The Insane Sticker Shock Of Kids' Birthday Parties

When my son turned 10, we wanted to plan a big party to celebrate. It's not something we do every year, but double digits called for something special.

We ran down the guest list, which ended up being eight boys from his class. He asked if we could host it at the local trampoline park or a community sports complex — both sites of birthday parties he’d attended previously this year. And boy, did I get a reminder about just how expensive birthday parties have gotten. And I know it’s not just my city, either.

I started researching and found the sports complex was $565 for two hours of field time, two extra-large cheese pizzas, 10 bottles of Gatorade and an inflatable dodgeball bounce house. I’m not entirely sure what an inflatable dodgeball bounce house entails, but it sounds like something 10-year-old boys would love. The sticker shock started here, but it definitely didn't end here.

The trampoline park’s base party started at $289, and I felt a surge of excitement when I saw the number; that was far less than I thought I would get away with spending on this party. Then I started scrolling. The basic package ($329) included the trampolines. Only the trampolines. The deluxe package bumped it up to include the indoor playground — essential since we were bringing younger siblings — but it wasn’t until the platinum level ($409) that you got the zipline, which was what my 10-year-old was longing for, and ultimately, what he chose.

There were also options to add on pizza (no outside food is allowed) one pitcher of pop (really? Pop is an add-on?) and a $50 up-charge if we wanted a private room rather than a table among the masses. Since I expected a group of 10-year-old boys to spend no more than five minutes at any table, I said no to the party room but clenched my teeth and confirmed the food and pop. At least it was still cheaper than the sports complex.

And it’s not like these two venues were that much more expensive than other options in our area. In fact, I’ve limited my kids to birthday parties every other year because of how expensive they are. Even if the base price is reasonable, the add-ons, well, add up. And it’s not like we live in some super ultra high-income area where people are regularly doing the absolute most, either. Birthday parties have just gotten very, very expensive.

Our local children’s museum, voted among the top in the country, has a base price of $350 for members and $400 for non-members for their birthday parties, which includes 30 guests and two hours (plus 30 minutes for set up) at the museum. The price does not include any of the on-site food options, and outside food is not allowed.

Another popular spot is our local zoo. The parties we’ve been to there have been fun and well-run, but when I looked up the price I discovered it’s $735 (plus tax!) for non-members for 15 people maximum (kids and adults), and the crowd-pleasing animal encounter is an extra $75. Each additional adult is $44 and each additional child is $49. At least they provide lunch, cupcakes, and ice cream.

It's hard to find a reasonable price, no matter what city you live in. Many of the places I researched were chains, with locations across the United States. It's enough to make you want to throw up your hands, let the kids run around the backyard for an afternoon and call it a party.

Plus, even low-key celebrations become costly once you factor in food, cake, drinks, plates, cups, utensils, decorations, favors, etc. And there’s the mental load of remembering all of that.

In the end, there’s something to be said for the all-inclusive option. My son’s ziplining trampoline party was nearly zero-stress for my husband and me. We noted several times how darn-near peaceful it was — even at a bustling trampoline park — to have parents drop off their kids while we sat back and watched the controlled chaos for two hours. Occasionally a 10-year-old boy ran by in a blur or stopped for a sip of water, and I did have to cajole the group of them to stop playing to sing “Happy Birthday”, but that was the worst problem we had. It was by far the least stressful birthday party we’ve hosted to date.

But also the most expensive.

When we checked out, the employee asked if we wanted to leave our assigned party host a tip. “Yes!” I exclaimed. “They were great.” They brought us our pizza and pop, made sure our cake came out before the normal time because one kid had to leave early, and checked on us several times.

Out of habit, I reached for the 20% option, until I saw what 20% of our total party cost was. I hesitated. I had not budgeted for that much extra to be tacked on at the end of our party.

I ended up tipping a slightly lesser amount and feeling guilty about it. The extras always have a cost, one way or another.

Lauren Davidson is a Pittsburgh-based writer and editor focusing on parenting, arts and culture, and weddings. She has worked at newspapers and magazines in New England and western Pennsylvania and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with degrees in English and French. She lives with her editor husband, four energetic kids, and one affectionate cat. Follow her on Twitter @laurenmylo.