If you are looking for a fun, inexpensive party to organize for your two to three-year-old child, you can take the simple game of “Hide & Seek” and build a complete set of party activities around the idea of hiding and seeking…loads of fun and low-key. Parties can be so simple for kids this age…take a look at the Hide & Seek Fun to be had:

1. Play Hide & Go Seek ~ The Classic Game, of course;
2. If adults will be attending the party, reverse it and have the kids look for their parents;
3. Provide toddler-sized boxes that are either pre-decorated by you or that the toddlers can decorate themselves. What a great craft activity! Have them use markers, crayons, etc. to make their own “Jack In the Box.” (This can also be the take home goody from the party!)
4. Play Jack In The Box…have the kids climb into the box, and duck down so as not to be seen. Play music, and let the kids pop up just as an Jack In The Box would do.
5. Hide a Pinata that the kids must find in order to enjoy the fun.
6. Have a treasure hunt for chocolate gold coins.
7. Make a mock tent using a large cardboard box and a sheet. Let each kid hide in the tent and pop out surprising the others. You can ask them to pop out using their imagination and become a lion, a dog, a cat, etc.
8. Give them boxes of Cracker Jacks to enjoy finding their prizes.
9. Hide candy treats in a batch of cupcakes. The kids will discover the surprise as they enjoy their cake.
10. Play “I Spy.”
11. Read some books that have flaps to reveal hidden pictures.
12. Have the kids make creations using Play Dough..hide some small prizes in each little Play Dough jar for the kids to discover.

Read the rest of this entry »

Is one of your favorite stories from childhood The Three Little Pigs?  It’s a classic tale of a wolf and his three little pig friends, one of whom outwits the wolf and saves his brothers too.  If your child loves pigs and this classic story, this would make a great birthday party theme for your child and his friends.

For a party invitation, I love DIY pig cards that will be perfect for this party.  Using square heavy card stock fold it into a large enough card to place a pink medium-sized circle glued atop the front of the card.  Embellish your pig with a snout, eyes, eyelashes, and ears by cutting out black and white shapes to make your pigs.  Write all of the party details on the inside of the card.

Read the rest of this entry »

Are you watching your pennies as you plan your child’s party?  With a little outside-the-box thinking, you can pull your next child’s party together for less than $25!  That’s right, less than $25!  Take inspiration from these budget-inspired party plans that are crafty, creative, and loads of fun!

Throw a Potluck Art Party.  In addition to the art activities, serve up ice cream, a batch of cupcakes, and juice boxes!

Read the rest of this entry »

Is your kid particularly creative? Does she love to draw pictures? Cut out pictures? Make collages? Finger Paint? You just might have a little artist on your hands. If it is a favorite class or activity for your kid, a great budget-friendly, easy-to-plan party is to invite your kid’s friends to a Potluck Art Party.

Send a palette invitation to your guests, cut out an oblong shape from white construction paper. Draw the circles of the palette with different colors and on each colorful circle provide a party detail. Ask the kids to bring their own favorite art supplies to use and to share with the fellow party guests. There is no need for the kids to go out and buy new supplies, this is all about bringing what you have at home to share.

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome guest party blogger, Wendy Thomas! She is the mother of six children and lives in New Hampshire with her husband, Marc. Wendy writes a weekly column in the Nashua Telegraph called “Simple Thrift”  that offers thrifty tips for today’s times. She also blogs about her family’s budget experiments (including the great hamburger experiment) at www.simplethrift.wordpress.com.

This weekend I tried to do the near impossible. I tried to have a Birthday party for my 9 year old daughter with a budget of less than 10 dollars.

Read the rest of this entry »

Planning your next kid’s party on a shoestring budget? Here’s some cent-savvy thoughts:

First off, a birthday doesn’t always need to be celebrated with a big party. Actually, it is a good rule of thumb to not have a traditional party each and every year and to do other things instead. Gather your family around and celebrate by having a homemade cake with candles, and singing “Happy Birthday” together. If you want to include others, like your kid’s friends, just make it a “cake cutting ceremony,” and serve birthday cake and ice cream. For the rest of the time, have the kids play together. No need for presents at this one, it’s more of a simple celebration.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you have a toddler who is about to celebrate a birthday and you are looking for a fun yet budget-friendly party plan, why not let coloring take center stage? It’s easy, creative, and entertaining. For inspiration, check out these coloring activities:

1. Print out any variety of coloring book pages from the Internet, and have fresh boxes of crayons available so the guests can color the pictures.
2. Spread a large piece of butcher paper out on a wall, large table, or the floor, and have the kids draw a mural scene or happy birthday wishes.
3. Have different sizes of boxes available (large ones will be the most fun!). Have the kids color and decorate their own boxes. They can take their coloring box creations home as a goody. If the boxes are large enough, cut out openings so the kids can climb in. Tons of fun!
4. If it is nice outside, have the kids create sidewalk murals using chalk.
5. If you will be handing out small goody bags, give the kids brown lunch bags to decorate before you fill them with goodies. Good ideas for favors include a coloring book and fresh box of crayons.
6. Play Find the Crayons! Hide crayons around the party area for the kids to find.
7. Play Hot Crayon like Hot Potato.
8. Check out Crayola Creativity Central for loads of easy ideas from crafts to printable color-in party invitations and beyond. This is an excellent resource!
9. Check out these crayon-shaped cakes for added fun.

Read the rest of this entry »