Birthday Parties are Back! From little kids to teens, families want to make up for missed time and throw bashes to celebrate their kids. Some want to go big, while others are sticking to a budget. We break down how you can save, and where you might want to splurge.
For the little kids through elementary age, it’s all about character-themed parties.
While a takes a little more time and effort, a way to SAVE is by making your own cake, treats and decorations. It might seem intimidating at first, but it really can be simple and still make a lasting impact. We turned to Macy’s, not only update our kitchen utensils and small appliances, but also for a few toys to really add the wow factor!
Almost all our baking starts with a KitchenAid Mixer (if you don’t have one yet, now is the time to invest, you’ll use it for all your kids birthdays moving forward!). We grabbed our cupcake pan and decided to do a pull apart cupcake cake to start with a beginner-type treat. Boys love Nerf so we got creative and arranged the cupcakes like a target, complete in Nerf colors and then used real darts. Also having a few of the blasters around enhances the overall feel.
Gaining a little more confidence, and skill, you could try a doll dress cake! We got our measuring cups and spoons, plus a Mirabel doll, and decided to try to replicate the star of Encanto. This will win over any of the girls and have everyone singing “The Family Madrigal”
.Another tip we use for all our party decor is we swap fabric for tablecloths and runners, and we also tear up strips of fabric and tie them to parachute string and make banners. This is great for a first birthday high chair or a banner over the fireplace or anywhere to frame out the birthday child’s big day!
If you’re wanting to SPLURGE a little more, consider having the party at a park and rent a bounce house, or bring a handful of friends to a venue and create a memorable experience. For this, we looked no farther than Great Wolf Lodge.
Our families love Great Wolf Lodge. Whether you want to celebrate with a group of friends or just your family, Great Wolf Lodge has lots of fun party options. If you are going as a family, you can make it a staycation and book a room. Located near Los Angeles in Garden Grove, Great Wolf Lodge is a 105,000-square-foot indoor water park with 14 slides and four pools. It’s a great option especially for the spring because your party won’t get rained out. From water cannons and water tables to water slides that are just the right size for toddlers and little ones, each Great Wolf Lodge waterpark has something for everyone. There’s even a wave pool and pool with basketball hoops and lily pads to try and get across.
In addition to the waterpark, you can celebrate your birthday with all of the fun resort activities. From dance parties to crafts, activities and yoga Great Wolf Lodge has a variety of themed activities that are complimentary to resort guests. You can also add bowling, mini-golf, arcade games and MagiQuest, a live action game where you go throughout the resort to play at your birthday party too. We love it because we always make so many fun memories at Great Wolf Lodge.
For Tweens/Teens, the experience is what matters most. For this age group, pick a theme then start building around it up to your budget. Here are examples we share for a girl and boy party, and we were able to get all the items, decor and even gaming systems at Macy’s.
If you do a SPA PARTY for girls, you can SAVE by creating the luxurious atmosphere right at home. Get a handful of fun nail polish colors or even a set like Butter London’s Fancy That, this is perfect for manicures. Give guests a more relaxing pedicure, pick up a Bubble Bliss Foot Bath. And every party needs games, Spa Bingo gets everyone involved whether they have freshly painted nails or not! Plus nothing says party better than balloons, but keep it upscale with balloon garland — it’s simple to make and looks impressive too.
The SPLURGE be taking a handful of girls to an actual spa day, or manicures at the salon. Maybe renting one of those video game trucks or hiring a company to transform your backyard into a game zone
With Super Mario Bros World opening and a new Super Mario Bros movie coming out soon, a Gaming Party can be fun for older kids. One way to SAVE is by hosting a party at your house. This can center around whatever system you already own from Nintendo to Xbox. You can create a tournament style competition centered around one game like Super Mario Kart or Super Mario 3D World x Bowser’s Fury or set up a couple of stations where guests can play a variety of games. Level up the party with decor like a plush Super Mario or Sonic and get paper goods to reflect controllers or an arcade.
The SPLURGE would be to rent a video game truck or hire a company to transform your backyard into a gaming zone.
