What a kids party actually costs, and what moves the number

Kids Party House does not set supplier prices and does not take a cut from the booking, so this guide has no reason to push you toward a higher number. What follows is how the market prices things, based on the quotes and briefs we see across Australia.

How each type of booking is priced

The first thing to understand is that different services use completely different pricing models. Comparing an hourly rate to a package to a hire window is where most confusion comes from.

The six things that move a quote

Two quotes for what looks like the same booking can differ substantially, and usually one of these six explains it.

1. Travel distance. Most suppliers set a free radius and charge beyond it. In a city like Sydney or Perth this is one of the biggest single variables, and it is why naming your suburb matters more than naming your city.
2. Day and time. Saturday morning is the peak slot everywhere. Sunday, weekday and late afternoon bookings are often cheaper, and some suppliers load public holidays.
3. Season. October to March is peak across the country, and the fortnight before Christmas is the tightest run of the year. Winter bookings outside the school holidays are the quietest and most negotiable.
4. Duration. The second hour is usually cheaper than the first, because setup and travel are already covered. Going from one hour to ninety minutes often costs less than you expect.
5. Headcount. For queue based services this is the whole price. Twenty five children needs either more hours or a second painter, and there is no way around the arithmetic.
6. What is bundled. A package including face painting, balloons and the cake moment is not comparable to a bare show. Read what is included before you compare the numbers.

Reading a quote properly

The number at the bottom is the least useful part of a quote. These are the lines worth checking first.

• Is travel included, or added on delivery? Ask for the total delivered price.
• What is the actual duration, and does setup and pack down come out of it?
• For play hire, what is the hire window and what does an extra hour cost?
• For queue based services, how many children is this priced for?
• Is public liability insurance held, and is a certificate available?
• What is the deposit, when is the balance due, and what is refundable?
• What is the wet weather and cancellation policy, in writing?

Where to save without gutting the party

If the total is higher than you wanted, these are the changes that cost you the least in actual party quality.

1. Move the day or the time. A Sunday morning or a weekday afternoon can be meaningfully cheaper than Saturday at ten.
2. Shorten the entertainment rather than removing it. Sixty focused minutes beats ninety stretched ones anyway, particularly for under sixes.
3. Book one supplier who does two things. Plenty of face painters twist balloons, and plenty of entertainers do both.
4. Trim the guest list before you trim the entertainment. Headcount drives price on queue based services more than anything else.
5. Cut styling before you cut activities. Children remember what they did.
6. Use self running games to fill gaps instead of extending a performer's booking.

What is not worth cutting

Two things reliably cost more later than they save now.

• Insurance. A supplier without public liability cover is not a cheaper supplier, they are an uninsured one. Ask for the certificate.
• Supervision on inflatables. If no attendant is included, an adult has to be watching for the entire hire, and that has to be a real person with no other job.