Invitations and Thank-you Cards

• Invitations and thank-you cards should take only a small portion of your party budget. Generic invitations are usually cheap, but, if your son wants a specific superhero or cartoon character and he has a long guest list, they can quickly become very pricey. Your local dollar or bargain store may have inexpensive invitations or you can print your own at home using a word-processing program such as Microsoft Word or an online template such as the one at DLTK.com (see Resources). Print the invitations in black and white and let your child color one for each of his guests.
  
  

Decorations

• Purchase balloons, a plastic tablecloth, streamers, a "Happy Birthday" sign and other supplies at a discount or dollar store. Enlist your birthday boy's help to cut construction paper into tiny pieces for confetti to place on the table. Fold a stack of eight sheets of tissue paper into a fan, approximately 1 inch wide. Tie a piece of string securely around the center of the fan and separate the pieces of tissue paper, creating a sphere. Hang the tissue-paper balls from the ceiling with the central string.
  
  

Games and Activities

• Playing party games and video games, making crafts and watching movies at home are less expensive activities than a trip to the movie theater, laser tag or the arcade. Purchase simple, inexpensive crafts from discount or big-box stores. Boys will enjoy outdoor games such as flag football, relay races and a water balloon toss. Indoor games might include a treasure or scavenger hunt, bingo or brain teasers. Include board games or video games you already own or open the presents first and let the boys watch a movie or play a new game that your son receives for his birthday.
  
  

Serving Items and Cake

• Paper plates and napkins in your son's favorite color can be found at your local grocery or dollar store and are much less expensive than the licensed cartoon variety. Cut your food budget in half by baking your son's birthday cake instead of buying one at a bakery. Purchase a small toy for a cake topper, or bake the cake in a glass bowl to create a mountain. Cover the cake in chocolate frosting and layer on red and orange "lava" to make a volcano, or frost the mountain in green grass with a chocolate "road" and place cars or trucks on it.
  
  

Party Favors

• Buy plain paper lunch bags and allow the party guests to decorate them with crayons, markers and stickers to start the party. Fill the sacks with any crafts they make at the party, treats, colorful pencils, glow sticks, homemade play-dough, noise-makers and any other inexpensive goodies you can find.