There are some parents who choose not to hold birthday parties for their kids.

These parents claim that it costs too much money to throw birthday parties for their children. They also say that it’s too stressful trying to organize birthday parties for kids when they’re still on the younger side.

You should know that you don’t have to spend a small fortune to put together plans for a birthday party for your child. You also don’t have to stress yourself out.

There are lots of backyard birthday party ideas that will be perfect for kids of all ages. They’re cost-effective ways for parents to throw their children celebrations without breaking the bank.

Here are nine great backyard birthday party ideas that you can use to celebrate your child’s next birthday.

1. Water Party

Do you have a pool in your backyard? Perfect! A water party is probably one of the best possible backyard birthday party ideas for you.

But you don’t necessarily need to have a pool to throw a water party. You can also host this kind of party by setting up a sprinkler, making up a bunch of water balloons, and allowing kids at the party to go to town.

Just make sure you ask everyone who is invited to the party to bring a towel along with them. It’ll make this type of party a total success.

2. Beach Party

If you live close enough to a beach, you might want to consider taking a few of your child’s friends to the beach to throw a birthday party there.

But if you don’t live near one, no worries! You can bring the beach to your backyard and throw a memorable beach party for your child.

Buy a bunch of sand and have the kids build sandcastles with it. Set up beach umbrellas and allow the kids to cool off under them while they eat food straight off the grill. And of course, break out the kiddie pools to allow the kids to splash around in them.

A day at the beach is a great way to celebrate a child’s birthday. But bringing the beach to your backyard might be even better.

3. Nerf Party

Does your child absolutely love Nerf guns?

Break out all the ones that they have and buy a few new ones so that every child at the party is able to use one. Then, let the kids at your child’s party go wild in your backyard for a few hours while they test out the different Nerf options.

You won’t have any problem keeping kids (and some adults!) entertained when you have enough Nerf guns on hand. They’ll burn off lots of energy while they’re running around and playing games with the Nerf toys.

4. Obstacle Course Party

There are few things that kids love more than trying to work their way through an obstacle course. Why not set one up in your backyard and put kids to the test throughout the course of your child’s party?

You can either set up the obstacle course on your own—or bring in a big inflatable obstacle course. You might want to also consider bringing in jumping castles to go along with it.

These obstacle courses and jumping castles are a lot more affordable than you might think and will keep kids busy for hours on end.

5. Sports Party

Studies have shown that about 45 million American kids play organized sports these days. Is your child one of them?

Whether they love playing basketball, baseball, football, or something else, you can use it to create the theme for their birthday party. Invite all their friends over and hold, say, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament for their party.

6. Picnic Party

Most of the backyard birthday party ideas that we’ve mentioned thus far will get kids up and moving around. But you don’t have to throw a birthday party for your child that’s going to force everyone at it to be too active.

You also have the option of throwing a party that’s slightly slower paced. A picnic party, for example, will allow kids to kick back and relax rather than running around for a few hours.

You can set up picnic baskets and places to sit throughout your yard. You can also explore the areas surrounding your home and give kids a new appreciation for Mother Nature.

7. Garden Party

What if you could put something in your backyard that would allow your child to remember their birthday party for years to come? How cool would that be?

You can do it by hosting a garden party in your backyard. During the party, your guests can plant flowers, bushes, and even trees and you can teach kids about gardening along the way.

Whatever you put into the ground will grow over time and serve as a constant reminder of the birthday party that you once held.

8. Scavenger Hunt Party

Imagine the smiles that you’ll see on kids’ faces when they show up for your child’s birthday party and are greeted with a treasure map. They’ll love the idea of hunting for treasures in your backyard from the moment they set foot on your property.

You can make this possible by planning a scavenger hunt party. You can hide different toys and other things throughout your yard and have the kids at your child’s party try to track them down.

9. Kite Party

If you have a really big backyard, why not take advantage of it by flying kites with everyone at your child’s birthday party?

Kites only cost a few dollars each, but they’ll bring a ton of joy to kids. You might even want to consider having each child decorate their kite before sending it up into the sky.

Kites are guaranteed to take your child’s birthday party to the next level.

Pick One of These Backyard Birthday Party Ideas for Your Child’s Party

Your child is only going to be a child for a limited amount of time. So you shouldn’t let the cost of a birthday party or the stress associated with it stop you from planning a party for them.

Use the backyard birthday party ideas listed here to plan the perfect party for your child. They’ll appreciate you going above and beyond to bring their birthday party plans to life.

Browse through our blog to find more great birthday party ideas for people of almost any age.