There’s a lot of pressure these days to throw your kids a memorable birthday party, and it’s not always easy to plan the party of their dreams when you have a tight budget to work with. I’ve found that with a little creativity and the right resources, it’s completely possible to throw a frugal party that your kids and their friends will be talking about for weeks to come.
My key to success is having the right help. That’s why when my son insisted on a circus-themed party this summer, I knew I would need all the best tools at my disposal to have a seamless day. I certainly couldn’t have planned an entire Do-It-Yourself birthday party on a budget without some good apps! If you’re gearing up for your own celebration and aren’t sure where to start, this should give you some good ideas!
Find a good scheduling app to organize the planning process
First things first is a good scheduling app. Of course, life would be easiest if you could just hire a party planner, but to keep things cheap a calendar will do the trick and still make your life much easier. You can organize your birthday party schedule into pieces and set a deadline for each part of the event, so you’ll be sure to stay on track. I found that many party planning apps already give a suggested timeline and to-do list, so I didn’t forget anything important like sending out the e-vites in advance or getting reservations made for cheap birthday party places. We decided to go with our local park, and I know this perfect location would have been all booked up if I hadn’t put it on my calendar to reserve a gazebo early!
Use inspiration apps for money-saving ideas
What really sets a “wow!” party apart from an “eh” party is the theme and the little details. A good party needs good ideas at the foundation. While I was searching for circus party ideas and good apps to help me along the way, I came across this perfect list.
Apps to Organize a Kids’ Birthday Party
I downloaded Pinterest right after reading it, and even though I had used the app before for make-up ideas, I hadn’t thought of it for kids’ party ideas. It was an absolute goldmine for all things related to cheap birthday party ideas. There were party ideas for all ages from a playful toddler birthday party to tweens and even teenage parties, so I’m definitely going to be turning to this one every year. Not only was I able to find ideas for DIY decorations and entertainment, but I also got step by step instructions so I was able to make 20 different balloon animals without a hitch.
Get apps for recipes, crafts, and games for the big day
The day of also requires some serious help. I knew I was going to have to pull out all the stops to keep 35 ten-year-olds entertained for three hours. Recipe apps saved the day by giving me options for simple birthday party food and snacks that were real crowd-pleasers. I was also able to find instructions for crafts that the kids could do to make their own simple birthday party decorations that they could take home with them. Apps were also extremely helpful for finding kids’ party games and circus-themed games, and we used music streaming services to set the “Big Top” mood. Everyone had a blast and didn’t want to leave by the time it was over.
Conclusion
In the end, the party went so well that I actually had plenty of parents coming up to me afterward to ask how I did it or who I hired to pull everything off. I was happy to say that I planned it all myself, with some help from my smartphone and family members. My kids were so happy with it that they’re already putting in requests for their upcoming birthdays, so, needless to say, plans for the next celebration are already well underway.
