Marjorie LePoidevin knew that her costume-loving son wanted a themed birthday party. But she was stumped on how to do it affordably, as the mother of two envisioned a living room awash in overpriced Frozen outfits or, pricier still, hired performers.
Then she was struck by an epiphany as clear and crisp as an ice palace.
“I said, let’s do Halloween in March,” LePoidevin recalled from her home in Newmarket, Ont.
Surrounded by bedsheet ghosts and construction-paper bats, the birthday boy and his nine-year-old friends dressed up — in costumes they already owned — bobbed for apples, made mini-presentations about their get-ups and all received awards. The homemade food included eyeballs (grapes) floating in punch, finger-shaped cookies and muffins with spiderweb icing.
“It was really reasonable, and the kids had a blast,” said LePoidevin, head of marketing at Upper Canada Child Care, a non-profit childcare provider.
Birthdays for little ones often come with pressure to splurge, as social media bombards parents with images of picture-perfect celebrations and the couple down the block throws a birthday extravaganza for their two-year-old. But experts say there are myriad ways to celebrate without breaking the bank, from do-it-yourself decorations to free activities, all while keeping in mind that kids treasure experiences more than any toy.
Step one: set a budget.
“The easiest way to overspend is to decide on what you want and then figure out what all of that’s going to cost you,” said Ali Harris-Saunders, corporate and community relations manager at the Credit Counselling Society.
“Start with the number that you’re comfortable spending and then build your party around that budget.”
“One of the biggest mistakes that I see is … trying to match someone else’s celebration,” she said.
Set aside any pressure to host a pristine, Instagram-ready event.
“(The kids) are never going to remember what the cost was or how many decorations you have, but they will remember the experiences and how everyone made them feel, and that’s the most important thing.”
Among the costlier items to avoid are branded table cloths and napkins and other licensed decorations of franchise characters, as well as life-size figurines and their flesh-and-blood equivalents: hired character actors or performers.
“You can get carried away,” said LePoidevin. “It can run into the hundreds of dollars just on decorations.”
For those items you do want to buy — party hats, plates, napkins or noisemakers, for example — hunt for deals months ahead of time.
“And if you do want to splurge a little bit — go for that pony or the clown — you might want to start putting money aside, even if it’s a small amount every single month, to help you avoid financial stress when that celebration time comes,” said Harris-Saunders.
As for venues, experts suggest free spaces like parks, playgrounds, trails, community centres or backyards.
Potential activities abound, from sledding and snow-fort building to sprinkler runs, scavenger hunts and Simon Says.
Helen Holden, founder of party planning platform Counting Candles, recalled a recent park party she attended that featured different activity zones.
“One area was for extra-large versions of card games like Uno and a giant Connect Four set. Another area had beach balls where the kids were improvising and playing volleyball,” she said. Another section had a small speaker and “dance floor.”
Added Harris-Saunders: “Any activities where they can move to their own beat are awesome … It’s also better if there’s not a lot of supervision required. They actually play better.”
For older kids, a bike or scooter expedition can have a treasure hunt sprinkled in, topped off by a picnic. But a Plan B is useful for anything weather-dependent.
Some parents feel pressure to invite the entire class, for fear of making any child feel excluded. But LePoidevin says moms and dads should “absolutely not” feel obliged to host 28 children in their living room. The result can be chaotic.
“Small gatherings usually create more meaningful experiences” — and lower costs — said Harris-Saunders.
Experts also recommend sending invitations privately — digital is cheaper and perhaps more discreet.
Do-it-yourself food and games — brownies and musical chairs, for example — trim the expense list further. For decorations, options could include paper plates with hole-punch designs, dream catchers or sock puppets made by the kids themselves for an arts-and-crafts-themed birthday.
Hosting between meals, like 2 to 5 p.m., can save on food purchases. Potlucks are another possibility.
While many a kiddo might relish the thought of a stack of pizzas, “food is rarely the focus of a child’s energy,” so nothing elaborate is required, said LePoidevin. She also recommended self-serve items, like a popcorn bar or fruit and veggie cups.
Limit both the toys you give your child and the party favours — putty and squishy toys are affordable options — for guests. Loot bags often involve items that are disposed of within days of being hauled back home.
“I was a single mum for some time and I told my kids, the gift is either a party or a present. They chose the party every time,” LePoidevin said.
Added Harris-Saunders: “All that mattered to me was, I was surrounded by the people who loved me, by my classmates, by my best friends, the people from church,” she said.
“And I got to eat as much cake as I wanted.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2026.
Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press
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