Birthday party help needed!!!

[Heavenly]

I can't have birthday party's at my home because I am living in my in-laws basement in an 800 square foot apartment. Since we've been living here we've had to have birthday parties out of the house. My son's birthday is the 18th of January and he is having a bowling party. My second daughter's birthday is on the 22nd of January and I was going to have it at the children's museum. It used to be $7 per person and then 15% off for the group rate. They have upped their price since December to $11 per person and only 10% off. There is no way I am going to pay that much! So now I am frantically trying to figure out what to do! Her party is supposed to be on Sunday, January 25th. I have looked at all the venues in our area and they are all just so expensive. She wants the indoor playground but it is $16 per kid, so no way! There is really no room to have it at our house. Oh, and it can't be outdoors (like a sledding party) because I have bad fibromyalgia and would not be able to participate. Any brilliant ideas for me???

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

Well, I guess it depends on how carefully you have covered "all the local venues". I mean, if you have really called everybody, then I'm not sure what to say.

Is this a party for adults or for her friends? If adults, do you have to have a party at all? Heck, even for friends, is a party necessary? Would your child be just as happy with a special family outing? Maybe a family outing and include just her best friend? Or a 1-friend sleep over? And if you are giving a party for the adult relatives to participate in, then I would definitely cancel it entirely!

Brainstorming options that would be open to us around here:
* Good friend's house? This is probably your best bet -- surely you have friends?
* Inlaw's house? I assume upstairs is more spacious than 800 ft.
* Other relative's?
* Local church meeting room?
* Local YMCA? I have found these guys almost always have the best price/kid around here.
* Recreation center?
* Local fast food place? OK, that would raise lots of MDC pure food hackles, but its an option for some and they aren't that expensive.
* Other kid-friendly restraurant?
* Local video arcade? Again, not for everyone here but throwing out options for you to reject if they don't suit.

[Froggie]

The party is for your three year old? How about a mall party? Here in FL the malls all have indoor play areas and some of them are pretty fun. Afterward, you can go to the food court or central courtyard if there is one, for treats and presents.

If your budget allows, and you're ok with it, you could even do ice cream or cookies from one of the mall vendors. Maybe they'd negotiate a group price for sundaes or something.

Another mall thing that a play group I go to has done is make your own pretzels at Aunt Annies. They let the kids come one morning and learn how.

Maybe make your own pizza at a pizza joint? They could supply the dough, already sauced on plates and let the kids sprinkle cheese and toppings, you could put the first letter of each kids name in carrots or peppers so they'd be identifiable when they come out of the oven.

You could provide paper chef hats or aprons from the craft store. Or you could decorate T-shirts at the tables - you supply white T's and quick dry paint markers.

Do you or anyone in your family/friends belong to somplace that has indoor space like a community club house or Elks lodge? A church? Any place that would let you borrow a room for three hours or so (set up and clean up).

What about a restaurant. I know several fast-food chains that have play areas. but if you want to avoid them, what about someplace organic or vegan? They might really like to have a group come for a tea party and a few games.

Does your zoo have a party deal? Kids hair cut places offer make-over parties (you could pspecify no make-up if you want, just cute hair styles and crowns) that can be fun with dress ups and pictures to remember the day.

You mentioned bowling for one of your older children - what about bumper bowling for the little ones? my three year old loved it! They provided a ramp to roll the ball down and bumpers to avoid gutter balls.

If all else fails, what about trading a friend for a party at her house for some great thing that you do - like babysitting or meals.

Oaky, I'm tapped out. Can you tell I like a party?

[2cutiekitties]

Did you call the bounce house or kangaroo bobs? Other than Chuck E Cheese, all I can think of is like the little gym or gymboree or one of those places.

Good luck!

[guestmama9910]

I second Evan&Anna's_Mom's advice.

First of all, do your children actually need birthday parties? All the children I know, with the exception of my very mainstream parented nephews, make do with a special dinner and cake at home with their family. Our custom is a pasta dinner, a cake from our favorite local baker, and the birthday person wears a cloth crown. (Ok, we also sing "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow," because I hate "Happy Birthday." ) Those were the birthdays I enjoyed growing up, those are the ones we celebrate with our friends and family, and, though it was a switch for DH, he likes this much better than the high stress we used to have.

If a birthday party is the norm in your family, and your children really wouldn't understand doing something different, would something less than a venue party do for you? Could you do a make your own sundae bar at a local ice cream parlor with cake, hats, balloons, and sparklers? Could you have spaghetti and meatballs or pizza party at your local pizza place?

Ok, failing all of the above, call your local fire stations, find one that a) has a hall to rent (which usually includes access to a kitchen, tables, chairs, dishes and dishes, but often also includes soda on tap and ice) and b) will do a fire safety program with the kids in your party. These programs often include plastic fireman hats, fire safety coloring books, a full suited fireman, a tour of the facilities, and who knows what else. They're also very easy to theme. You'll be able to bring in your own food, which could be PB&J, pizza, or whatever works for you. The fire safety program is usually free.

If I were in your shoes, and a birthday party was an absolute necessity, I'd go and talk to my librarians about the possibility of coordinating my daughter's "party" with one of the regular children's programs, followed by permission to use the library's meeting space for cake afterwards. You may be able to persuade them to put on one of their programs, privately or open to the public, on your date, for a donation. Programs typically include a few stories, songs, and crafts. Some include a snack (ours don't).

Could you reserve a table for your party at a fancy local brunch buffet? You could bring your own cake and bring a fancy centerpiece (or let the cake be the centerpiece), convince all the children to dress up as princesses or fairies or pirates or whatever you like.
--
AnnaArcturus

[JJ'sMom]

I have always gone by the rule, number of children at party = birthday child's age in years, including birthday child.

For our 3 year old, he had two friends over for an art afternoon. We made painted pillowcases or t-shirts, depending what the invitees brought. Then they did playdough. It was really low budget. I had the fabric paints from a previous project and had bought them at the dollar store. All was done at the kitchen table.

I'd also consider a movie and popcorn party. I get DVDs from the library.

As long as it is planned out and organized, a party in 800 sq feet is doable, provided the number of invitees are not too high. I'd move a lot of extra furniture to a bedroom though. Can you do that?

I hope this helps a bit.