My daughter is turning 7 next month, but she will not be getting a birthday party. Now before you jump to conclusions, let me explain. It’s not that we are not celebrating, it’s just I’m done with parties, at least for right now.
A few months ago, we started brainstorming party ideas. And after spending way too much time and money planning a pool party last year, I wanted something that was no fuss and easy on the budget. However, this combination is apparently as rare as a rainbow unicorn, and I could not find one that appealed to my daughter, fit my budget, AND required little to no work. Everything my daughter liked was way too pricey, and everything that was in budget my daughter didn’t like. Typical.
So after going around and around on different ideas, I threw in the towel and said enough is enough. I. AM. DONE.
Done with wasting ridiculous amounts of time.
Done with expending absurd amounts of energy.
And done with spending outrageous amounts of money.
I am done with birthday parties.
BUT don’t worry, like I said, I didn’t throw in the towel on celebrating all together. I just decided this year was going to be different. Instead of the typical party, we were going to celebrate my daughter’s birthday with an experience.
So I switched from researching party ideas, to looking into possible experiences. I compiled a list, gave my daughter several options, and she could make the final decision. Depending on what she chose, we would go just as a family, or she could invite one or two friends. But either way, this was going to be a smaller group, requiring less time and energy on my part, but hopefully just as memorable for her, if not more so.
And just in case you’re ready for a change too, here are some experience ideas that I came across:
Amusement Park/Water Park
This option is pretty straight forward, and a great idea for celebrating birthdays. If you keep your group small you can usually keep the budget under control. Here are some options around the area:
Sporting Events
An athletic event is always fun for your sports loving kid. Thankfully our area has a lot of great teams to choose from:
- Dallas Cowboys (Football)
- Mavericks (Basketball)
- Dallas Stars (Hockey)
- FC Dallas (Soccer)
- Rangers (Baseball)
- Rough Riders (Baseball)
Concert/Shows
While a show is always exciting, this option will likely require a little planning in advance. Check out these two local venues for possibly options:
Overnight Adventures
My kids LOVE staying in hotels. So how fun would it be to celebrate by spending the night at a local resort. Or if you child is a little more rough and tough, maybe a night at the local campground would be fun. For older kids, or bigger milestones, you could even consider a short weekend getaway.
- Great Wolf Lodge
- Camping
- Short getaway ideas – Fort Worth, Austin, Broken Bow, etc.
Other Fun Ideas:
While I am not giving up on birthday parties forever, at this point in time, I just need a break. So in order to make sure my daughter still feels special on her special day, we’ve opted to celebrate with an experience. And to be honest, I think this will be her most memorable birthday yet.
Have you given up the party and planned a birthday experience?
