‘Is it just me, or are kids’ parties getting more extravagant these days?’ my mum, a former primary school teacher, said to me recently.
She’d just got off the phone with her best friend, whose grandson was having a party for his whole class, costing £500.
Naively, I’d always assumed that most kids experienced what I did as a child: friends turning up at our house, playing games like pass the parcel and musical chairs, eating Victoria Sponge baked by my grandma, and everyone leaving with a party bag consisting of a pack of Haribos and a slice of leftover cake.
Fast forward to 2025, and that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. While there’s no shame in wanting to throw your child the birthday party of their dreams, it seems that many parents are struggling to keep up. The pressure – for what should be an enjoyable experience – is real.
‘I’m feeling really down.’
Leah, a single mum of two from the Isle of Wight, says she regularly feels the pressure, both when her kids get invited to parties, and when organising their yearly celebrations.
When we speak, she’s in full party-planning mode, as her youngest son is getting excited for his party this weekend. But while her youngster is full of beans, which of course puts a smile on Leah’s face (isn’t that what having children is all about, after all?), she still feels a nagging sense of stress and anxiety that only parents can understand.
‘I’m feeling really down,’ Leah says, explaining that her son’s party is at the local zoo. She says that it’s somewhere he’s been desperate to go for a while.
‘Adults cost £5, and when you’ve got a kid in a class with 20-odd other children, the price can add up.
‘I’ve said I’ll pay for one adult per child, but have stressed that any extras will have to pay for themselves. I feel terrible about it.’
Now think about that for a sec: five pounds for one adult doesn’t seem like the world. But when your child is in primary school, it’s customary not to leave any of the other kids out. So quickly, the costs increase.
‘The constant emotions behind it are so difficult to deal with,’ Leah says, adding: ‘The mum guilt you feel is real.’
A lot of things you see at kids’ parties these days are what you’d expect from a wedding
Charlotte, a mum of three from West Yorkshire, can recall many a time when her kids have been invited to extravagant parties. Or, were left out due to the extreme costs of the activities.
‘I remember one of my daughters had a girl in her class who had a helicopter party.’ Yep, you read that right. Her parents said she could choose three friends to join her, and after the helicopter ride, they went for an expensive dinner together.
At a glance, sites like Buy a Gift list these experiences from £85 for one person to as much as £475 for three.
Another girl Charlotte’s daughter knew was picked up after school in a pink stretch Hummer. The child, along with a small group of friends, were greeted at the gates, along with kids’ bubbly and a platter of sweets for the ride. They were then transported to the local bowling alley, where they played a couple of games and had a pizza party, followed by a disco.
Again, according to different limousine companies across the country, you can expect to pay between £150 and £600 per hour. On top of that, bowling parties usually cost around £10 per person.
‘I remember thinking, “Wow, is this the sort of thing they do nowadays?”‘, Charlotte says, adding that from then on, she decided to host family parties instead. That way, you eliminate yourself from the competition.
‘Another big party trend at the minute is the Disney Princess theme,’ Charlotte reveals. She explains that parents hire kids’ entertainers who dress up as each princess and greet the kids. While this does sound very sweet, Charlotte says that the children are encouraged to dress up as their favourite princess, which adds extra costs for parents.
Perhaps the worst part is that there’s no guarantee kids will even enjoy their lavish events. Charlotte recently went to the party of her cousin’s two-year-old girl. Her parents threw a party in their garden for all the nursery children, complete with a bouncy castle, inflatable slide, and a huge soft play area. They also had professional cupcakes and a three-tier Peter Rabbit cake made.
But the ironic thing? Charlotte says the toddler was so frightened, hated everything, and cried the whole time.
‘Honestly, I feel like a lot of things you see at kids’ parties these days are what you’d expect from a wedding. There’s just too much pressure thinking of the next big thing,’ Charlotte says.
How to navigate the awkwardness, according to experts
Amanda Frolich, founder of Amanda’s Action Club, has been running children’s parties and events in London for the past 30 years. If you’re a parent hosting a party, but are worrying about money, Amanda reassures: ‘A lot of people ring me up asking if they should go all out on decorations. For people on a budget, all you need to get is a balloon with a number on it.’
‘I admire people who are more interested in their child having fun than in what the party looks like [to other parents]. I don’t want to see another grazing board or how big the balloon arch is. I want to see parents engaging with their kids and joining in on the fun.’
Amanda then reveals her motto: ‘Children move better when adults move with them,’ before sharing an example of a recent successful party she attended.
‘Three weeks ago, I turned up to a party in a London park that had been organised by the child’s mum. When we arrived, the energy and the passion that she had put in were obvious.’
The mum kicked off with a treasure hunt, complete with homemade printed maps with clues that got all the parents involved. She’d also scheduled around 10 different games to play over the afternoon.
‘In all the years I’ve been entertaining, I’ve never seen a mum put in so much time and effort to a party at such little cost. It was the most amazing party I’ve ever seen a mum produce. I reckon she’d have spent about £20 on medals and treasure. It was phenomenal.’
Ultimately, all a children’s party requires are fun activities, says Amanda. ‘All you need is imagination, music, energy, enthusiasm, passion, and interaction.’
Janea Kannett, founder of Mother and Kub, a nappy bag line, has some advice for parents whose children are invited to expensive parties.
‘If it feels over the top, it’s perfectly fine to set your own boundaries politely,; she says.
‘For example, when asked about gifts, consider giving something thoughtful but within your budget, and avoid comparing your gift to others. This helps maintain your comfort and keeps the focus on the child’s enjoyment rather than the extravagance.’
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
