How To Throw a Budget-Friendly Kids' Party

Hold the party in a local park with a playground. The children will have plenty of room to play, and you won’t have to worry about cleaning your house afterwards. Just make sure you pick up all your party trash before you leave.

If you decide to do it at home, start stocking up on party foods when they go on sale. Plan on finger foods instead of a full lunch: Children do more picking than eating at kids’ parties. Or schedule your party between lunch and dinner, and just serve cake.

Make a big fruit punch with floating sherbet instead of providing individual sodas or juice boxes. Put out small cups; kids tend to fill them to the brim, whether they plan to drink the whole thing or not, so this will cut down on waste.

Make your own ice cream cake. They’re simple to assemble, and cost a fraction of a store-bought one. Juice popsicles are another easy-to-make treat.

Plan an activity that results in each child making their own party favor.

Hire a teenage babysitter to lead the kids in games instead of shelling out big bucks for a professional entertainer.