Can you believe it? Your little one is growing up so fast, and it is already time to throw them a fourth birthday party! Parties can be a lot of fun, especially planning them! That is the fun part for the adults. Here are a few tips on hosting affordable birthday parties for toddlers. There are so many cool and enjoyable activities that you can plan for a birthday party that is absolutely unforgettable for your 4-year-old!
Plan it out
To start, you will want to plan things out; otherwise, everything may just become a mishmash of everything. It is good to start planning early, at least a month in advance. This gives you a little time to shop for items you may need for the party. A great way to start your planning is to grab a notebook or pull up a blank document on your computer.
Begin by writing down any ideas you have for the party. These can include the theme if you have one and all the different kinds of party supplies that you will need. Four-year-olds are easy to entertain, so you can come up with pretty simple games they will love to play. Keep this list in a safe place so you can come back to it when you are ready to do things like shop for the party or researching what kinds of activities that you may want to do. By making a list, you are also effectively creating a budget for yourself.
Start purchasing items
When it comes time to begin purchasing items for the party, you can easily refer back to the list that you made. That makes things quite a bit easier. But what are some of the things you may need for a birthday party? Here are some common items, many of which you can find at dollar stores, making them an affordable option!
- Balloons
- Decorations
- Goodie Bags/Small Items to fill it with
- Paper plates/cake plates
Choosing the cake
When the time comes to decide on what kind of cake you are purchasing for your child’s party, you will want to make sure you order it in advance. This ensures the store or person making your cake has ample time to schedule it.
Grocery stores are a great option when you are shopping for cakes on a budget. They typically have books of the different kinds of cakes they offer. Once you (or you and your little one) find one that you both like, go ahead and order it, making sure that the pickup date and time are a good fit for the time of the party. When you pick up the cake, don’t forget to grab some birthday candles, too!
Print your own invitations/decorations
There are so many great resources out there on the internet today. If you have a specific theme in mind, try searching for it as printables. Have your child color them in, and you can even use them as party decorations! If there is really no theme, then there are plenty of printable decorations that are readily available — and the best part is they are free.
You can do the same thing with invitations. There are a variety of free printable party invitations you can find online. All you have to do is find the one that you and your little one like, print them out, fill them in, and send them off to the party guests.
Grab the games
You can find some great party games to play if you look at your local discount or dollar stores. Many of them may seem familiar, like pin the tail on the donkey, but hey, who doesn’t love a classic game? Or, you can always come up with your own games. An alternative to games could be a fun craft project that you can purchase inexpensive supplies for.
A good example is a popsicle-stick picture frame. Kids can easily build one and paint it whatever color they wish. All it takes is some popsicle sticks from your local discount store and some non-toxic paints, and paintbrushes. The kids can amuse themselves for quite a while, chatting away and painting.
When you are ready to plan your child’s fourth birthday party, it does not have to be expensive. Kids have the same amount of fun wherever that may be. That is because they are with the people they like being around the most, their friends and family. Plus, with activities and fun and easy games, what’s not to love?
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