Sometimes kids' birthday planning can be difficult. Having a celebration at home can seem too boring, while having a celebration at another location can seem too expensive. Well, these suggestions about birthday party locations can help satisfy the desire to get out of the house even on a budget. These birthday party venues allow kids to run around and act like children without the possibility of breaking precious china.
Beach Party Venue
If a beach is close by, consider having the party there. Children love beaches, and beaches are free (or at least inexpensive) event locations. A beach gathering can take some of the pressure off of kids' birthday planning, as kids will likely enjoy building castles and gathering shells just as much as party games.
For a beach event, the entire celebration can have a beach theme. Children's birthday supplies can include decorations with sea creatures on them, blue balloons, prizes related to sea creatures, and a nautical cake. If the event includes games, they can be directly related to the beach atmosphere: for example, the party can include a contest to see which team can cover up someone with sand the fastest.
The one problem with beach children's parties is safety. It is probably not a good idea to bring a large group of children if only one parent is present. If more parents want to attend, more kids can come as well. Also, beach parties should also be reserved for older kids who know about dangerous tides and other beach safety hazards.
Parks as Birthday Party Locations
Parks are similar to beaches in that it costs little (if anything) to throw a celebration at a park. Like beaches, at parks kids can run around and have fun with plenty of open space, with no chance of knocking over any valuables. However, most parks are safer than beaches because they do not carry the risk associated with water. And children's birthday supplies like games, balloons, cake, and prizes may be easier to have at a park than at a beach.
Activities for parks include playing on the play structure, knocking candy out of a pinata, and playing tag. Birthday party rentals like bounce houses are also possibilities. Parks are great places to throw barbeques, so food can include hamburgers, hot dogs, or veggie burgers. Generally, picnic food is appropriate for a park celebration.
As with beaches, there should be plenty of adult supervision at a park. However, parks are probably more appropriate for younger kids than older ones. "Tweens" may not appreciate a play structure as much as a sandy beach, while young children will love the free play time.
Other Event Locations
If neither a beach nor a park sound like good locations, there are many other birthday party venues to choose from. The following suggestions include more expensive kids' birthday party locations, but they may be more closed-off and thus require less adult supervision.
Many pizza parlors and gaming centers have party options. These are generally expensive, as birthday party rentals include an event room, food, drinks, and other children's birthday supplies. However, packages like these reduce the amount of effort that parents have to put into kids' birthday planning. And children love playing video games, laser tag, and other fun games at event locations like these.
Bowling alleys are a great birthday party locations for kids. Many bowling alleys have birthday party rentals, including event rooms and party packages, but children can also have a celebration at home and head to a bowling alley just to play some games. Also, to save money on birthday party packages a parent can request that other parents send some money with their kids for bowling or for playing games. To avoid sounding pushy, it can be phrased on the invitation as more of a donation than a requirement.
As with all children's parties, creativity is key; with a good idea, just about anything can happen. Parents can find cheap alternatives to birthday party venues depending on what is available near them. And, of course, having a celebration at home is always an option.
For more information, see kids' party venue suggestions from PBS.
Lisa Devoto - Lisa Devoto has professional experience as a writer, editor, and administrator for an environmental consulting firm. She has a B.A. in ...
Join the Conversation