$50 Birthday party idea

I-Spy themed party

Most kids are familiar with the book or TV show "I Spy," where common household items, toys, and everything in between becomes a visual treasure hunt.

• Host an "I Spy" party by placing odds and ends around your house in unique ways. Put a sponge in the corner, a teddy bear on a chair, or a rubber ducky in the tub.
• Call out "I Spy" clues throughout the party and play different rounds with a variety of categories. Start with "I Spy Colors." For example, the leader would say, "I spy with my little eye something that is red and means love," and the kids will shout out, "heart pillow" when they see the pillow on the couch.
• Other categories can include: "I Spy Letters," where the leader would say, "I spy with my little eye something that begins with 'B' that a monkey eats," meaning a banana. Mix it up with "I Spy Animals" and "I Spy Mommies." Then take it outside for a round of "I Spy Nature."
• The party will feel like an ongoing treasure hunt packed with fun from the moment guests arrive to the time that they leave.

Use this cost breakdown as a guide for your budget party planning

1. Invites: $0  - Use Celebrations.com online invitations.

2. Decorations: $5 - Most of the themes in our $50 Budget Kids' Birthday Parties make creative use of items around the house or yard, which are free!

• However, balloons really make a kid's day and are worth the cost. Pick up a pack of latex balloons, blow them up instead of filling them with helium, and tape them around the party to perk up the space.

• Create a homemade birthday banner by taping together paper that you have on hand. Decorate it with crayons, markers, glitter and whatever else your child has in their box of arts and crafts. You can also cut out letters that spell "Happy Birthday" and glue them on the banner or hang them individually as a sign.

3. Party Supplies: $10 - Go for the fun cake plates at your child's birthday party. You could shop the Dollar store and really save on party supply costs.

• Buy a set of themed plates, such as a licensed Disney character or a famous super hero, which should cost around $4. Then round out the supplies with a set of generic "Happy Birthday" plates, napkins, and cups from the 99-Cent Store.

• Make a stack of alternating premium and generic plates and use them for cake (go with finger food snacks). Kids may beg for the piece of cake with the sugar flower on it, but will rarely request a specific plate.

• Save money (and the environment!) by using your own forks or utensils instead of buying plastic.

4. Games and Activities: $0 - These party themes were designed with no-cost activities or budget buys as in the Make Your Own Volcano Party. Along with the activities suggested for each theme, play classic birthday party games like Musical Chairs or Simon Says--they're free and fun for kids.

5. Favors: $ 10 - My favorite place to shop for party favors is the Dollar store. Sometimes you can find 4-packs of Play Dough, a set of princess crowns, or a pack of toys each for 99 cents, which is a total score!

• A value pack of assorted wrapped candy or a bag of Pinata fillers are also ideal for budget party favors.

• An 8-count pack of loot bags from the Dollar store will hold an assortment of candy or small toys and for larger items--like a princess crown or plastic airplane--simply wrap them with gift paper or tie curling ribbon on them.

6. Homemade Birthday Cake and Candles: $ 15 - The birthday cake is the highlight for most kids at the party and certainly the guest of honor. Therefore, here's where you need to spend a little money on unless a relative or friend gives your child the cake as a gift. If you are not a baker, consider shopping your grocery store freezer for a cake instead of the bakery.

7. Snacks and Drinks: $10 - Most kids eat chips, pretzels, and Goldfish as a snack, depending on their age.

• Choose a couple of age-appropriate "finger food" snacks, fill in with a value bag of candy, and you're good to go.

• Instead of expensive individual packs of juice, buy a couple of envelopes of Kool-Aid/Lemonade and mix it all up in a pitcher for guests to drink, along with a pitcher of water.

8. Estimated Total Cost: $50

Thanks go out to http://www.celebrations.com/ for their great idea and photo!