1St Birthday Party Ideas - Aurora, IL

Having it somewhere is gonna cost you no matter where you go. If you want to have it at home I found having getting the food at places like the Walmart deli and food counter is cheaper. You can get 50 pieces of chicken for $30 and if you want sides for $40. Or if you just want just small finger foods they do veggie trays and cheese & cracker trays too or party subs too. Also we got balloons and tablecloths and stuff from the dollar store and I bought other themed decorations from a store called birthday direct.com which was cheaper than factory card outlet. What I did was go back & forth between the factory card outlet.com and birthday direct.com to see which site had what cheaper before I bought.

Some churches will rent out a space for a small fee. You may even get access to the nursery for the kids to play.
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I just had my daughter's first birthday party at Giordano's and it went really well. Obviously they don't have activities for the kids, but what I did was provide goody bags with little activities to entertain the kids (crayons and paper, bouncy balls, etc). The food was great and it was so nice not to have to clean up myself. We also have a small home and had about 30 people for the party. Giordano's had a nice big room that we were able to use for no fee - just the cost of food. Good luck and have fun!

How about your Park district? We had my son's 3rd birthday there and we rented out a room as well as the "playroom." It was perfect. We had a place to eat, socialize, etc. and the kids were entertained b/c they had the playroom to play in.

You didn't say when the birthday is. If it's in summer the local park might be fun and cheap. It would probably cost you about $5.00 for a permit and they would deliver as many picnic tables as you need for the party, free of charge

We do this for our family reunions.

This could be way off the mark and I have no idea about the expense, but what about Chuck E Cheese or a McDonalds Playland. Or I know a lot of the "jumpee" places like "Pump It Up" are really popular. Like I said, could be way off, as I've not been to any of them with my 18 mo. old, but thought I'd throw it out there...

What about a church hall? (if you belong to one) Ours was very inexpensive considering the size and the length of the party. Or maybe an American Legion or VFW?

Check out Little Village Playplace in Arlington Heights! This indoor playplace is recommended for children ages 1 through 7 and is a great setting for parties with children of various ages. It is also small enough that the parents can enjoy talking to each other while keeping an eye on the children, and yet so much fun for the kids. Both semi-private and private parties are offered to accomodate various budgets. (The semi-private parties start at $75 plus $8.25 per child.)

You could try a restaurant. Some have private rooms, even pizza places like Monicals, can help. You might have to order a certain amount of food. Try to keep the party at a time where you don't have to feed everyone and just great a few apptzs. Since not knowing what your budget is and how cheap, the library, church and park districts are a great idea, but if you are really, really strap, you could try a McDonalds or something like that where they have a party room and play place. I couldn't germs gross me out, but you can check it out. You could try a small hotel that doesn't have a kitchen. We rented a big room for $100. and we were able to bring in food and drinks. Good luck.

I ditto the park district. I had my son's first birthday there and it was wonderful!! It was 2 hours, I brought toys for the little ones. I paid $110 (I added in soda and pizza for the adults). I think it was reasonable but this first my child.

How about the park district?

Depending on where you live, you might be able to rent out a room at your local library or at your park district. Our library has a really nice large with room with a small kitchenette and it's pretty inexpensive in comparison to the party plans at museums, but some libraries don't allow food. Good luck.

Look for your local Moose Lodge. Members are able to rent the lodge for nominal fees. As of March 1st, ladies, application fee is waived, only $20 to join,and you get a lot of benefits for 1 year. McHenry Moose has a Pavillion, which allows for outside fun or a spacious lodge to avoid weather worries. The lodge will allow a bartender if requested, too. It's the best deal going, because it's a family center. You can potluck or have it catered. There are picnic tables with shelter or inside seating. Horseshoe pits,too, for adult activities and a small swingset area for the kids. Check it out, ###-###-#### ask for the administrator.
A lot of land available for a family softball, football or soccer game. And after all that, your fees go toward Mooseheart Charities and various community organizations. that support the area.

The Menomonee Club rents their spaces out for $200 for 2 hours. They are really great people ad very helpful. 1535 N. Dayton. I have taught classes there as well as hosted my own children's birthday parties there. Best of luck!

We looked elsewhere to have our little one's 1st birthday party. Our biggest problem was that her birthday was right around the holiday season, and we knew that most of the guests already had other plans. We decided to have an open house from 1 to 5 for her party so that everyone could come at any time and stay as long or short as desired. For food, we simply had some sloppy joes simmering in a crockpot along with various finger foods (chips etc) that were not expensive. On the invitation we mentioned that cake and presents would be at 4 so guests could figure accordingly timewise. It went very well. We were able to accommodate the amount of people we invited (35) along with the time issues. I think for the decorations and food we spent under 100 dollars.