Need Frugal Birthday Party Ideas

[AmyBoz]

Okay, now that Julia is in nursery school, we are getting invited to tons of birthday parties. I have decided that Julia will be allowed to invite 5 kids from school to her birthday party, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do at this party. So far, it seems as though they are about 1 1/2 hours long. So, I want to keep them occupied for that length of time, without present opening. (I think it's easier to open presents after everyone goes home.) I also would like to stay frugal. We went to one this morning which was great. They had two packages of archway sugar cookies and the kids got to decorate the cookies, then there was a cake, and then the kids played instruments and marched around the kitchen table. It was perfect. However, I don't want to copy that idea. I'd like to be original, but I can't think of anything to keep 6 or 7 4 year olds occupied!

Let me say that I enjoyed today's party so much more than the others we've been to, and they have been for about 20 kids at these expensive gym places. We have another one of those next weekend. I like the homespun party the best. So, that's what I'm going for. (Especially since we certainly don't have $300 laying around for a 4 year old birthday party!)

So, any ideas?

[forestdale]

a treasure hunt, with the "treaure" being candy.

You could let the kids blow bubbles, little kids love doing that - all that would require is some dish detergent, a little bit of oil and 5 bubble pipes.

pin the tail on the donkey. you could draw a big donkey and make a little paper tail for him. replace the "pin" with blutac (do you have that there, you know that chewing gum type stuff that sticks to anything) You'd also need a blindfold.

you could make frog swamp jellos. this is just green jello that you put candy critters into before it sets.

I'll keep thinking.

[kimmee]

I buy pieces of plaster at the walmart clearances and save them to decorate. We did little angels for a christmas party of Aimee's little girlfriends. I just clear cote them before they go. Once I bought teacups at a clearance (they were plain white china and the girls personalized them and made fancy hats out of felt and big feathers and we had a tea party with little cookies. Once we made flower leis (from yarn & construction paper)and grass skirts (green crepe streamers) and learned a hula then I video taped it and they watched it while snacking on hawaiin foods (pineapple, fish crackers, coconut, Marischino cherries) - I always like parties where the kids do stuff to keep or play with!

[pip]

How about making "jewelry" out of food items, like fruit loop type cereal or pasta? Or, they could each draw/color/decorate a special picture and then display/explain it to the others. Another thing my kids always loved at that age was playdough. Maybe musical chairs or toss the beanie baby, like "hot potato". Or, maybe they could play dress up, like princesses. I don't know anymore! My kids are getting older now, but the simple games were always the best, even better than those expensive parties away from the home.

[sunshine]

We used to play toss the clothes pin game-- we'd just set a wastebasket or other small container at a few paces from the kids, give them a few clothes pins and let them toss them in the container.

If you like loud games-- we'd have a "dance" where we tossed a bunch of balloons on the floor and everyone had to stomp them to pop them while the music played. When the kids we'd tie a balloon to their ankle-- the purpose was to break everyone else's balloons while protecting your own. The last one with an intact balloon, won.

My version of "hot potato" I'd wrap a number of small gifts in layers. The biggest gift first, then a smaller one over the first, then another one and so on. . . til I had a gift for every person at the party. You play music or set a timer and have them pass the package around. When the timer goes off-- the person holding the package unwrapps the first layer and get the gift from that layer and they are "out". Play resumes until all layers are unwrapped and everyone has a gift. I used miniature Hershey bars with a full sized bar as the grand prize for being the last one!

[Ellise]

simon says
have the kids make masks out of paper plates or wreaths out of paper plates. use potpourri for the texture.

dough ornaments
uh, I 'm thinking