How Much Does a Kids' Birthday Party Cost in Ottawa? (2026)

The short answer

Plan on about $325 for a party of 12 kids at an Ottawa venue, before tax. Half of all parties land between $250 and $400. You can spend well under that by renting a room and running it yourself, or a lot more for a big group, a private room and catered food. The rest of this page shows where the money goes, so you can decide what's worth paying for.

What you get at each price

We sorted every Ottawa party we price by what 12 kids would cost, then looked at what's usually included.

The jump in price mostly buys you time back. Above about $400, more places include a host who runs the games, food and a private room, so you show up with the cake and not much else.

Cost by type of party

What 12 kids costs at each kind of place, using the cheapest package that fits the group. The range runs from the cheaper places to the pricier ones.

Face Painting parties are the least expensive type we list, and escape room parties cost the most. The spread inside each type is often bigger than the gap between types, so it pays to compare a few places before you book.

Cost by number of kids

Most packages include 8 to 12 kids and charge for every child after that, so the guest list moves the price more than anything else. Going from 12 to 20 kids typically adds $165.

Check two things when you count: whether siblings who join in count toward the total (they usually do), and the package minimum. Some places charge for 10 kids even if 7 show up.

Does age change the price?

A little. Parties for older kids tend to be activity-based and cost a bit more. Typical cost for 12 kids at places that suit each age:

Four sample budgets

Real party prices from our data, plus our rough estimates for the extras you buy yourself (pizza, cake and loot bags for 12 kids).

The costs people forget

• Tax. Add 13% HST in Ontario, or about 15% in Gatineau. On a $325 party that's around $42.
• Extra kids. Typically $25 each once you go past the number a package includes.
• Food and drinks. Many packages don't include them. Check before you compare two prices side by side.
• The cake. Some places supply one, most let you bring your own, a few charge a cake fee.
• Loot bags. Easy to forget and easy to overspend on. A small treat per child is plenty.
• Grip socks, wristbands or game cards. Trampoline parks and arcades often charge for these on top.
• Travel fees. Entertainers who come to you may charge more past a set distance.

Renting a room instead

If you're happy to run the party yourself, a room is the cheapest route. Party rooms and halls in Ottawa list a typical rate of $80 an hour, and City of Ottawa community centre rooms $59 an hour. Most have a two-hour minimum, and you bring the food, cake and fun.

Compare party rooms · City community centre rooms

Bringing the party home

Entertainers who come to you, like magicians, princess visits, face painters and game trucks, typically cost $250 for 12 kids. There's no venue to pay for, though you do host the mess. See at-home party ideas.

Ways to spend less

• Pick a weekday. 10 places we list have a weekday package or price, and after-school slots are easier to book.
• Stay inside the package number. Inviting 10 instead of 14 can save more than any discount.
• Rent a City room and run it yourself. On its own a room is the cheapest option; once you add an entertainer, compare it with a venue package using the sample budgets above.
• Skip the venue food. Where it's allowed, ordering your own pizza is usually cheaper than a food package.
• Bring your own cake where there's no cake fee.
• Combine with a sibling. Birthdays close together can share one bigger party for not much more.

See the cheapest party places for 12 kids