Birthday Party Planning

next time, don't delay the party....just make it simpler! Cake & ice cream, some games & that's it.

& now for your question: NO goody bags, just have bowls of candy that the kids can enjoy. Have helium balloons & let the kids each take one home. That's their door prize. Cheap & fun. Totally, totally don't hand out bags.

Foodwise: you've had 22 adults & 23 kids contact you....with another 20 kids invited. You can expect about 1/2 the class....so about 50 people or more. I allow one burger per guest, with a few extra tossed in. 60? burgers sounds good...unless you have more respondents. Have fun!

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For a group that large I probably wouldn't do goody bags. Just place out some bowls of individually wrapped candies (i.e. halloween candies) and let people take some if they want some. Then whatever is left can be handed out at Halloween.

Okay, I'd plan on feeding everyone who responded yes so far and probably half of the classmates. I would also go with hot dogs which are cheaper and easier to store if you have extras. Plus you're only buying one kind of bun and one kind of meat so you don't have to worry about how many will want or want the other. Adults can eat hot dogs too, it's okay. Aldi does have good prices on things like chips and stuff and they sometimes have fruit by the foot stuff too, just look around. If you have a Costco membership you can get hot dogs and buns for pretty cheap there too. As far as a goody bag, well it's okay not to do one, but I always like to do it, so a cheap way to satisfy the need is to get each kid a helium filled balloon and tie it to a blow pop or Tootsie Pop. You can use them as decorations for the party and then send one home with each kid. Kids love balloons, especially tied to candy. I would probably do a goody bag for 40 kids, if your kid doesn't get one, that's okay. BUT, if you do balloons you kind of need to do those at the last minute so you may have better numbers by then, at least hopefully! And extra candy can just be thrown into the Trick or Treat bowl in a month!

You can make the cupcakes yourself for pretty cheap and have him help you decorate them with sprinkles or M&Ms.

To be honest I would not feed anyone or have goody bags. I think eating is nice if its family but for a bunch of strangers there is no way I would spend that kind of money. They would just have a normal birthday party. Presents only for the birthday child and some cake and maybe ice cream.

I would do about 40 burgers and get to aldi's and get a big bag of hotdogs also ($3 for like 30 hot dogs) a lot of kids would rather have a hot dog than a burger and its a lot cheaper. as far as goodie bags. the only thing we do for that is make some big fat cookies and put them in the goodie bag with a thank you note attached.

You will probably need to wait to see who responds from his class, but I would plan on feeding everyone that rsvp'd "Yes" and have a goody bag for all the children that said "yes" as well. The last thing you want is to have a kid crying because you ran out of goody bags. BUT if money is tight, Goody bags are not necessary at all! Usually its just a bunch of cheap junk people end up tossing as soon as they get home (sorry). If you dont have them, I dont think anyone would notice or care.Put that money toward more food or maybe a bowl full of fruit snacks for the kids or something. Maybe have a little game or two (pin the tail on the..., pinata, bozo buckets ect) to keep the kids busy with a simple prize (like a dollar store book or something) for the winner.

Good luck and Happy Birthday!