Crepe paper streamers are bright, colorful and inexpensive, so use them lavishly.
Supplies for kids' birthday parties need to be plentiful, and they need to be colorful -- but they don't need to be expensive. Kids don't care how much things cost; kids care whether or not they're having a good time. If you can find cheap invitations, decorations, games and favors, then you will be able to save more of your party budget for gifts -- which will make you a hero, as far as the guest of honor is concerned.
Invitations
Buy a coloring book at the dollar store or look online for coloring pages that match the theme of the party. Write the time, date, address and other party information on the coloring pages, rip them out and let your child color them and hand them out to the party guests.
Decorations
Crepe paper is cheap, so hang it lavishly. Make shiny stars, moons, circles and other shapes by covering cardboard with aluminum foil, then hang them from strings on the ceiling. Dig out your holiday decorations and hang twinkle lights crisscrossed on the walls and strips of tinsel garland from the doorways.
Favors
If you feel you must give out party favors, make them yourself. Have your child braid friendship bracelets out of embroidery thread, yarn or gimp. Make a batch of cookies, drop a couple per guest into sandwich bags and tie them shut with curling ribbon. If you have a digital camera, take photos of each guest during the party, print them out on plain printer paper and hand them out at the end of the festivities.
Games
Play old-fashioned party games like Musical Chairs, Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Hide and Seek. Bring out board games like Twister or play horseshoes, croquet and badminton. If your child loves video games, set up a game tournament so that everyone gets a chance to play; rent new games that will work with your gaming platform, or use the games you already have for entertainment that costs nothing.
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