The guest’s experience starts with the invitation. Instead of expensive invites, Kaye prefers a more personal touch, and encourages parents to involve their kids in the process. “I like ideas that are easy for everyone, regardless of artistic ability,” she says. For an exciting, sleuth-style invitation, Kaye suggests writing the invitation with invisible ink pens, which often come with a built-in UV light to reveal the secret message. Send the pen kit along with the invitation to your guests—they’ll have as much fun deciphering the message as your child had writing it.
An eco-friendly (and cost-effective) alternative to print invitations is using websites like Smilebox.com, which offers more than 1,000 free e-cards to choose from. All you have to do is download the program, add your own photos and videos, select music and captions, and email your creation to your guest list. If you can spend a few dollars here, premium designers offer more musical variety and are sent without advertisements.

Now that your guests have been invited, thoughts turn to food. Pizza remains the most popular choice for kids, but what about serving the adults? “Most people don’t eat at kids’ parties, but order food anyway,” Kaye says. “Consider putting out enough crudités or cheese and fruit for eight people if you’re expecting 16.” Another inexpensive crowd pleaser? H20! “Everyone loves water,” Kaye says. “Have a bunch of mini bottles on ice.”

The gang’s all here, but what will we do? “Let the kids become the entertainment,” Kaye suggests. Buy some inexpensive thrift shop clothing for costumes, and let the children put on a play or film a movie. “You’d be amazed at what kids come up with and where their imaginations lead them,” she says. Another interactive activity is baking the birthday cake with the kids—for recipes and directions, Kaye’s own book, “Bake-a-Cake Party Book,” is a great resource. Not only will it save you money on an expensive bakery cake and occupy the kids for an hour or two, but it also gives guests a real sense of accomplishment.

For the more tangible take-away from your event, consider giving guests parting gifts that they can for enjoy years to come. “You can find inexpensive things that are not junk,” Kaye says. “I’m particularly fond of books, and bookstores often have good deals in the children’s section.”

When it comes to gift etiquette, Kaye advises against opening gifts at the party. “Instead, create a treasure hunt once you’re home and your child is relaxed and rested,” she says. “This offers a fun activity to counteract the post-party letdown, and prevents the obsessive opening of presents without really appreciating each one.” You can also use the treasure hunt as an opportunity to work on thank-you notes. “If you take a picture as your child finds each present, you can use that as part of your thank-you,” Kaye says.

For more party planning tips and ideas, visit partymakers.com.

MOMSENSE: Penny-Saving Party Advice From Local Moms

“When planning our daughter’s birthday, we found that venues were expensive and included services we didn’t want or need, so we started emailing churches in the area. We found many with large community areas for very reasonable hourly fees. We used Advent Lutheran (Broadway at 96th), which has a beautiful basement space.” —Jennifer Maslowski, Harlem

“For my son’s birthday parties, I forgo pricey specialty bakery cakes and have the bakery at my supermarket do it for a third of the price. I bring in a picture I want them to use—usually clip art in the party’s theme—and through some kind of edible copying magic the picture appears on the cake. They have dozens of batter and icing flavors, and everyone always raves about how delicious it is.” —Robin Saks Frankel, Upper East Side

“Here’s a great goodie bag idea: For our daughter’s last birthday, we made a playlist of music she bopped to all year. We bought a jumbo pack of blank CDs and cases, burned them and printed out a cute cover—all with our home computer. It only cost around $1.50 per kid.” —Heather Chaet, Upper West Side

“There are some wonderful group coupon sites that offer discounts on kids’ activities and parties. Parents should sign up for Groupon and DoodleDeals (from Diapers.com) and keep an eye out for birthday party deals. I just saw one from DoodleDeals—$350 for a sports birthday party, a $900 Value!” —Leah Agudelo, Tribeca

“Our sons’ birthdays are in May so we often throw them a party together. For $25, we get a park permit for an outdoor party—there are so many great spots in Central Park and Riverside, and park parties work for all ages.” —Lora Heller, Upper West Side