Budget birthday venue suggestions?

[we3travellers]

For some reason, I am really stuck on where to have DS's 6th birthday this year. I am looking for cheap and cannot have it in our home as we live in a 750 sq.ft condo, so no room. I can rent our party room for $60, but I did that last year and really want something different. His birthday is late March and the weather here in Toronto is not mild enough to have an outdoor party (such as a park), but it is also not cold enough to have an outdoor winter party like skating or tobogganing. I know it's hard to suggest something when you don't know our city, but we pretty much have everything to offer since it's a large urban city. So far the best seems to be bowling, but DS does not seem to be too interested . They offer an hour bowling and an hour party room with pizza and juice for $14 per child, no minimum. I suspect we will have about 10 to 12 kids. DH thinks we should just clear the living room of large furniture and have 4 to 6 kids in here to play Wii, etc. The problem is I cannot get DS to narrow down his friend list! Plus I find at this age some parents like to hang around and I would definitely not have room for them! I'd like to keep my total to $200 and I am pretty good with DIY decor and food. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[runsandjumps]

Do you have an indoor bounce place or gymnastics area? Those are fun for 6 year olds.

 

[mjkacmom]

For some reason, I am really stuck on where to have DS's 6th birthday this year. I am looking for cheap and cannot have it in our home as we live in a 750 sq.ft condo, so no room. I can rent our party room for $60, but I did that last year and really want something different. His birthday is late March and the weather here in Toronto is not mild enough to have an outdoor party (such as a park), but it is also not cold enough to have an outdoor winter party like skating or tobogganing. I know it's hard to suggest something when you don't know our city, but we pretty much have everything to offer since it's a large urban city. So far the best seems to be bowling, but DS does not seem to be too interested . They offer an hour bowling and an hour party room with pizza and juice for $14 per child, no minimum. I suspect we will have about 10 to 12 kids. DH thinks we should just clear the living room of large furniture and have 4 to 6 kids in here to play Wii, etc. The problem is I cannot get DS to narrow down his friend list! Plus I find at this age some parents like to hang around and I would definitely not have room for them! I'd like to keep my total to $200 and I am pretty good with DIY decor and food. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

We have done ice skating, rollerblading, swimming, batting cages, rock climbing, gym, bowling, chuck e cheese (and similar places), medieval times, cooking... I left out the girlhood ones like dance, princess, and jewelry. Just had two separate parties for my twins, and that price sounds right (although I had to provide all the food and dtink).

 

[MomToOne]

I had a bowling party at that age for DD. It's a good option for that age - it keeps them busy without getting them hyper and doesn't last really long so no one ends up cranky and overtired. Just as you are ready to be done with it all, it ends And no one ends up injured and crying like someone inevitably does at the bounce house ones...

 

[scbelleatheart]

I don't know if you have any of these around you but we did a slot car rental place, made our own pizzas, cake and brought in pop to our community room for a party of about 20 boys.
Google "slot car rentals" for your area. Little race cars on tracks. We gave out little trophys for the winners.
Also look at indoor water parks within a hotel for the day. No one stays the night except your family if you get a room. Parents can stay for the party but they cover their own food costs and the cost of additional children.
I think there is a lot you could do in the community room fairly cheap and fun. I'd give more ideas but we had 2 in Nov, 1 in May and only 1 birthday fell in the winter. So none of the other cheap things we did over the years would work for you.

 

[mb_uh]

Basic party at Chuck e cheese is $11 per kid. Sandwich tray really yummy for adults $20. Book online you get extra tokens. Sam's cakes- taste great and super cheap.

 

[wiigirl]

Do you have an indoor bounce place or gymnastics area? Those are fun for 6 year olds.

These are the BEST and cheap!

 

[kirstenb1]

Our local YMCA was cheaper than Chuck E Cheese etc. They provided a party room for 45 min, and swimming for 45. It was during general swim time, but that worked out fine. However, we had to bring our own pizzas/cake etc, whereas places like CEC do it for you.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Some of my kids' favorite parties have been: roller rink, bounce place (but I wouldn't call it cheap - weekend parties at our place were $250), gymnatics arena, bowling. My younger son went to a Nerf party this past weekend and had a blast, but it was outdoors (we live in Florida). What about laser tag? Movie theater?

 

[ZoeBell]

My daughter's favorite party was at our local beauty school. It was something like $7.00 a girl. They all got their hair styled in up-dos or lots of curls. Then they all either got a mani or a pedi.

No food was included so we all walked over to McDonald's for lunch.

Parents dropped off at Beauty school and picked up at McDonald's.

Easiest and best birthday party ever.

 

[DisneyATlast]

I would go with bowling. I had my 6 and 8 year old's last party there together and it was great. They didn't seem too excited when I mentioned it either, but that's because we never go bowling so they had no idea what they were talking about.

It was really easy. I just had to bring the cake and a few decorations for the table and the bowling alley staff brought out the pizza, drinks, etc. The kids loved the bowling. Most low maintenance party I've ever had!

 

[LadyBeBop]

Someone suggested going to the movies. Some movie theatres have a party room where you can serve cake before or after the movies.

A few times, I took a bunch of kids to the local dollar movie theatre, then went out for pizza and cake afterwards. That was almost always a fun time.

But be careful the theatre is a) open that day and b) showing family friendly movies that week. The local dollar movie theatre shares a parking lot with our local horse race track. One year, I scheduled the movie party for the same day as the second biggest horse race of the year. I didn't know it at the time, but the theatre was closed that day since the track needed the entire parking lot. I ended up taking the kids 20 miles away to another dollar cinema.

And there are rare occasions that the only movies playing are R rated flicks. Those are rare, but it does happen. If that happens, you could take them to the dollar cinema the next town over (like I did). Between the two cinemas, you should be able to find a G or PG movie.

Good luck.

 

[mrssmith06]

Not sure what options you have in your area....

These are our not at home party options/idea's/things we've done:
-Skating Rink, about $100
-Pavillion at any park, $30-$40
-Bounce house place, $200+
-Gymnastics arena, $150
-Chuck E.Cheese, $100+
-Aquatics center (swimming), around $300!
-Rent a cheap room at the Civic center, about $40
-Bowling, about $50+

 

[mjkacmom]

My daughter's favorite party was at our local beauty school. It was something like $7.00 a girl. They all got their hair styled in up-dos or lots of curls. Then they all either got a mani or a pedi.

No food was included so we all walked over to McDonald's for lunch.

Parents dropped off at Beauty school and picked up at McDonald's.

Easiest and best birthday party ever.

Ours was $18 pp for that - we brought in our own pizza and drinks (and just manicures). However, as a mom of boys too, I wouldn't suggest it for a 6 year old boy.

 

[thebeesknees]

Do you have a Home Depot nearby? I know it sounds weird, but ours does FREE birthday parties for kids, up to 25 children. We did this last year for DS and brought in our own cake and pizza. They provided the room and the attendants. The kids were able to choose from several wooden kits and the attendants helped them put them together. A LOUD party, to be sure, with all the hammering, but the kids had a blast, and DS got a souvenir construction helmet signed by all the workers. He still talks about that party and asks if he can do it again.

 

[mbf]

Does your condo have a community room available? Maybe do that and have a pinata, games, etc.

I love the Home Depot party idea! I will definitely look into that for DS's next birthday.

 

[kkandaj]

Our Fire Station has a community room you can reserve for parties. (Our taxes pay for the room.) You have to bring everything (cake, party decor, etc) but we got a free tour of the Fire Station and Fire Trucks by the Firemen. The kids loved getting in the fire trucks.

Best free birthday party place ever!

 

[sweetdana]

The Mcds play place near our home was less than 8$ a kid and included a happy meal. (maybe a cake or maybe I brought one).. cheap, easy, fun, and no cleaning..


Also movies, bowling, and chuck e cheese are not too bad.

 

[mom2cookies]

when my son turned 7 we invited the boys that would be in his grade at school ( small private school ) and we had a bowling party. It was 10 years ago so i can't remember the price but i'm certain it was less than $200. I got a minimum birthday package ( soda and pizza plus shoes) and brought my own cake. He didn't care about decorations. Last year when he turned 16 we did paint ball but that was $50 per person and the friends payed for themselves. ( most were older than him anyway). I'm mentioning the paint ball because the brochure showed groups of younger kids playing it also.
Wish i had known about the home depot when he was small lol.
I like your DH idea, I would ask DS which he would rather have. More friends and go somewhere, or less friends at home with favorite food and stuff. At 7, parents leave kids at school all day, why not at another's house for a few hours? I would list on the invite party starts at X time please pick up your child between X and y o'clock. That gives the message, you don't expect ( or want ) the parents to stay.

 

[Happyjen27]

I think DH's idea is a good one! As for parents, for a 6 yo party, some stay, some go. The last party I attended the host said "you're welcome to stay if you'd like, I'm equally happy if you would like to have some alone time". If you keep the guest list down to 6 kids (some experts say the number of kids should equal the age of the child) you'll only have to make room for 6 adults. They usually hang out in the kitchen anyway.

If not, the community center would be my next bet. Yes, you did it last year, but you could completely reinvent the event for this year.

The Home Depot idea sounds fabulous!! If I didn't have a girl twin to go with my boy, I would definately do that.