How We Threw a Budget-Friendly Parent Trap Birthday Party

If you’ve been around here a while, you know I can’t resist turning a gathering at our house into a big event. All Regan wanted was to host her very first slumber party for her 7th birthday this year.

parent trap party theme birthday sleepover

I had every intention of keeping it simple… like, “Here’s pizza and a movie and I’m done.” But then the week of her party the idea for a Parent Trap party theme came across my Instagram feed, and I knew she would love it. I showed it to Regan, and she immediately said, “Let’s do that!” Cue the camp songs, Oreos dipped in peanut butter, and plenty of mischievous twin energy.

I literally had only a couple of days to pull it together and managed to pull it off for less than $300.

It turned into one of the most fun and nostalgic parties we’ve ever hosted, so I thought I’d share all the details and resources with you in case you’re planning your own Parent Trap birthday too.

The Camp Setup

Since a big part of the movie is set at summer camp, we transformed our media room into “Camp Walden” for the night. We set up little tents so our 7 little party attendees could “camp out” together, lined them up in front of our big projector screen, and popped in the movie for a cozy screening.

I found this set of 4 play tents that broke down to cost less than $24 each, and right after the party was over, I sold the set for $80 total on Facebook Marketplace to another mom hosting a slumber party. So in the end, I paid all of $10 for a magical party setup… girl math.

Add in twinkle lights overhead and it really did feel like a mini camp getaway (minus the bug spray).

DIY Bandana Charm Necklaces

One of my favorite details was the DIY craft we set up: bandana charm necklaces. Each girl picked out a bandana (I cut them beforehand), tied a few knots, and added her favorite charms. Simple, budget-friendly, and very camp counselor-approved.

The entire craft activity cost a grand total of $31.

They were so proud wearing their necklace creations for the rest of the party.

A Parent Trap Photoshoot

We couldn’t throw a Parent Trap birthday party without some classic quotes. I printed signs with lines from the movie (“Honey, you never looked better!”), set out a few fashion props pulled out of my daughter’s pretend dress-up stash, and let the girls have their own little photoshoot with an Instax mini camera we already owned.

With the cost of film and the Etsy PDF file for the quotes, the photoshoot activity cost less than $25. And then the girls could take home their instant photo as a party favor.

Sticker earrings were the perfect finishing touch for that Hallie/Annie look (because I’m sorry, we’re not DIY piercing ears for real like they did).

Learning the Secret Handshake

The cutest part was teaching the girls the butler’s secret handshake. They practiced it until they had it down (or put their own spin on it), and let’s just say it might live on in our family long past this birthday.

For the secret handshake printable I found on Etsy, this activity cost $6.

Parent Trap Decorations

For decorations, I was determined to keep it bright and fun but still inexpensive too.

This green gingham tablecloth turned our dining room into “Camp Walden”. I placed these gingham plates and napkins on rattan chargers I already had to give the table a rustic vibe. And any leftover bandanas I had from the bandana necklace craft I scattered on the table too.

For the rest of the decor, I just printed some photos from Walgreens of scenes from the movie and scattered playing cards and toy lizards all over.

This $14 pink and green banner made the whole room feel festive, and I topped it off with a foil numbered balloon.

Camp Snacks

Of course, food had to be on theme too. We served:

Popcorn for the movie
Oreos with peanut butter (a must!)… although we would have skipped this if any guest had an allergy
S’mores roasted over a “firepit” (really, it was just a $5 S’mores Heat Sterno can since it’s easier than firing up the real firepit)
And the cutest “dirt cake” made from a basic chocolate cake that I topped with crushed Oreos and placed little camp figurines with a tent and trees on top
2 large pizzas covered dinner for the whole crew (my attempt at still keeping it simple)
Lemonade and Evian water bottles with toy lizards glued to them (fair warning: hardly any of the girls liked the Evian because we’re obviously not used to “fancy” water around here ?)

The girls loved that it looked like a camp scene, and I loved how easy it was.

Why This Party Was Such a Hit

The Parent Trap theme made everything come together so effortlessly. It had the nostalgia factor for us grown-ups and plenty of fun, interactive activities for the kids. Between the camping setup, the crafts, the snacks, and the movie, it felt like one big cozy sleepaway adventure packed into a single night.

I didn’t sleep a wink as I tended to 7 little girls all night, but I knew what I was signing up for going into this. ?

If you’re planning a Parent Trap party yourself, you don’t need to go overboard, despite the FOMO you might feel from social media. A few creative touches like bandanas, Oreos, tents, and maybe even the secret handshake are all you need to capture the magic.

Resources We Used:

Sleep Setup – Set of 4 small play tents + fairy lights $99
Craft Activity – Bandanas + jump rings + charms $31
Sticker earrings $6
Photoshoot Activity – Printable Parent Trap quotes and Instax film $23
Secret Handshake Activity – printable instructions $6
S’mores Activity – Sterno can + ingredients $20
Cake – Mini camp figurine cake toppers and grocery store chocolate cake $38
Room Decor – bunting banner + number balloon
Table Decor – gingham tablecloth, gingham plate set, playing card decks, bandanas, printed photos, toy lizards, and grocery store flowers $68
Food – popcorn containers, microwave popcorn, Oreos, peanut butter packets, lemonade, Evian water $63
Movie Setup – We already had a projector, movie screen, and Disney+ access, but this $40 projector works great and you can make a DIY movie screen with a white shower curtain liner for less than $20. (But hey, a good ol’ fashioned TV works too… those kiddos will still be happy with your usual living room setup.)

After the party was over, I sold the play tents for $80 on Facebook Marketplace since moms everywhere are usually looking for them to host their own parties (highly recommend selling unless you suddenly want to go into the slumber party tent rental business).

Party Grand Total: $294

(Thankfully, we were able to dip into lots of leftovers we already had and were able to spend less since we already had things in our everyday stash like popcorn, playing cards, camera, etc.)

All in all, this Parent Trap birthday was pure joy. Regan declared it her favorite birthday yet, and honestly, I’d totally take a Parent Trap themed party for my own birthday in the future.