We all know the feeling. Your child’s birthday is coming up, and the pressure is on to find something cool and exciting that will make him or her feel special and keep the guests entertained. For many, the competition between parents to outdo each other with the flashiest, most over-the-top party is too much of a practical and financial burden. Today we thought we would look at a few simple, different ideas for how you can make your kid’s birthday fun and exciting without breaking the bank:
Martial Arts
For a healthy option, ditch the cake and sweets and throw a party at a local martial arts gym or dojo. The physical activity will be a welcome change, and the kids will love experiencing something new. Innovative gyms such as a well-known Krav Maga gym in Melbourne, Australia are developing affordable, unique programs with anti-bullying, team building and other themes that teach important and topical life skills while keeping kids active and engaged.
Scavenger Hunt
Kids love the thrill of the chase, and a scavenger hunt is a great, low-maintenance way to keep them thrilled and entertained and can be organised at your local park. Use your imagination to think up exciting variations. You can have the kids look for prizes that you hide in key locations, or have the kids try to locate things that are already there, such as natural or man-made objects, animals or people. For older children, try a video camera hunt. Make sure each team has a smartphone so they can photograph the objects, or video themselves performing fun scenarios.
Pay It Forward
Rather than prioritising accumulating gifts, switch the focus to helping others by contacting your favourite charitable organisation. Most will have some form of an educational program for kids to help them learn about those less fortunate than them and how they can assist in making their lives better. Consider asking guests to bring the money that they would have spent on presents to donate to the charity.
Drama Games
Kids love play-acting and role play, so why not throw a drama game party? There are plenty of exciting, fun drama games for kids that you can organise to keep them active and entertained for hours. All it takes is a bit of preparation and perhaps bring along some dress-ups and props and you have the makings of a memorable experience at little or no cost.
Boardgame Olympics
This one is a personal favourite. When my daughter’s outdoor safari party was ruined by torrential rain a few years back, we improvised by pulling out all the board games that we had in the house and setting up stations. We separated the kids into teams and devised a points system for each game. Teams rotated through each game at 15-20 minute intervals, and the points were recorded at the end of each round. The variety and added level of competition was a massive hit. The kids were ecstatic, and we were relieved. Big win all-round!
Baking Masterchef
Kids love getting their hands dirty baking, and the chance to eat the results is a bonus. Turn baking into a fun competition but providing a range of ingredients, equipment and some basic recipes for the kids to build on with their imaginations. For some competitive fun, have them form teams and work together to create the best tasting, imaginative cake or cookies. You might have a bit of mess to clean up afterwards, but they will be enthralled for hours.
I hope this has given you a few helpful hints. Do you have any ideas for other fun ways to make sure parties are a blast and don’t cost the earth? We’d love to hear your comments!