Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A good budget friendly party dinner is hot dogs!

Kids can roast them over the fire and it’s super easy to have a hot dog bar with all sorts of toppings. (Honestly, s’mores are more work.) It would be a good way to make use of the fire pit!

What would be the alternative for vegetarians and people who don't eat pork?

You can buy beef hot dogs if you have people who don’t eat pork. I like them better anyway. The Costco ones are all beef. I’m sure a vegetarian can chime in with a good veggie dog suggestion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are going until 5pm, I would expect dinner to be served. Can you do 2-4 or 1:30-4?

You could make it into a winter pajama party and have them bring squish mallows, blanket or sleeping bag, do snacks and movie, plus cookie decorating. Or maybe have cookie decorating first and then do hot chocolate and movie? Would be cute if they could each take a small box or a few cookies home.

This was my thought. Do cookie decorating instead of messing with gingerbread houses. I like the idea of PJs (or sweats/something cozy) and do a popcorn bar and hot cocoa. Just put a candle in a cookie because cake will be overkill with the cookies and hot chocolate.

If you want, you can have some other easy crafts like decorating a paper wreath, pine cone ornament, or the like. Honestly the kids will probably have fun just free play/hanging out.

Just chiming in to say a few posters have mentioned very Christmas-oriented ideas. If all of the invited guests celebrate Christmas then no worries. If any of them do not, I’d steer you away from things like ornaments or whatnot for a birthday party. I reeeealy do not want to start a giant debate about whether certain Christmas things are religious or secular or whatnot. I’m just saying gingerbread house and snowflake and mittens are wintery and will not inadvertently upset or make any non Christmas celebrating guests uncomfortable.

3 hours in an eternity. Even 2 will be a lot.

Just wanted to pipe in to say, I do think you need to serve some sort of "meal". But you can do this on a budget! There's the hot dog idea- also pasta goes a long way!

I think my #1 tip for a budget party is the Dollar Store. They do have cute stuff there, there's no reason to spend more.

Anonymous wrote:A good budget friendly party dinner is hot dogs!

Kids can roast them over the fire and it’s super easy to have a hot dog bar with all sorts of toppings. (Honestly, s’mores are more work.) It would be a good way to make use of the fire pit!

What would be the alternative for vegetarians and people who don't eat pork?

^9 year olds

Some of these ideas seem childish for 9 years olds. Face paint? Re decorating gingerbread houses, cookies, or trees - kids do this at multiple events from October through December.

Pizza and cake are so easy - why waste money on filler candy? Have a movie on the tv and put out a couple lawn and indoor games. That should be plenty for such a short party.

Anonymous wrote:We did a pajama party for our 3rd grader. 5-8:30, Kids played, ate pizza and cupcakes, watched movie and the end. Super simple and easy. Kids came in pjs with favorite stuffie and all had a blast. But I would cut down on the number of kids. We had about 10 and that was more than enough.

Perfect and more reasonable if you want to have greater than 8 kids attending.

Rent a movie, have popcorn, simple food. The important part is having her friends over.

I wouldn’t worry about the number so much- there are always a few that can’t come. Chances are you’d have 10 or less. The ideas sound fun!

I think your ideas sound perfect, but number seems high.

So the last several parties my DD (similar age) have been to have been 5 hours or more. Like a sleepover that starts at 2pm in the afternoon (with 10 girls) or similar but ending at 8. I have been freaking out about her next birthday party because I am definitely not up for that but I don’t want her to feel weird. I’m so glad to hear that’s not the norm at least most places.

We had a winter cookie decorating party once and that was fun. But the girls will eat disgusting amounts of frosting and sugar. I would try to minimize what else they eat with sugar in it so you don’t send them home nauseous. It was very messy to even though I gave each girl her own set of everything. We also combined that with another craft, nothing too exciting but you need a couple activities to pass the time. We got lucky with the weather and they did go out that year but it doesn’t always work out

A good budget friendly party dinner is hot dogs!

Kids can roast them over the fire and it’s super easy to have a hot dog bar with all sorts of toppings. (Honestly, s’mores are more work.) It would be a good way to make use of the fire pit!

OnI of my daughters made home made lip gloss at a party. It was Vaseline, Kool aid and little containers from Amazon to store it in. But avoid Koolaid on the carpet!! Another craft idea is the glitter sensory bottles—my daughter made these at a party at that age and logged it — she would put it by her bed and shake it to watch the glitter and help her relax at bedtime. It’s like a lava lamp — very soothng to watch and easy to make.

I think 13 is okay — with December you probably will get 2-3 you can’t come.

I don’t think you need a meal. Snacks sounds fine (maybe fruit?) and the hot chocolate bar. I agree cookie decorating would be easier than gingerbread houses. I did this and ordered boxes on Amazon so they could take them home in nice paper boxes. But I think the dollar stores might have plastic boxes that would work too.

2 hours max for the party or you will lose your mind.

Anonymous wrote:If you are going until 5pm, I would expect dinner to be served. Can you do 2-4 or 1:30-4?

You could make it into a winter pajama party and have them bring squish mallows, blanket or sleeping bag, do snacks and movie, plus cookie decorating. Or maybe have cookie decorating first and then do hot chocolate and movie? Would be cute if they could each take a small box or a few cookies home.

This was my thought. Do cookie decorating instead of messing with gingerbread houses. I like the idea of PJs (or sweats/something cozy) and do a popcorn bar and hot cocoa. Just put a candle in a cookie because cake will be overkill with the cookies and hot chocolate.

If you want, you can have some other easy crafts like decorating a paper wreath, pine cone ornament, or the like. Honestly the kids will probably have fun just free play/hanging out.