A survey by the popular Sainsbury's Nectar Card has revealed that 80% of parents plan to spend more on their children's birthday parties.
Gone are the days when children sat around an uninspiring kitchen table picking away at Rice Krispie cakes or playing Pass The Parcel on the carpet (although we think that's a great game and we love Rice Krispie cakes!).
How do parents feel about planning a children's birthday party?
It might not surprise you to read that 72% of parents surveyed said that they found the planning of a child's birthday party to be stressful! The most stressful part of the process that staying in budget (not so much of a surprise!).
We admit that we laughed when we read that parents found it so stressful that they listed the things they'd prefer to do, and these included:
- Housework (56% would prefer to be doing it!)
- Sitting in traffic (35%)
- Public speaking (14%)
There's another interesting statistic in the data - September is the most popular month for a child's party! When you stop to think about it, there's a reason why - a lot of summer holiday birthday parties are postponed until the kids are back at school!
Why are parents spending more on their child's birthday party?
The cost of living increase has had a marked impact on the amount being spent. The 80% that said they'd be spending more were responding directly to a question asking if they'd be spending the same as last year, and the rise in prices is obviously going to result in a higher spend unless some items are cut-back.
There's another factor - every parent wants their child to have a fabulous birthday party, and there could be an element of "Keeping Up With The Joneses" in the trend to higher spending.
How many children's birthday parties are held at home?
In recent years, there has been a trend to external venues as the host locations for a children's birthday party, be it a soft-play, a pottery painting shop or anything else that takes your fancy.
However, Sainbury's revealed a potential shift in parents attitudes when it comes to the food that is offered to children. More than 62% said they were considering cooking or baking food at home - with a good proportion of those parents saying they'd be holding the party at their house too.
How much is the average children's birthday party?
The Nectar data revealed that parents were preparing to spend an average of £280. However, there are other sources revealing that the average spend is over £320 with a further £175 spent on top of that with birthday presents.
What do parents spend most on for their children's birthday party?
Entertainment is the area in which parents spend the most, with 21% of parents saying they'd spend more on it than they would the cost of hiring a venue.
When it comes to the type of entertainment, many of these are dependent on the age of the child and those attending, but here are some of the top birthday party entertainment choices:
- Puppet show
- Treasure hunt
- Fancy dress competitions
- Cookie decorating
- 360 video booths (great idea, we agree!)
- Magic show
- Face painting
- Car racing (Scalextric type racing!)
- Dance party
- Balloon twisting
- Hula hoops
- Trampolines
- Bouncy castle
- Bubble show
- Cooking
- Board games
- Pottery painting
- Water balloons
- Canvas painting
- Arts & Crafts
- Tug of war
Do you find planning your child's birthday party stressful?
Let us know in the comments! We'd love to hear what you think when it comes to planning a birthday party.