If it’s time to celebrate your little one’s birthday, decorations are bound to be in order. Unfortunately, as kids’ parties have become more elaborate over the last couple of decades, the amount of time and money spent on decorations has skyrocketed – and many parents are struggling to keep up due to their busy schedules or tight budgets. The good news is that the pendulum is starting to swing in the other direction again, which means that simple (or at least simpler) is once again becoming chic. And Chuck E. Cheese’s allows you to bring your own décor to reserved birthday parties, so get creative. See how can you use this trend to your advantage and streamline your child’s party, keep reading!
Use Things You Own
Birthday party decorations are easy to find if you just look at what you own with a fresh purpose in mind. If you’re planning a Mexican-themed birthday fiesta, use your old Mexican blanket as a tablecloth, pop colorful flowers on a table, then buy some plastic plates and cups in several colors, and call your tablescape done. For the walls and/or ceiling, hang streamers, balloons, and a piñata, which you can fill with candy and small toys. If you want something more kid-like, just look around your house. Do you have stuffed animals that could be used for a wildlife or zoo-themed party? How about a box old of clothes and costumes, and full-length mirror or two that could be used for a dress-up party? Or perhaps you own sports gear and posters. If so, just decorate the basement, back patio, or living room with all of the gear, add a few balloons and bunting, and serve a cake with decorations featuring your child’s favorite sport.
Host a Campover
When you’re in the great outdoors, or your own backyard, your décor can be minimal. Just set up the tents, lanterns and camp chairs, then prepare your outdoor fire pit if you have one and your party scene is set. If you don’t have a fire pit and can’t borrow one, just skip it – the campground will still be fantastic. If you feel that your scene needs a little something special, string fairy lights around the camp, drape a folding table in burlap and plaid fabric, and put out an array of camp treats that the kids can snack on before or after the hot dogs have been roasted on the grill (or in the fire). If party favors are a must, use your birthday decoration ideas as inspiration. Pick up a few red handkerchiefs and fill them with s’mores fixings, then tie them to sticks and hand them out as your guests pack up and head home.
Holiday/Birthday Happy Hour
f you have a child who was born near Christmas, Chanukah, Halloween or the Fourth of July (or any other holiday), use the decorations that you already have as your backdrop. Then, for a kid-friendly happy hour, make a special punch or two that matches the season, serve festive finger foods, and give them holiday games to play (like pin-the-nose-on-Rudolph, dreidel, Frankenstein bowling, or sack races). As the party winds down, be sure to give each guest a cellophane bag filled with seasonal treats as a special thank you.
The No-Theme Theme
If a theme is too constricting for your birthday party decoration ideas, go with no theme. Rather than coordinating all facets of the day, just decorate with your child’s favorite things. Go ahead, combine streamers, glitter and a dress-up station with a backyard soccer match and pizza, or pair superhero masks with trains and baseball. If you have a few ideas, it’s easy to create spaces dedicated to each, so the kids can experience something different in the living room, the backyard, and in the kitchen. Just make the day about your son or daughter, and the fun will come.
Finally, if you just can’t bear to think about bringing your party decoration ideas to life, and cleaning up after the celebration, think about ditching the party at home and hosting it elsewhere, like your child’s favorite restaurant (Chuck E. Cheese’s!), . Many of these places have dedicated party spaces or areas that you can reserve for a party, and even provide food, which means that you can simply show up, enjoy your day, then head home, no clean up, no cooking, and no birthday decorations required.
Check out Chuck E. Cheese’s for more info on planning kid’s birthday parties.