Birthday parties for young boys can be happier events because of a limited budget. Forced to save money, your imagination can provide themes and trimmings that are original with little cost.
As a mother and grandmother, I’ve given many birthday parties for boys. The more memorable ones occurred when we used our own individualism and creative energy. One of my sons was very much into puppet shows at the time of his tenth birthday. I had crafted a stage for him from a wardrobe carton left behind by movers when we located to a new state. I made a curtain and attached it across the top where I cut out an opening for the stage. My son knelled inside and raised his hands where the puppets were displayed and he provided the voices as he acted out several shows he had created himself. It was late September with beautiful weather so we had the party outside where we had set up a picnic table and the “puppet stage”. All the children from our block were invited with their mothers which gave us all a chance to become acquainted with our new neighbors. We had ice cream and a cake I had baked and decorated. I served iced tea for the mothers and juice for the children who left happy with inexpensive finger puppets we gave them as favors.
Decades later when my grandson was six, he was very excited about building gingerbread houses. He saw the kits in stores and wanted to try one himself. I bought a kit for $10.00 and used that as our theme. His birthday is two weeks prior to Christmas day. He had one guest, his best friend, who was allowed to come with him to my house to spend the night and celebrate his birthday. As entertainment the boys, with guidance from me, put the gingerbread house together and decorated my tree. I had baked gingerbread men with a hanging cord in each one and they were hung on the tree along with the other decorations. His friend took several gingerbread men home with him the next day as a favor.
Consider the current interests of the birthday boy and create your theme around that. Limit the number of guests; use the child’s age to determine the number. A birthday cake and ice cream, only, will cut down on the cost of food, especially if the cake is made at home. A cake mix or frozen Sara Lee cake will take less time and can be decorated as you wish with frosting and small toys from the dollar store. Over the years, I’ve bought party decorations, balloons, wrapping paper and ribbons, “Happy Birthday” candy letters, candles, and favors from the Tree Dollar Store for a fraction of the cost at other stores.
Your home, the library or park, or your place of worship will have space available for free or a small fee. Have fun and create memories!
