{Guest Post} 6 Great Ideas for Dino Party on a Budget

6 Great Ideas for a Dinosaur Birthday Party on a Budget

Of all the party themes for boys on my blog, Spaceships and Laser Beams, dinosaur birthday parties are the most popular. And how could they not be? They’ve been a classic since, well, the beginning of time. Here are 6 ideas to keep your budget in check while still throwing an amazing party – and, best of all, your guests will never know it is a budget party.

1. Simply put, it’s not a dinosaur party without a dinosaur cake (or cupcakes). If you’re looking for an easy option, rob the toy box for to top of your birthday boy or girl’s favorite flavor of cake. Add a border of mini eggs around the bottom of the cake to create a prehistoric feel.

2. If you’re the more adventurous type, try an easy fondant version of a dinosaur birthday cake like these parents did. They just used a half ball cake pan that they rented and sculpted the head, feet and tail out of crispy rice treats. It was their first time making a fondant cake and I think they an amazing job.

3. If you’re looking to make a big impact on a small budget, I love the large DIY dinosaur silhouettes that this mom decorated her backyard with. Using cardboard or large poster board, simply cut out dinosaurs in various colors and place them throughout the main party area so that they are peaking from behind plants, trees or furniture. You can even incorporate them into a fun party game by having your guests guess the names of the dinosaurs they are looking at.

4. Host a fossil hunt by hiding “fossils” them throughout your yard just like this mom. Perfect for all ages, your smallest guests will enjoy searching with their parents while older children will turn it into a friendly competition to see who can find the most. Give each child a small bucket from the dollar store so that they can collect their treasures.

5. If you’re looking for a craft activity, have your guests make their own dinosaur hunter binoculars. All they need to make these “dinoculars” are toilet paper rolls, construction paper and ribbon.

6. For goodie bags, there are a number of options. For instance, if you have a strict budget, you can buy a multi-pack of cute dinosaur figurines, break it apart and tie a favor tag to each one. If you want to give something a little bigger, create a dinosaur hunter kit with a small pair of binoculars, magnifying glass, safari-type hat and other fun items.

We hope these suggestions help make your next party dino-mite! Stephanie Keeping is a mom of boys, a blogger, and an Etsy-preneur. She celebrates boyish charm at Spaceships and Laser Beams, where she talks about all things boy and birthday party. You can connect with her on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter and on Etsy.