If you’re wanting to do a birthday party for your child from home to skip out on the expenses of hosting parties in other locations, you don’t have to break the bank to do it.

Planning a birthday party doesn’t have to take a ton of work or money. There are plenty of fun games that are cheap and fast to set up.

1. Pin the tail on the donkey- this is an older game, available in many variations and works well for any party for birthdays or holidays. The rules are simple- blindfold the child, spin and they have to stick the tail on the poster as close to the proper location as possible. The closest child wins.

This game only costs a few dollars, unless you’re able to print it off or draw it yourself. Sometimes you will get the board as a pull out in a magazine for free.

2. Treasure hunt- Create fun maps around the house/yard and mark various locations. Hide small prizes and send the kids in two teams to try to be the first to find the treasure.

You can also have each child follow slightly different maps to try to find their own personal treasures. The possibilities are endless.

3. One game played at my 7th birthday that was a huge hit was scooping cotton balls into a jar blindfolded. The child who scooped the most balls in the tub won.

I’m not sure the name of the game, but all of us had a blast and that particular birthday party was one of my most memorable.

4. Freeze dance- play music and have the kids dance. When the music stops, they freeze. There is no winner but kids do have a lot of fun

5. Simon says is another old classic that costs nothing. You have all kids line up and

6. Telephone- have the children stand in a circle. Tell one a “secret” they have to pass on to the next. When you get to the last kid, have them say it outloud and have the first kid tell everyone what the actual message is.

7. Pass the ball- this will take some prep and some money, but wrap a large ball of plastic wrap. While wrapping, put small favors and even change and have each child pass. When a child gets the ball, have them unwrap until you tell them to stop and they get any little favor that drops out.

8. Another physical game that can help kids run off the energy from cake is doing a relay race. Group the kids and have them line up- you can have the first kids race with spoons while the next two have to race with their feet tied together while the final kids have to do a wheelbarrow race. They could just pass a baton, like other games, the possibilities are endless.

There are tons of other games- from classics like Red Rover, musical chairs to games you make up. Birthday parties don’t have to cost hundreds, kids can have a lot of fun in the front yard playing games with their close friends.