Birthday blues
Published
The average cost of a kid’s party is now £524, according to new research from kids’ party organiser Oxygen Activeplay. Unsurprisingly, nearly 9 in 10 (89 per cent) of parents say hosting parties has become extremely competitive and nearly half (45 per cent) say it’s one of the most stressful things they’ve done.
And if you fondly remember the birthday parties of your own childhood – with sausage rolls, musical chairs and clowns – think again. The research shows that they have fallen out of favour and been replaced by soft play, theme parks, trampolining, pizzas, and sushi platters.
The overall cost of £524 includes decorations, venue hire, food, gift bags and entertainment. And it’s goodbye to crisps in bowls and homemade ham sandwiches, and big bottles of fizzy pop, and hello to hiring a clown or – even better – booking a venue outside the home,
Overall, one in ten parents said they wouldn’t even consider dressing up as a fictional character, while the nine percent thought it was inappropriate to offer wine or beer to parents at the party.
Visit oxygenactiveplay.co.uk
