Back in the 90s, any primary school kid who was anyone in the sandbox would get to live that glorious moment when he could smugly hand out invites to his birthday party at McDonald’s.
Receiving one of those postcard invitations from McDonald’s was the equivalent of being asked to a debutante ball. Or maybe I just had a deprived childhood, whatever.
Fast forward to the year 2019 and a smorgasbord of companies are now giving overworked parents a chance to outsource their birthday party planning duties.
Unfortunately, some birthday party packages out there are as exorbitant as wedding dinners, with the difference that your party guests are going to repay you in Barbie Dolls instead of angbaos. To make things less painful for you, are some birthday party packages for under $500.
1. McDonald’s
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Back in the days when McDonald’s birthday parties were all the rage, they were one of the premium options for parents who didn’t mind splashing out on their kids. These days, with all these party planners charging top dollar for over-the-top themed events, the humble McDonald’s party looks economical in comparison. The best thing is that most kids really can’t tell the difference between McDonald’s and McQueen (and if they can, that’s probably your own fault).
At a starting price of $12 a kid (minimum of 15 kids), you get a birthday cake, a hostess with the mostest who’ll play games and keep the kids entertained so you can continue fiddling with your smartphone, and goodie bags for each attendee. From a parent’s point of view, the most attractive thing here is really the price, which is low enough to rival doing it yourself.
Cost: From $12 per kid
Suitable for: Parents on a budget, pretty much the same reason people dine at McDonald’s
Addresses:
- 448 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 #01-1693
- 1o Ang Mo Kio Park St 12
- 632 Bukit Batok Central #01-138
- 533 Choa Chu Kang Street 51 #01-01
- 762 Jurong West Street 75 #02-250
- 208 Hougang Street 21 #01-217
- 200 Stadium Boulevard
- Marine Cove,1000 East Coast Parkway, East Coast Park #01-05
- 267 Serangoon Ave 3 #01-37
- 369 Sembawang Road #01-01
2. KFC birthday party
If you’re more into fried chicken than Ronald McDonald’s, you’ll be happy to know that KFC also offers birthday packages.
The KFC party package of 20 pax costs $250 and includes 20 pcs of chicken, 20 regular cups of whipped potato, 60 pieces of nuggets, 20 cups of regular iced milo and 20 goodie bags. The birthday boy or girl gets a birthday gift.
Additional guests are chargeable at $12.50 per guest.
The cute Colonel Sanders themed goodie bag that will be given has magnetic darts, party mask, stickers, and stationery. If your family really is such a big fan of Colonel Sanders, you can also get him to appear and host games.
Contact [email protected] or call 6233 8281 for more information.
Cost: From $12.50 per kid
Suitable for: Parents on a budget and children who love fried chicken
Addresses: Selected KFC outlets
3. The Cage @ Kallang
If your child is the ultimate soccer fun, the best party venue might just be a soccer pitch. You can rent a cage soccer pitch for just $128.
The price includes 2 hours of pitch rental, soccer balls and bibs, cleaning services, an A1-sized poster of the birthday kid, e-invites and provision of tables!
All children participating have to be over 6 years old.
Cost per child: Assuming 6 children, cost for venue rental is $21.30 (excluding food)
Suitable for: Soccer fanatics
Address: 28 Jalan Benaan Kapal, Singapore 399635
4. Kidz Amaze at SAFRA
The massive Kidz Amaze indoor playgrounds at SAFRA Toa Payoh and Jurong are multiple-storey caverns for spidermen-in-training. They remind me a bit of the monkey enclosures at the zoo, or those huge pet hamster enclosures with multiple slides and ladders.
The cheapest Kidz Amaze birthday package is $396.45 for Kidz Amaze members, $417.30 for SAFRA members and $449.90 for guests and admits up to 20 kids, who can then knock themselves out for 3 hours in the play maze and private party room. Also includes party deocaration and invitation cards.
Cost: Up to $22.50 per kid (non-SAFRA members)
Suitable for: Kids who’ve been accused of being hyperactive
Address: 293 Lor 6 Toa Payoh, Singapore 319387
5. Thyme @ Aliwal
Previously EatPlayLove Cafe, Thyme @ Aliwal is a western cafe selling fusion food. The interior is eclectic and they have an arts corner where your children can have an unlimited access to materials for only $5 on weekdays and $10 on weekends.
The tricky bit is that you need to have at least 25 people to book a party package, and kids only count as half a person. If you have friends, relatives or other parents who want to celebrate with you, get them to come down as reinforcements.
The maximum capacity is 65 to 75 pax and bookings start from $625.
Cost: From $25 per kid
Suitable for: Parents who want to hang out with people their own age
Address: 28 Aliwal St, #01-07, Singapore 199918
6. Timezone
To a kid, getting unleashed in a games arcade with a pocketful of tokens is equivalent to letting Sarah Jessica Parker loose in a Manolo Blahnik store. You won’t even have to spend a second thinking about how to entertain your young charges.
That’s where Timezone’s party packages come in. For $28 per person, kids get to have unlimited games on machines equipped with yellow car reader and 2 attraction games.
If you’ve more cash to burn, there is also a birthday party package for 10 pax that costs $640, which includes a birthday present, 3 hours in the party room, 3 hours of play, 1 party host and online invitation cards. Food is a separate cost at $20 per pax.
Cost: From $28 per kid
Suitable for: Kids who are gamers
7. Splash @ Kidz Amaze
Aside to the Kidz Amaze playground at Toa Payoh, Kidz Amaze Safra has a water playground at Punggol SAFRA called Splash. The package is inclusive of 3 hours of party room usage, thematic room furnished with tables and chairs, McDonald’s Happy Meal for 20 kids and complimentary entrance to the water playground for the birthday child.
The 20-pax package starts at $800 but costs more if you are not a member.
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Cost: From $40 a child
Suitable for: Kids who love water
Address: 9 Sentul Cres, Level 3, Singapore 828654
Have you ever thrown a big birthday party for your child? Tell us about it in the comments!
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