At Home Or At A Destination: Where To Hold Your Child's Birthday Party

Birthday parties are so important to kids that you want to be sure the one you hold leaves happy memories. A popular alternative to holding a party at home is to hold it at a destination like a rollerskating rink or theme park. Many parents are unsure at first whether this is a good idea or whether it will be too much trouble. A careful look at what goes into a party will help you decide should you face the choice.

Cost Comparisons

If you take a bunch of kids somewhere, you're going to have to pay admission fees and likely for food for all of them. You can set rules like they have to buy any snacks outside of the official birthday lunch-and-cake meal, but that main menu will depend on your wallet. This is often what makes people shy away from out-of-home birthday parties.

Now take a look at the costs of holding one at home. No rental fees, but you still need to provide the food, cake, and games, along with all the supplies that go with them. If you're really in a budget crunch, a home party with a grocery-store cake will usually suffice (kids, honestly, won't really care where the cake is from -- they're just happy it's cake). But if you're planning a big party, your costs and the time you spend planning can add up to a substantial amount.

Clean-up Duties

This is one where the out-of-home party wins. Take the kids to a skating rink, theme park, or another place, and you won't have to worry about washing dishes, cleaning up the room, or other related matters except for a very basic sweep. Toss the plates and napkins in the garbage cans, and that's about it. At home, all those kids have the potential to destroy a room and leave you cleaning for hours. Even one opened bag of BBQ chips dropped on the carpet can leave a tough mess.

Arrivals

For out-of-home parties, everyone needs to arrive by a certain time. You may have a room rented for the lunch and cake, or you may need to pay admission all at once. If you trust that the kids will arrive on time, an out-of-home party can turn into a great time. If there are kids who won't be able to arrive on time, it may be better to have a party at home where the kids can come and go as needed.

If you've got a party to plan, start calling places that offer space for parties along with activities for the kids. Once you understand the policies at each place, you'll be able to make a final decision.