My son's birthday is in August, but since I am due to have another baby soon I wanted to sort out the logistics. I don't want to spend $300 on a place that gives us 2 hours of time. But I don't have a yard and have issues with my divorced parents (long story!) so I can't have a party at my Mom's - who has a GREAT yard. I would love to do a cake and drinks on the beach, but I don't think I can handle that with a 2 month old.
Am I destined to have a Chuck E Cheese party and spend money on their gross food? I was thinking of taking his 2 best friends to the zoo, but with the cost of their parents and a meal I would be spending just as much money as having it at My Gym.
What did you do?
We have had good luck with just having parties at a park - throw in pizza, seedless watermelon, cake, and some outdoor games and you have a winner with no need to clean and no expense beyond food. My kids (3 years and almost 5) have enjoyed park birthdays as much as bouncy castles.
My daughters birthday party happens to be tomorrow afternoon. We're having it at a park with a great playground. It has the soft foam flooring. We're having cake, ice cream, and just a few games. After the gifts are opened, I have a goodie bag for every child with candy, gummy snacks, trinkets, and bubbles. The total for the part is around $60. We were recently at a party at Chuck E Cheese, and it was foul! Not just the food, but germ city!!! Can you say hand sanitizer!!!!
Up until Kindergarten, we invited the number of kids equal to her age. So for 3 we would have had three little friends over. Kids at that age really can't handle, or appreciate a big party with lots of friends. I think your idea of a trip to the zoo would be wonderful! What a great memory! Maybe just invite one friend to save on the cost.
Updated
Have closest few friends over for pizza and cake. Those are the best parties.
Try having it at a local park. You can buy big pizza's from Costco and keep the cost down, plus kids love pizza. This way the kids can have fun and you can keep your budget down. Or maybe you can do a party at your moms telling your dad ahead of time that you need to do this to make things easier on you since you will have just had your baby and ask him to do something special... just your family and him.
At this age, a party party is not real necessary. I have many friends that don't do a "party" for their kids until they were 5.
Since money is a concern, do you "really" need to make a party?
Maybe just do a cake and get balloons to decorate your house... and get a pizza. When my daughter became 3, we couldn't afford a "party" and we just did things as a family... I got her a cute cake and balloons and a flower bouquet... she likes flowers. And then we hid her presents and made it a treasure hunt. My daughter was happy, sans a "party."
All the best,
Susan
if you have a Costco nearby, their pizzas are great and cheap. Not sure if any other "clubs" have pizzas. But we only go to Costco.
