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How to Plan a Chuck E. Cheese Party on a Budget

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Planning birthday parties can be almost as stressful and hard on your budget as a wedding can be these days (doesn’t it feel like it?!), but if you make the simple choice of going to a great place like Chuck E. Cheese for your party you will find much of the planning taken care of for you and the budget issues disappear.  If you are worried about the expense of having parties at a restaurant check out these tips on How To Plan a Chuck E. Cheese Party On A Budget.  Not only can you give your child a special event that includes games, characters, fun foods and prizes you can sit back and not worry about them running around and being loud because that is expected at a location like Chuck E. Cheese.  Additionally, since you are not hosting at your home, you get the joys of leaving the mess behind for someone else to clean up.

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HOW TO PLAN A CHUCK E. CHEESE PARTY ON A BUDGET:

  • USE CHUCK E. CHEESE COUPONS.  One of the reasons we prefer Chuck E. Cheese over other fun play zone type venues is because of the frequent coupons we receive not only with weekly coupon inserts in our newspaper but also via email.  These offer great package deals that can save up to 50% off regular price for routine visits as well as party packages.  Check out my recent post regarding how to get Chuck E. Cheese coupons for more tips on savings.

    chuck e cheese coupons

  • ASK FOR A PARTY PACKAGE.  Call your local location and ask what packages they currently offer.  Although the chain of restaurants has similar pricing and product available individual location managers have the choice of creating their own special packages.  You may be able to pay a flat rate for a select number of kids and adults that will include a private room, a bucket of tokens, cake and even have the Chuck E. character appear for a bit to say hi to the kids.  Do be mindful of what the packages include & what add on options are.  As listed below, providing some of add on options yourselves will save more in the long run.

  • BRING YOUR OWN CAKE.  Check with the location policy but often you can cut cost by bringing your own cake or cupcakes to the party.  Whether you make your own or purchase at a local store you can easily shave $20-$25 off the Chuck E. Cheese birthday party package cost by bringing your own dessert.

  • ASK FOR SPECIAL PRICING ON BULK TOKEN PURCHASE.  Most packages include a set amount of tokens but when you have several children in attendance, those don’t go very far.  Remember most of the games require 1-2 tokens to play and if each child only has 20 tokens they will quickly disappear.  There are often coupons for “Buy 100 tokens get 100 free” available as well as options within their party packages.  Be sure to ask in advance for bulk pricing, and remember for every hour they will have of “play time” you should expect to need 25-50 tokens per child.

  • BRING YOUR OWN FAVORS.  Although there will be prices awarded in exchange for tickets earned on the games not every child will win the same amount.  Make sure to have a bag of prizes for each attendee so nobody leaves empty handed.  I recommend checking out stores like Dollar Tree or $0.99 stores (even Amazon has you covered) for bulk inexpensive favor bags and ribbon then ordering the prices to be included from someone like Oriental Trading for cheap, fun and inexpensive favors that will be suitable for whatever age group you are planning for. Don’t forget to make use of Ebates when you are shopping online, as that is a very easy way to get cashback on the purchases you were making anyway (it’s completely free, and new members get $10 after using the system when you go through my referral link!).

The most important part of planning a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party on a budget is to make sure you ask a lot of questions of the staff ahead of time to see what your options are.  There are often hidden packages, deals and special discounts you can get you just have to ask in advance.  Include using the coupons you can readily get any time of the year and bringing a limited amount of your own supplies and you will be able to throw an unforgettable party on a limited budget.

You might also enjoy my blog post about planning a superhero-themed birthday party for girls, so be sure to check that out! Good luck with your party planning!

superhero party for girls


Children’s Birthday Parties: Try Something Creative!

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I hope you enjoy this guest post brought to you by Banana Moon. As someone who recently planned her first children’s birthday party, I can identify with the stress of it! The post also reminds me of my baby shower for Darah, where guests stenciled onesies. They are some of my most cherished items of clothing for my girls! 

Planning your child’s birthday party can become an arduous task, especially when you have to think of new and different ideas each year. The pressure to spend a lot of money is always there, but that isn’t always a viable option. The stress that can come as a result of planning a party can make you feel like it’s more trouble than it’s worth – not a great feeling when you just want to make sure your child has a lovely birthday. However, there are lots of fun and inexpensive ideas that you can put together to make a great party. All it needs is a little forward thinking and imagination and you’ll give your child a party to remember.

Creative activities are always a great option for parties as it keeps the children entertained whilst they are socializing together. Do something different that will also give the kids a memento of the day; for example, personalizing a t-shirt or hoodie using arts and crafts is a great way of doing both these things. This is an excellent way to keep the kids occupied whilst you prepare other party activities (the food and birthday cake are obviously top priorities!). This sort of activity will help stimulate their imagination, without it sounding too much like school work – always a bonus!

To prepare for the activity you would just need to purchase some plain clothing in a light color, some fabric pens or paint and maybe some plain paper so the kids can work on their designs before transferring it onto the clothes. Pens will probably be better for younger children in order to minimize the amount of mess made. You should be able to get these items from craft shops, and it might be worth investing in some stencils as some kids will be more artistic than others. You could mention in the party invitation for all the kids to bring an overall with them so they don’t get their party outfits messy (their parents are sure to thank you for that reminder!) You can get everything set up before the guests arrive, leaving you with ample time to make any last minute adjustments.

By the end of the party everyone will be wearing their new designs and it will be a great keepsake from the day. The fabric paint and pens will be a great investment for a rainy day, especially if your children love to draw. You could even encourage your children to create some new designs for their old clothes; teaching them the values of recycling in the process! So if your child’s birthday is coming up, maybe think about going down the more creative route and see what designs they come up with.