Every parent wants to be able to spoil their child on their birthday, however sometimes life can get in the way, and for whatever reason you may not have the budget that you were expecting to have. Nowadays, there are plenty of ways that you can plan a perfect and memorable birthday without breaking the bank, and your son or daughter won’t know the difference.

Kids’ Party Planning: 7 Expert Tips to Throwing a Fun Birthday party

Here are some helpful tips on how you can plan your child’s next birthday on a budget.

Buying gifts on a budget

For any kid, birthdays tend to mean one thing; presents. This puts a lot of pressure on us parents to deliver something that they’ll be delighted with, as many of us can’t imagine much worse than our son or daughter feeling disappointed on their big day.

Shopping online is probably the best place to start. By visiting a website, you can refine your search down by gender, age and then budget, allowing you to find something which is not only perfect for their age group, but also what matches in with what you have available to spend. A lot of what they have available is not your standard, run-of-the-mill gifts, so you’re sure to find something different and unique.

Planning a party on a budget

If you have a younger child, then they will likely be hoping for a party of some variety. The most budget friendly option is to put on a party at your home with a select group of friends from school. By having the party at home, you will be able to stay in complete control of how much everything will cost.

Start with planning the food. If you’re going for simple party food such as sandwiches, pizza, crisps and sweet treats, you can quite quickly draw together a shopping list of the things you’ll need. Remember, this is a kids’ party not a wedding, so the food isn’t going to make or break things! Keep it simple – as long as tummies are full then you’ve done all you need to!

For entertainment, you don’t need to spend loads on a children’s entertainer – simply plan a few games which can be rewarded with small prizes.

Celebrating an older child’s birthday on a budget

If your children are a little older, ditch the party idea all together and instead take them and a couple of their closest friends on a day/evening out together.

There are a wide range of cheap activities that your son or daughter will enjoy – they may like to go bowling with their friends or choose a film to go and see. If they fancy something more adventurous, then why not look at paintballing, laser tag or a high ropes course?

If you’re looking for something lower key, you may want to consider just a nice meal out at one of their favourite restaurants. Not only is this something that they’ll enjoy, but it will also give you a chance to get to know your son or daughter’s friends better.