how much $$ for a birthday party?

[onthemove]

How much does a birthday party cost? What is the least amount and highest amount you have spent on your childs birthday? Did you start parties right from the first birthday? How do you decide how many children and which ones should attend?

[Throkmorton]

I am planning a birthday party for DS (who will be 5) in 3 weeks. We are going to the local pool with 8 kids and their parents. Because I'm lazy, I am getting pizzas for food. I may or may not bake the cake. I will see how time goes.

Total cost on this whole party is $100-ish. that is party favors, swimming admission for 20, 4 large pizzas and a big ol' cake.

I have been doing parties ever since he was a year. The first few years, it was just little family parties like spaghetti and cake at Grandma's house and such. This is probably the biggest, most expensive party I have done to date.

[teachma]

I think it's a factor of where I live and the scio-economic situation in this part of the country, but...the typical children's party costs between $500-600 from what I can figure out. Most people here have it at a place like a gym space, ceramics studio, a small movie theater they rent out and choose the film, or one of those party places that offer a variety of activities. The in-home parties feature a magician, or a nature center guy with live animals, or musical entertainment. Plus food, plus cake, beverages and party gifts...I can't compete (well, I could, but I'm not willing) so when ds turned 5 we opted out of the party and bought him a computer for the same price. The party would've ended after 2 hours, but he's still using that computer.

edited to answer your questions: Ds has had just one party (when he was 4). We briefly fell into the party trap and invited his whole preschool class, like everyone else did when they had their children's parties. We had A's Music Together as the "entertainment," and she charged us $175 for an hour of her time. There were 17 kids from his class and 4 neighborhood children, plus all of their parents, in our backyard.

[ASusan]

Doesn't anyone follow the old guideline of 1 child invited for each year of the child's life? (A child turning 4 invites 4 children. Or, could even be that a child turning 4 invites 3 children, so the total # of children is the child's age.)

I was reading a Montessori book last week which suggested a wonderful ritual for the child's birthday...it sounded SO much nicer than a big party.

Heh, figures a google search of "montessori birthday" turns up a mothering.com discussion!!

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...p/t-13940.html

Here's a blurb from a Montessori charter school:

Birthday Celebrations
Montessori birthday celebrations are very special. In many classes, birthday children bring in pictures for each year of their development to make a timeline. During the celebration, the children come to line, where, in the center of the line, a candle represents the sun. The birthday child, holding a globe walks slowly around the sun (candle), one revolution per year of age. The children, parents, or teachers talk about developmental mileposts the children have reached during each year. Parents may also provide a special snack with the necessary paper goods on that day, if they wish.(see child care law below) Please notify the classroom teacher in advance of any planned celebration or snack at school so that the class can plan accordingly. All celebrations are planned independently by each classroom.

[Throkmorton]

I follow the 1 year, 1 kid rule with a couple exceptions. We also invite the cousins, and younger siblings to parties (my 20 person figure includes parents, as we are swimming and need adult accompaniment)