Birthday parties for young children are fun, but there is no reason they should break the bank, especially since young kids rarely remember them. Here are some quick tips to make the event fun and inexpensive without requiring you to do excessive planning, hunt down large amounts of party supplies, or even put together large guest lists.
1. Have the Event at a Park. Local parks come with the entertainment in place already – large fields, playgrounds, picnic benches, and room for people to talk and mingle. If the weather will allow for it, try to hold the party at one near your home or one that is known for being particularly fun. Many parks will let you reserve the picnic area for free or for a small fee.
2. Have the Guests Sign a Special Birthday Plate. For less than five dollars, craft and home stores usually carry those white ceramic plates with special permanent markers that allow you to decorate them. For the rest of the year, your child can use the “special birthday plate” once a month, on Sunday night dinners, or as a treat for good behavior. The plates also serve as a way of remembering who was there and conveying affirming messages to your child throughout the year. Best of all, the plate reinforces the idea that their birthday is about people getting together to celebrate, rather than just a chance to receive a lot of gifts.
3. Turn the Cards into Placemats. I never knew what to do with all the cards my son received, until someone pointed out to me that you could glue them to posterboards, laminate them at the local office supply store, and voila! create fun and original placemats. My son loves this trick, and it makes eating dinner more interesting for him.
4. Draw Out the Gifts. If your child is young enough, you may be able to get away with my favorite trick – putting several of the birthday gifts away for a while, especially if the gift is for an older stage of development. My son was born in early June, so stretching the presents out through the summer helps tremendously on those long days when I am out of energy or ideas. Children can only process one or two new items at a time, so by drawing out the fun, you can make the birthday magic last several more months.
5. Take Lots of Photos and Review Them Together. With the advent of digital cameras, there is no reason not to take a lot of pictures of the big day. We turned his birthday shots into a slideshow which we can easily call up on the computer; he loves looking at pictures of everyone having fun. We name each of the guests and ask him to repeat their names, helping to build his vocabulary and memory as well as reinforcing relationships with people he does not see often.
6. Stretch Out the Anticipation. Anticipation is a large part of why people enjoy special gifts and events. It is not just the item or activity that matters, but the build up to it that we find enjoyable. There are lots of different ways to build up birthday anticipation, either through crossing off days on a calendar, doing small activities together in the days before the birthday (baking cookies, bagging up treats into gift bags), or telling stories about the guests that are coming. By finding ways to make the birthday even more exciting, it heightens the joy and fun of the celebration itself.
7. Savor the Moment. The reverse of anticipation is also true: savoring the fun after the big event also helps children appreciate what they did and how much they enjoyed it. Talk about the party and the guests with your child. Ask them their favorite part of the party, or, if they cannot yet talk, discuss your favorite moment with them. Take the time to explore together the new toys and books your child received. Find new ways to incorporate these items into your home. Rotate older toys away for a while so you can focus on the new things. By teaching your child the art of “basking in the glow,” you will help them to focus less on the quick excitment that comes from getting new material things and more on the people behind the presents, the opportunities for learning and play that new things can bring, and the fun of celebrating people (rather than collecting things) when birthdays come around.
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