by Donna Reynolds

Created on: December 05, 2009

As a mother on a budget coming from a family consistently on a budget, I know exactly how to plan parties without breaking the bank. One of the most important things to consider is location. If the birthday occurs during Spring and Summer months, and some of the Fall, then outdoor parties are a good clean and easy option. If the birthday occurs during the Winter months then you definitely want to consider indoor locations.

Location:

Assuming this is happening outdoors you might want to look at a local park where there will be playground equipment to entertain children of all ages and best of all- it's free! Parks usually have pavilions that can be reserved with about a week's notice. Another great free location is a lake or beach. Kids love playing in the water so if the weather permits it let them go wild. Just make sure to pack the sunblock and life preservers. If you have a little money the zoo could be a good place to hold a party for the animal lover.

On the flip side if the party is happening indoors the aquarium could be a good place to have a party. A few good free ideas for indoor parties might include your local church or your own house. Be prepared to clean up a mess and bring your own garbage bags out of courtesy to your church if you have the party there. If you can spare a small amount of money (around $40) both Burger King and McDonald's will let you reserve their play areas and some locations even supply the cake in that price. If the cake is not supplied, rest assured, one thing that is supplied is ten meals with ten toys they get to take home. Free gift bag treats!

Food:

The next thing to think about is food. Being a child's party you want to consider what the child likes above all else. You don't want to be serving escargot and sassafras tea at a child's party. Trust me, they won't go for it. Keep it small and keep it simple because more often than not the children will not be interested in the food anyway. They will be more concerned with the activities and the cake. Some good ideas are sandwiches (peanut butter and jelly can be made with different flavor jellies or you can make ham/cheese), pizza (buy the kind that you cook in your own oven to save the cost of delivery charges), pizza rolls, corn dogs, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and chips. All of these are easy to make and fairly inexpensive. You'll also want to think about drinks. Always make sure to have water on hand because some parents don't like for their children to have sugary drinks.

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