Themed Children's Parties

No need to panic at the thought of another party- this section covers lots of  things you'll need to host an original event, whether it's for a birthday, Halloween, Fourth of July, or any other occasion.

You will find suggestions here for making invitations, party snacks, unique birthday cakes, and fun games, plus fabulous ideas for parties with a special theme.

Hey, it's time to enjoy planning those children's parties again!

Getting started~ THE BASICS

Invitations:
  Homemade invitations are always the best.  Make them "set the theme" for the party.  If your child is old enough, let him/her loose with colorful paper, markers, etc.
  Give or send invitations out about 2 weeks before the day of the party- early enough to avoid disappointment on refusal, but not so early that the date gets forgotten!
  When deciding on the length of the party, here's a basic rule of thumb:  1 1/2 hours is probably long enough for small children's parties, while 3 hours is a sensible limit for older children.

Decorating:
  Always place a colorful cluster of balloons outside your house on the big day.  Everyone will know where the party is, and will help make your child feel extra-special.
  Colored crepe or tissue paper taped on the windows will give off an unusual light and add to the fun atmosphere you're creating.
  You may want to get the guests to help with the decorating by coloring a simple mural, outlined on a big piece of paper and tacked to a wall.  This is a good activity for the children while waiting for everyone to arrive.  It doesn't have to be finished- your own child(ren) will have a great time finishing it if you leave it up for a few days.
  To avoid any arguments over where everyone will sit at the table, put a place card with each guest's name on it at the place you or your child chooses to have them sit.  The birthday child will have fun writing the names on the cards, and drawing the person's face, too.  Again, if you are having a theme, cutting these cards into fun shapes will tie everything together nicely.

Games:
  Have a list of games and a box of props and small prizes all ready before the party.  Be prepared with more games than you think you'll need.  Try not to have gaps between the games as we all know how children can get restless.  If the weather permits, hold the party outside where there is plenty of space.
  Adapt the games to fit your theme.  For example, rather than play "Pin the Tail on the Donkey", you could play "Pin the Helmet on the Spaceman" at a space party, or "Pin the Star on the Fairy's Wand" at a fairy party.
  Treasure hunts are always fun and can be adjusted to a theme with an appropriate prize.  Kids love hunting for small hidden objects so these could also be chosen with the theme in mind.  Hide chocolate coins at a pirate's party and small plastic animals at a jungle party.

Food:
Most party food will be the same whatever party you have, but try to include a few things that go with your theme.  Whatever you do, keep it simple and easy to eat, but fun and attractive.
  Cookies and cupcakes are easy to make.  You can make them well in advance and keep them in the freezer until the big day.

Cake:
  The highlight of the party is always the cake.  Here you can spend a bit more time on a great cake to suit the theme.  Using different sized cakes, jelly rolls, wafers, and icings, all sorts of cool effects can be made.  Now, I realize that we don't all have the time or inclination to go this far, but even if you make a simple sheet cake and use your imagination decorating it with different colors of frosting, it can be a big hit.

Party Favors:
Even party favors can be chosen with the theme in mind.  There are endless cheap, small toys and candy to choose from. 
  Assemble all the gifts well in advance and keep them all together somewhere.  For a fun personal touch, you could add individual names to each bag or have your child decorate them with stickers, etc.

Now that you've read the basics on creating a fun party, you're ready to start thinking about a theme!

New theme party ideas will be added at regular intervals.