. Maybe a pool party? I always do parties at home for my kids they both have winter birthdays and we do things like dress up and tea parties.
If you decide to have it at home birthdaypartyideas.com is a wonderful website for references.
My daughter is turning 4 on Mon, and we're planning ANOTHER b-day party at the bowling alley for her! She's had the past 2 there! They were so much fun and economical, we decided to do it again. Plus with it being Aug, we have to do something inside and bounce U was so expensive ($250.00!I can buy a bounce house for that!)
I don't know where you live or the options available, but we pay $25/hr. to reserve a table (to eat the cake, etc) and we are only getting one lane with I think is $25/hour. They don't get the "game"yet, but love to roll the ball and watch the pins fall. There is also a "kids zone" which has a bounce house, games and sort of like the chuck e cheese performance for free (except for the cost of games)!
Good luck--also for party favors this year, I'm having my friend that makes the best sugar cookies w/butter cream icing, make me a cookie for each child and their initial on it, wrapped in celophane bags with a cute tie. I'm paying for the supplies, and $1/cookie. I looked at all the groc. and Christie Cookie and they all wanted from 1.69-1.99/cookie!
Good luck!
What about taking her and 2 or 3 of her close friends for a mani and pedi and then to a movie. Or you can have it even cheaper by letting her have her first slumber party! Have pizza and cake and then let them watch movies, play games, you can paint their nails, etc You can take a few friends to a pottery place and let them make something themselves. By limiting the amount of friends is where it will be cheaper.
I wanted to do the Libby Lu's too when my daughter turned 5 so since they are closed I thought of the mani and pedi. There is a place here in M'boro that does something similar...called Toodles so maybe there is another type place you can try. Check the internet or the phone book and ask around, there might be something similar in your area.
For my daughters 6th birtday we had a dress up party. Everyone brought there favorite costume. (even the boys) We set up a red carpet (red plastic table cloth) We announed them as they walked down the red carpet and they were thrilled!!! I had extra dress up clothes that my daughter plays with and the girls would change over and over again. We played the old fashioned games such as pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs, and the close pin game ( Drop close pins from your nose into a mason jar). All of the kids had a great time!! We had the party in the fellowship hall of our church which didn't cost us anything. Even the adults enjoyed watching the kids "strut there stuff".
Hope this helps and hope you have a great time. From one Kentucky girl to the other.
Jessie Miller
HI, YOU WILL THINK I AM NUTS BUT, I STILL BELIEVE IN PARTIES AT HOME. I FEEL LIKE IT IS WAY OVER THE TOP TO SPEND ALL THE MONEY ON A PARTY THAT IS SO BIG. WHAT ABOUT A BIRTHDAY DRESS UP TEA PARTY. YOU COULD SPEND YOUR MONEY ON DECORATIONS AND FANCY LITTLE TEACUPS AND ON AND ON. GIRLS COULD WEAR MAMA'S DRESS AND SHOES, JEWLREY(CHEAP)of COURSE. BIG HAT'S ,GLOVES AND THE WORKS/ JUST GO ALL OUT. ANYWAY. LIKE I SAID. I AM OLD SCHOOL. MOM OF 7, 29-9. OUTSIDE PARTIES WEREN'T AND OPTION AND COULD HAVE NEVER MADE THE MEMORIES WE NOW HAVE. GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS. R.
PS. I AM ABOUT TO TURN 49 AND STILL HAVE MY HOME MOVIES FROM MY OWN DRESS UP PARTY. 8MM OF COURSE. NOW ON VHS.
I LOVE the idea of a fancy tea party for little girls, especially since she's so grown up now, turning 5. Break out the feather boas, dress up shoes and princess gowns. Paint a butterfly on each girl's face and put glitter makeup around their eyes. Paint their nails and serve fancy cookies or cupcakes. You can help them make magic wands or decorate cheap straw sunhats or head wreaths with ribbon and fake flowers (help with a hut glue gun.) Don't forget to take plenty of pictures! Have fun!
What about a "spa" party? Have a couple of other mom's help out and paint their finger nails and toenails, do "facials" with homemade masks and do their hair. If you're comfortable you can do a little makeup or just lip gloss. They can dress up and you can take pics on your digital camera (if you have one) and print them out before they leave. Put them in some cheap frames as favors.
I did my girls 5th at home after having gone places for others. I don't have a big home and was thinking it wouldn't work. We had so much fun! Two ideas for you - one year we had a tea party. All the girls wore dresses (most dressed like princesses). When they came over they wanted to go dress and put makeup on each other (I hadn't even thought of this). I turned on some music and they danced and danced! Then I had them all come down the stairs one at a time as I introduced them (they made up stage names). I gave a lesson on manners and having tea. We had mini pb&j sandwiches, muffins, and they decorated sugar cookies that were shaped like hats and shoes. Tea was lemonade. My mother helped serve. The next year we had it at home again. Same thing with dancing and singing (no set entertainment needed). Then I had three stations - one they got their nails painted (by my mom), next they had their hair put up and sprayed with glitter spray (my neice) and the last was a craft table. They rotated among the three. Again, one at a time introductions and some dancing. I had other activities planned but we ran out of time - they just wanted to be girly. Good luck.
Have you checked out ooglesngoogles? they're in Patchen. Go to www.oogelsngoogles.com.
I'm doing an ice cream play party at a neighborhood park for my five year old. I bought frisbees, visors, chalk, called the ice cream truck, and we'll play at the playground. Maybe a game of kickball and some waterballoons too. That's cheaper!
Marbles Kids Museum in Downtown Raleigh does a GREAT party and the place is really cool!
Have you tried taking her and her friends to a bowling alley? My boys love doing that for their birthdays,and they always have so much fun.
Find a Kindermusik educator in your area (www.kindermusik.com) "find a class". See if she does birthday parties. Lots of us do them. If I were doing it you would get 45 minutes of music, instrument play, dancing, stories etc for parents and children. The party can be tailored to any theme your daughter loves. My basic party is $80.00. For a five year old, I would also offer the option of a craft activity for a little more ( price is dependent on what we would do).The educator will often come to your location. Some have their own spaces - I do not.
I was going to suggest something along the lines of what the other M. suggested - how about a "beach" party at the park - bring colorful beach towels, water balloons, beach balls, huge bubble wands with the trays with the bubble solution, get some cute hawaiian leis at a party store for each of the kids - and the ice cream truck sounds like a fantastic idea!! Good luck!
We held a princess party for our daughter - all the girls that came received a princess dress they wore for the day and took home along with crowns and a princess figurine. We decorated the house to look like a castle and had a castle shaped cake - unfortunately, my son (almost two at the time) did not like being the dragon and he ditched the costume. We all had a great time, the girls were thrilled with their dresses and gifts, and we got off pretty cheap!
Hi,
Heres an idea i plan on using when my daughter turns six.hope it helps.
give her a tea party in the park with pretty table cloths, tiny sandwiches and finger foods(the tea can be kool aid).as For cake you could make tiny cupcakes in your daughters favorite color and simple butterfly rings for toppers.Make 1 regular sized cupcake for your daughter to blow out her candles on. you could get little tea cups, pretty hats,gloves,pearl necklaces so all the girls feel grown up and they can take them home instead of making goodie bags.there will be boys attending my daughters so i plan on finding some kind of top hat and ties maybe a watch. Alot cheaper and something a "big girl"will love!
Hope this helps!GodBless!
