Anonymous wrote:We did a birthday party last year at NOVA wild, the old roer's zoofari. It was costly and not special. This year, I want to keep it simple as a backyard party, but would I regret it? its going to be in june, so I was hoping to have a low key thing but would the guests come inside? We just had another baby, do you think hosting at home would be difficult with the little one?

Last year, I paid 600 for the cake and 2000 for the venue. Is there a way to keep it lower than that without disappointing my kid?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did a birthday party last year at NOVA wild, the old roer's zoofari. It was costly and not special. This year, I want to keep it simple as a backyard party, but would I regret it? its going to be in june, so I was hoping to have a low key thing but would the guests come inside? We just had another baby, do you think hosting at home would be difficult with the little one?

Last year, I paid 600 for the cake and 2000 for the venue. Is there a way to keep it lower than that without disappointing my kid?

You and I are very different people. We invited 20 kids to SkyZone for my kid's 6th bday. SkyZone got $500 which included 1 hr of jumping time for the kids plus 1 hr at a party table AND included pizza and drinks, napkins and plates. I paid about $40 for cupcakes. Including everything I paid for the party (the venue, food/drinks, goody bags), I spent $600.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did a birthday party last year at NOVA wild, the old roer's zoofari. It was costly and not special. This year, I want to keep it simple as a backyard party, but would I regret it? its going to be in june, so I was hoping to have a low key thing but would the guests come inside? We just had another baby, do you think hosting at home would be difficult with the little one?

Last year, I paid 600 for the cake and 2000 for the venue. Is there a way to keep it lower than that without disappointing my kid?

You and I are very different people. We invited 20 kids to SkyZone for my kid's 6th bday. SkyZone got $500 which included 1 hr of jumping time for the kids plus 1 hr at a party table AND included pizza and drinks, napkins and plates. I paid about $40 for cupcakes. Including everything I paid for the party (the venue, food/drinks, goody bags), I spent $600.

Anonymous wrote:We did a birthday party last year at NOVA wild, the old roer's zoofari. It was costly and not special. This year, I want to keep it simple as a backyard party, but would I regret it? its going to be in june, so I was hoping to have a low key thing but would the guests come inside? We just had another baby, do you think hosting at home would be difficult with the little one?

Last year, I paid 600 for the cake and 2000 for the venue. Is there a way to keep it lower than that without disappointing my kid?

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Most kids parties at places I’ve seen are like $300-400. I get a cake from Wegmans or Whole Foods for like 50-60. If you have a party at home you can also do a sundae bar which is great.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My best NoVa “whole class” elementary parties under $1000 total to date -

1. I paid the “Captain cookie” food truck to come to a park and handed out coupons for our guests to get 1 item of their choosing. I borrowed or bought yard games we’d use again - corn hole, giant jenga, ring toss, etc. I had coolers of assorted Gatorade, water, and seltzers.

2. Rented the community room at a local church or pool. Paid performer - magician, Great Zucchini, snake and reptile guy, petting zoo, etc. Safeway cupcakes, Pizza Boli’s pizza, carrot sticks and ranch dip, apple slices, water.
Paid my teenage neighbor and her friend their hourly babysitting rate to cut the carrots and apples, assemble the goody bags, serve pizza, and clean up.

3. Game truck + Taco truck in the pool parking lot when it was not pool season. We are members of the pool and I arranged it with the manager.

4. Bought Kiwi Crate robots for 15-20 4th graders. Served pizza and ice cream sundae bar in my yard.

5. Hired a company to bring 2 ponies made to look like unicorns to my cul de sac and had pony rides. Served lunchables and ice cream sandwiches per BD kid’s request.

Some of these don’t make sense. What were 21 kids doing while 2 of their classmates were riding unicorns?

Anonymous wrote:WHAT?!? That is insane. I have 3 kids with birthdays all over the year. With warmer birthdays I tend to do home parties (cake+food and a bounce house all for under $1000). For the colder weather kid I either do a venue like a bounce house or something special with her and a handful of friends. I refuse to spend more than $1000 for a birthday party. That is nuts!

Anonymous wrote:My oldest has a summer birthday. We always had his parties at a playground with a splash pad. We chose parks where the picnic shelter could NOT be reserved & showed up early. Free venue. We got Costco cake (or made it ourselves) and served lots of snacks, brought a cooler for drinks, etc. Usually there was a theme for the cake, paper plates, etc. Cheap, plenty of space for siblings, and the kids always had fun.

Anonymous wrote:We did a birthday party last year at NOVA wild, the old roer's zoofari. It was costly and not special. This year, I want to keep it simple as a backyard party, but would I regret it? its going to be in june, so I was hoping to have a low key thing but would the guests come inside? We just had another baby, do you think hosting at home would be difficult with the little one?

Last year, I paid 600 for the cake and 2000 for the venue. Is there a way to keep it lower than that without disappointing my kid?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- Yes, it was a custom cake(small, 6 inches) and 40 cupcakes. I know, I felt terrible as I paid it. I assumed it was the NOVA craziness, now I feel even worse

That math ain't mathing. Even if the 6 inch cake was $100, how do you spend $500 on cupcakes? That's $12.5 each. That's more than Georgetown Cupcake.