How We Threw an Amazing DIY B’day for 30 Pax for Under RMB 5K

Beijing parents are always asking “Where can I throw a birthday party for my kid?” Well, we’re here to tackle that big bouncy question as we explore different types of venues all over the city and give you an in-depth look at your kids’ party options. Search #BigBeijingBirthdayPartyList for more recommendations from us.

As my daughter’s first birthday approached, I knew I wanted to mark the occasion with something special. Sure, she might not remember it years later, but she’d have loads of fun in the moment – and we’d get to celebrate her very first trip around the sun!

When I first researched party venues and packages, the costs were staggering. All-inclusive options – whether at indoor play centers like NeoBio or outdoor parks like Wootah – can easily cost up to RMB 20,000. While these packages might make sense for older kids, my daughter (and her friends) are toddlers who won’t even make use of them. Plus, most guests are adults, so no one’s racing down giant slides or joining in on science experiments aimed at Mandarin-speaking children.

Given the need to cater specifically to babies (without neglecting older kiddos), I decided on a DIY party. At first, it seemed daunting, but it turned out to be far easier than I’d imagined – thanks to Taobao, translation apps, and troves of options!

Step 1: Find the Perfect Location

After scouting multiple venues, we fell in love with Sheep Momo’s Forest (小羊Momo) in Dongba. Their pricing is straightforward:

• 1 adult + 1 child: RMB 109
• 2 adults + 2 kids: RMB 139
• Adults alone: RMB 39 each

For group bookings, they offer a 20 percent discount on the total bill. You can also rent:

• A wooden cabin (RMB 660/day)
• An outdoor deck with a canopy (RMB 500/day)
• Or both for RMB 1,100

The fee includes access to non-motorized play areas and their adorable petting zoo. Optional add-ons (like horse riding or archeology games) are available, but we skipped them – the babies and older kids were perfectly entertained without extras. The venue provides tables and chairs, and you’re free to decorate your space however you like.

Final Cost: With 30 guests (babies under 2 are free!) and the canopied deck, our total came to RMB 1,488. Parties can run from 9.30am to 6pm, but we opted for a 1pm start to allow setup time (highly recommend!) and because – let’s be real – babies have nap times and energy limitations that make a full-day party just too much.

What We Loved:

1. Helpful Staff – Staff were super helpful from start to finish, stored our cakes/drinks in their fridge, and brought extra tables and chairs as needed.
2. Astro-Turf-Like Grass – This was perfect for crawling babies, while older kids adored the playground, and all ages loved the animal park.
3. Great Value – The cost was amazing for the space and flexibility and inclusions that we got.
4. Rainy Surprise! A few unexpected drizzles on the day didn’t ruin the fun – the canopy kept our area (and food!) dry, and everyone still had outdoor fun without us needing to move the party to the cabin (which I personally found a bit dark and restrictive, so we didn’t want to book that).

Find it:
Sheep Momo’s Forest
Bashang Chunqiu Century Park, Chaoyang District (inside Xiaoyang Momo Senlin Wangguo)
东五环坝上春秋世纪艺术园
Tel: 130 7015 7312

Step 2: Plan and Prepare the Décor (Daunting but Doable!)

Pro Tip: Choose a theme with 2-3 core colors to simplify planning and sourcing. We went with a ladybug theme (red, black, white), which turned out looking great, and many of the things I got I have since reused for other gatherings.

What We Bought (All on Taobao!):

• Tablecloths (6 x RMB 15): 100 x 160cm, vibrant red and black.
• Photo Poster Board (RMB 128): 1.55 x 2.3m, personalized with my daughter’s name/photos (designed in Canva – no expertise needed!).
• Balloons:
  • Standard 10-inch balloons (100 for RMB 7)
  • Foil number “1” balloons (RMB 2.3 each)
  • Long modeling balloons (200 for RMB 10)
  • Ladybug foil balloons (RMB 10 each)
  • Printed ladybug/polka dot balloons + “Happy Birthday” banner and cake toppers (RMB 50)
  • Helium tank (RMB 160)
  • Black string (RMB 6)

How We Used Them:

• Built two balloon trees flanking the poster board (very easy to do!).
• Filled the canopy roof with helium balloons while tying bunches of mixed helium balloons to each chair.

Total Décor Cost: RMB 570. Bonus: Kids took balloons home, making cleanup a breeze!

Step 3: The Food (Outsourced + DIY Snacks)

We outsourced mains but handled sweets and cupcakes ourselves.

Snacks & Desserts:

• Ladybug lollipops (RMB 20)
• Ladybug candies (RMB 13)
• Red, black and white cookies (65-pack, RMB 14 each)
• DIY cupcakes in red/black liners (50 for RMB 8) with matching takeaway boxes (50 for RMB 20). The boxes worked great as they could hold individual cupcakes snugly for take-away without any chance of them squashing or smooshing.

Catering by Peter’s Tex Mex (RMB 2,500 for 30 guests):

• Tortilla chips and salsa (5 orders)
• Chicken quesadillas (8 orders)
• Chicken fingers (5 orders)
• Vegetarian chimichangas (8 orders)
• Chicken wings (5 orders)
• Tapas sandwiches – arugula and beef, mushroom cheese, and guacamole shrimp (30 pieces)
• Mini burgers (20 pieces)

Included were cutlery, plates, and ready-to-serve foil trays.

We ordered Coke, beer, juice, water, cups, and ice the morning of via HeMa (盒马) for under RMB 300.Why It Worked:

Lily Yang from Peter’s was amazing. I gave her the estimated number of guests, and she came up with the suggested menu items and quantities. She was very attentive to dietary requirements, and after we made one or two tweaks to her suggested menu, we ended up with the above-mentioned items that were a huge hit!

I baked the cupcakes a day in advance, and decorating them was as simple as icing them in red, adding black dots and edible eyes – et violà!

The drinks were ordered on the day of and delivered straight to the venue effortlessly and quick!

Step 4: Finally, the Party Favors (Budget-Friendly, Adorable & Optional!)

I wanted to add a little something extra to make sure the babies had entertainment while not excluding the older kids. Party favors were a great option because the babies played with them at the party while also having something to take home as a thank-you-for-coming gift! We even found a great store on Taobao that we could print quality personalized caps with, and the hats doubled as protection against the sun and drizzles while also doubling as a sweet gift to commemorate the event.

• Toys: Rainbow slinkies, giant bubble blowers, inflatable, walkable ladybugs (all for less than RMB 100).
• Goody bags (RMB 15 for 20): I, of course, ordered red and black, and these were great for taking home party favors, cupcakes, and leftovers!
• Personalized caps (RMB 10 each): Keepsakes for guests.

Lessons Learned:

1. Taobao Is a Goldmine –Though our chosen theme had us buying everything in red, black and white, the shops I shared for all these goodies (like balloons, table cloths, etc.) had a huge variety of colors to choose from, whatever your preferred theme is.
2. Prep Early – Fold cupcake boxes in advance, and you can even inflate non-helium balloons 2-3 days ahead to save time (and stress) on the day of the party.
3. Three Adults Were Enough for Setup – I could also fit everything we needed to bring in a single car trip. The venue provided a flatbed cart (or dolly) for us to cart everything from the entrance to the party area.
4. Total Cost Under RMB 5,500 – This was nearly a quarter of what I would have paid for any of the one-stop-party-planning shops I looked at (and I looked at MANY!), and not only did it include just as many things as those parties, but we had much better food, a more specialized experience and extra inclusions like goody bags and keepsakes that we wouldn’t have had otherwise, not to mention no limitations on your chosen theme!

My final thought is that doing the DIY party gave us flexibility, zero wasted extras, and a uniquely personal touch. Plus, we’ve reused décor for other events! I’ll be doing this for all our family gatherings and parties, and I truly found this experience stress-free, affordable, and it ended up being a baby birthday bash that everyone loved!

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