How does anyone afford kids' birthdays in Nova?? (Virginia Beach, Manassas: houses, theater)

[jbakerman]

We're doing a George Mason basketball game for my son's 10th birthday. They do b-day packages w/ minimum of 10 tickets, at $19 a ticket. That fits in your price range (of course if you're not into basketball...).

[Mnseca]

Originally Posted by spencgr

Bowling. $16 per kid.

Kids Birthday Party Menu - Fairfax - Bowl America

Ice Skating. $200

Parties & Groups | Fairfax Ice Arena Inc.

Top Golf. $25/ kid

https://topgolf.com/us/plan-an-event/

Movie Theater party... $13.50 / kid

Parties


All of these include food. A cake is inexpensive.

I'm beginning to think you didn't actually do any research.

I have seen all of those places. You are just looking at website prices - pricing starts there, but once you actually book, most of those places are much higher or don't include something. Some are just not possible - my kid hates ice-skating, and his best friend has a broken leg; University Mall Theater is just too dirty and dark (I know that some of the moms involved won't go to that theater), and Bowl America we've done enough times and it's always dark and kind of depressing. Those are the obvious options - I can google just fine, thank you, but my question wasn't can you google obvious stuff for me, but rather what does everyone else do? Do they just do cheap places, make something work at home, or splurge for the 300 dollar venue? I was asking how people handle it - not asking for suggested venues.

[Mnseca]

Originally Posted by jbakerman

We're doing a George Mason basketball game for my son's 10th birthday. They do b-day packages w/ minimum of 10 tickets, at $19 a ticket. That fits in your price range (of course if you're not into basketball...).

Not into basketball, but appreciate the unique idea

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by Mnseca

I have seen all of those places. You are just looking at website prices - pricing starts there, but once you actually book, most of those places are much higher or don't include something. Some are just not possible - my kid hates ice-skating, and his best friend has a broken leg; University Mall Theater is just too dirty and dark (I know that some of the moms involved won't go to that theater), and Bowl America we've done enough times and it's always dark and kind of depressing. Those are the obvious options - I can google just fine, thank you, but my question wasn't can you google obvious stuff for me, but rather what does everyone else do? Do they just do cheap places, make something work at home, or splurge for the 300 dollar venue? I was asking how people handle it - not asking for suggested venues.

Really? Your original post sure reads like you are asking for suggested venues. These are the things people do and the prices seem accurate to me. If it was a summer birthday I would suggest your community pool if you belong to one. How about a RecCenter pool? (I know. I suggested a venue. Sorry.)

University Mall Theater is not bad at all. The new seating helped a lot. If my kid’s friend’s moms (or dads) wouldn’t go there then I guess they would just miss out. Sounds snobby to me.

The suggestions, although apparently unsolicited, are good ones. It seems you are expecting a lot for under $200.

[RecessionCasualty]

We celebrate only with family, we don't do parties. With that said it can get MUCH more expensive. We've spent the weekend at the beach, we've done Medieval Times a few times, one time we traveled several hours for camping.

Just a thought but some children who have Winter birthdays (or September kids where school starts and everyone is working hard on making friends) save the party for their half birthday where it generally lands in the Spring/Summer and options (with a bit of creativity) are cheaper.

[Ffxdata]

We have parties at home. We spend money on Wegmans trays and cake and beer and kids run around while we socialize. Runs about $300 for 60+ people.

Your friends sound elitist.

[Mnseca]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

Really? Your original post sure reads like you are asking for suggested venues. These are the things people do and the prices seem accurate to me. If it was a summer birthday I would suggest your community pool if you belong to one. How about a RecCenter pool? (I know. I suggested a venue. Sorry.)

University Mall Theater is not bad at all. The new seating helped a lot. If my kid’s friend’s moms (or dads) wouldn’t go there then I guess they would just miss out. Sounds snobby to me.

The suggestions, although apparently unsolicited, are good ones. It seems you are expecting a lot for under $200.

That's the whole point - for me, 300 is too expensive. I guess 200 doesn't cut it for someplace clean. I mean, when you add in gifts and cakes and so on, a birthday can easily hit the 500 mark, and we've just done Christmas. It seems kind of out of control to me. I'm probably snobby myself - bowling alleys and movie theaters feel dark and depressing to me, and also germ-filled and who knows what else. I do so wish we had a warm-weather birthday. RecCenter we've looked into - combination of expensive or not available, although I haven't managed to contact Freedom Rec yet.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by Mnseca

That's the whole point - for me, 300 is too expensive. I guess 200 doesn't cut it for someplace clean. I mean, when you add in gifts and cakes and so on, a birthday can easily hit the 500 mark, and we've just done Christmas. It seems kind of out of control to me. I'm probably snobby myself - bowling alleys and movie theaters feel dark and depressing to me, and also germ-filled and who knows what else. I do so wish we had a warm-weather birthday. RecCenter we've looked into - combination of expensive or not available, although I haven't managed to contact Freedom Rec yet.

IMO, every kid-centric birthday venue (with the exception of maybe the ice skating rink) seems germ-filled, dark and depressing.

Bowling alleys can have that effect too. But they are great fun. My office (over 100 people) had our office party at a bowling alley. Of course, we got to use the lanes at Ft. Myer so it's a bit different but still seems like a bowling alley.

This is really about the kids, not the parents, right. All they want to do is get together in a group and have fun. These adult requirements sure seem like a fun-killer to me, but it does sound a bit like you need to please the parents.

That said, at this time of year with the flu peaking as it is, I'd be hard pressed to do some group thing like that until probably April.

[Flamingo13]

Just have a party @ home, you can have some games, pizzas and a cake. It's crazy how people spend all that $$$ on parties (put it in a college fund)

[jbakerman]

The year my oldest turned 5, his little brother was 18 months. We were slammed with life in general and ceded the older one's party to House of Bounce (now closed) in Manassas. We had them do the party favors, all the food options, etc., and there was at least 20 kids. I remember paying the bill at the end and having my jaw-drop at the total of near $700. It was super convenient to not have to plan anything but sending out invitations, but that one got away from us fast.