We all want our children to treasure the memory of each birthday party. So much so, in fact, that as parents we tend to panic and blow the budget on fancy themes and costumes.

Sometimes, however, the simplest ideas are still the best. While each generation has its favorite trends, characters, and toy lines, some basics will remain timeless. And happily, most are surprisingly easy to decorate on a budget.

Many boys (and, let’s be honest, a good part of girls) will have a special affection for the seven seas, the wild west, the prehistoric era or outer space. What do they have in common? A sense of adventure; the opportunity to recreate daring and dangerous feats from the comfort of home or the playground.

How? The key is to remember that these themes are full of iconic and recognizable images that your child will know from the inside out. Even the simplest decorations and accessories will spark imaginations! As an organizer, your role is to spark that imagination and enthusiasm. The minds of your young guests will take care of the rest!

pirates

Pirate accessories are not hard to come by. Plastic hairpins, cutlasses, eye patches, and hats can be purchased easily and cheaply at almost any toy store. That said, there is always room to improvise. If your guests don’t have pirate captain hats available, they might take the opportunity to create their own out of newspaper.

Some iconic Jolly Roger pirate flags will go a long way, whether purchased or printed; adorned walls or splashed across invitations.

Where there are pirates, there are always tricks. A few packets of chocolate gold coins dumped in heaps on the table will look surprisingly close to genuine pirate gold! If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you could even create authentic looking gold bars out of gold foil cardboard!

For additional decoration or lighting, paper lanterns are a fantastic, not to mention very inexpensive, way to add extra color and personality. Try alternating red and black round paper lanterns to enhance your theme.

And don’t forget the orange slices to prevent scurvy!

Cowboys

Once again, the first step is to raid the toy store for simple costume accessories: cowboy hats, sheriff’s badges, and plastic guns will be all any young western fan needs. Unfortunately for the wallet, there aren’t many creative ways around this. (If you can think of any, I’d love to hear them!)

A cowboy needs a horse. ace Monty Python and the Holy Grail Hilariously proven, two coconut halves can do an incredibly convincing job of mimicking the sound of galloping!

The right music can add an amazing atmosphere to a themed birthday. Western movie scores are so widely recognized that even the youngest fans of the Wild West may have heard them satirize or copy or their favorite TV show or movie. The work of the Italian composer Ennio Morricone is the most recognized. His theme from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” is a tune we all know as tea archetypal Wild West music, and can usually be found at the top of most bargain bin “best western movie theme songs” compilations. (Expect lots of dads to nod approvingly!)

We have already discussed methods for creating pirate gold. In a different scenario, you can use the exact same tricks to decorate your kid’s party with spoils from a bank robbery!

astronauts

Rule #1: Aluminum foil is your friend. You can transform a gift into an alien artifact; a punch bowl in a spaceship! It’s also incredibly reflective, which leaves a lot of potential for experimenting with lighting.

Again, paper lanterns are a great, inexpensive way to add some atmospheric glow. Alternatively, just look through your Christmas supplies. The holiday tree lights will take on a much more alien tone in this environment.

For a young space buff, learning astronomical facts can be legitimately fun. If the birthday boy has learned a thing or two about space, he can try a trivia contest with prizes. “What’s the bigger planet?” “Who was the first man on the moon?” Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to make science fun!

Freeze-dried ice cream is always an exciting treat for any young space fanatic. Even if you don’t like the taste, the fact that it’s real astronaut food will more than make up for it!