Winter birthday party ideas

My children are lucky enough to have one with a summer birthday and the other with a winter one, giving them the opportunity to enjoy a party for each season. The one that seems to be the biggest struggle for us budget wise is the winter activities. That said, I am sure I am not alone and wanted to share some budget friendly ideas we've put on our kids suggestion list for when they decide what they want to do for their party.

• Ice skating party - Typically ice rinks charge per person during open skate time. If you do not have your heart set on renting a party room this can make for a cheap day out. Parents are typically free as long as they are not skating.
• Bowling party - Typically bowling alleys charge per person during open bowling hours. Of course you will need to pay for each child's shoes as well as each line of bowling, but typically you can stay under $10 per child. Admission to the alley is free, so you won't need to pay for parents to bowl (unless of course you want to). Bowling alley food and drinks can get expensive, so if you want to go someplace to cut the cake etc, I would consider meeting at the house first for this and serving something simple like hot dogs, so that the kids arrive with full stomachs. Bowling alleys frequently run promos on the daily deal sites, if you can snag one of them for the alley you would be going to, this would save you even more money (link to sites in header).
• Sledding party - Consider purchasing some inexpensive sleds instead of party favors and invite all the guests to meet you at the location. Party hosts will need to consider the outside temperature and where the kids may take a break to warm up if necessary. A van with a few thermoses full of hot cocoa work well for this.
• Movies - Admission to the movies can run sorta high, but if you hit the first show of the day you can sometimes get in for $5 a person. Why not have their friends meet a your house before the movie for a special brunch so that they can arrive with full bellies and you can avoid paying for concessions. Since you would not typically have a birthday cake for brunch, here are a few ideas you could use instead
• Use a stack of fresh fruit in the shape as a cake (using cantaloupe for the bottom layer, pineapple for the second and kiwi for the top, all minus the skin of course. Don't be afraid to get creative with the fruits. Use toothpicks between the layers to keep them from shifting).
• Make a birthday trifle. Put in layers of cake, yogurt (La Creme or Greek work best due to the firmness), and fruit. Top it all off with a layer of whipped cream. I know this is still cake, but at least its not pure sugar because you are mixing it with yogurt and fruit. Get creative and switch it up, I like using flavored yogurt so I tend to stick with basic cake flavors. 
• Serve breakfast cup cakes. Take a refrigerator biscuit and push it into the muffin cup, in the center add cooked eggs and sausage, then top with cheese. you could also make corn bread muffins and mix in the booked sausage, putting the eggs on the side. If you do the cornbread muffins, I would consider using 1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix and 1 box of white cake mix for your batter (mixing per box). Mixing the two makes the muffins a bit sweeter and less grainy for the kids who do not normally eat corn bread.
• Craft party - Purchase craft kit ahead of time (using coupons for each kit) and rent the craft class room at the store. Room rental typically runs $50 for 2 hours and include the space, a staff member to assist the kids, and clean up. Most places DO allow food, so you can do the cake and punch at the same location. The room at our store holds 8-10 easily, and has coupons every week for any item at 40% off, making this party under $10 per child even after the rental fee and kit cost.
• Slumber party - Let your child choose a few friends to spend the night. Depending on what time you choose to have the party start will depend on if you are expected to serve a full meal or simply snacks. If your budget will allow, I would have them drop off early enough to eat and simply fix some low cost food for supper. Kids have a great time making their own pizzas which doesn't cost much and then it is also a "activity" for the night. You can then put in a kid friendly rented  movie and pop some popcorn as a special treat. I would consider having at least 2 games planned to be sure that the kids don't get bored (even if they decide not to play them), this can be as simple as pulling out a board game or doing something like a race to see who can sit on a pop their balloon first. Entertainment is typically low cost for a slumber party, you expense will primarily be the food. Expect to feed the kids breakfast before they go home, and be specific on pick up times when you print the invitations. I have put a few side notes below.
• Tortilla pizzas recipe: Take flour tortilla shells and place on a pan, put a few Tbsp of pizza sauce on top and spread out, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and diced meat/veggies of your choice. Place in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cheese starts to brown. Take out and let cool slightly before cutting and serving (just like with any pizza).
• Movie rental: I frequently post free movie rental codes on here so you may just get this part for FREE. If you choose a movie that is rated higher than PG, make sure you ask the parents if it is okay if their child watches it.

Image pulled from Cake Dreams