Sure, you could just go someplace, write a check and be done with it. But if you're the kind of mom who enjoys the challenge of throwing a fun party, who believes a backyard party can be even more fun than a rental party, then you're in the right place.

Parents ask me how I manage to throw such wonderful parties for my daughter. First, I enjoy it. If you don't enjoy it, then you probably shouldn't do it. Second, my daughter enjoys it too. Oh, the excitement! The planning! She enjoys the planning almost as much as the party.

Another benefit of involving your child in the planning is that it takes the focus off of them and puts it on their guests. They are working to provide a fun event for their friends.

When you're planning a kid's birthday party:

- choose a theme, and carry that theme out to the nth degree. And by theme, I don't mean buy cartoon character plates and napkins at the party store. Oh no, not that kind of theme.

For example, if the theme is Fiesta, the invitations will be on theme, the decorations will be papel picacado (those cut paper decorations you may have seen in a Mexican reastaurant), the game will be a piñata, the candy will be Mexican, the craft will be make your own maraca. Never drop the theme! Go as far as you can!

Seek out genuine sources. Instead of "Mexican Fiesta" decorations from the party store, seek out genuine papel picado. With the internet, it's so much easier than it used to be. (see below for the source.)

If you are lucky enough to have a summer birthday, I suggest you buy a tent such as an EZ Up or other backyard shade tent. Tents go a long way to create a party atmosphere and give you a place to hang your decorations.

Make sure you have enough help! Ideally, your spouse will be there to help you. You may also wish to hire a teen or younger child to assist at the party. I have done this many times and it makes the party goes so smoothly and helps me to relax. The teen can help serve food, fetch things, and help run games, or apply temporary tattoos, if that's part of the party.

Overplan
Another key to success is to overplan. What if the party isn't over yet, and you're out of activities? Ack! Always have a back up plan. One year, our extra activity was giant bubbles. You never know for sure what will be the hit of the party that kids will want to do again and again. Be ready, in case something flops.

For the carnival party I recently threw, we had the following games:

- bean bag toss (purchased bean bag toss target)
- tin can knock down game (purchased tin cans)
- ring toss (built our own, purchased the rings)
- duck pond (purchased ducks and inflatable pool)
- Gigaball and Fun Wheel (5 foot inflatable toys)
- mini Moon Jump (the kind you can buy; we borrowed one from a friend)
- The Sweet Machine home claw game
- temporary tattoos

This is just an example, you should pick your own games that will work for you. Think about the ages of the kids that will be at the party. Games shouldn't be too hard or too easy. Have a variety of types of games. Not everything should be a throwing game. Keep on theme. We thought of some games, like sack races, but rejected that as more county fair or picnic than carnival.

The food helps set the mood for any party. For the carnival party we served vegetarian corn dogs with ketchup -- in little red squeeze bottles. We could have served them on paper plates, but no, that wouldn't be on theme enough. So we bought the little red and white paper baskets you would get at a concession stand. Perfect!

We also served popcorn in the red and white striped popcorn containers. I wanted to rent a consession style popcorn popper -- you can rent these at any party rental store. But I drew the line at that. That seemed like going over board.

However, spray painting a metal cart that I already had, bright red, didn't seem like going too far at all. So I painted the cart and put a regular home model air popcorn popper on top. I could have painted that red too, using the new Krylon Fusion paint that works on plastic, but I resisted.

I have a home model cotton candy maker and would have loved to serve cotton candy, but didn't want to upset the parents, or make the kids sick.

For cake, we served cupcakes, since that seemed more carnival-y, and it has the benefit of not needing plates and forks. For ice cream, we served the ice cream in individual cups that you can get at the grocery store.

Where to buy carnival game elements and prizes:

Fun Carnival

The elements are:

Games and/or Crafts
Food
Goody Bag
Cake or Cupcakes and ice cream
Presents

You don't have to serve a meal at a party, but it makes the party last longer, and gives them some real food in their stomachs to go with all the cake and candy they'll be getting later. A simple meal is best. For one party, I put the food in cardboard take out containers, drink box and all. They were sealed with a cat sticker, since that was part of the theme of the party.

I usually start with the lunch, though sometimes you need an "as the guests arrive" activity, as you wait for everyone to arrive. A small, easy craft can do the trick. It could be something as simple as decorating their own placemat.

After lunch, it's time for your activity. For a carnival party, it's the games. For a general backyard party, it's the games. If you've rented a jumper, it's jumping. Kids are not hard to entertain. Have some activities. You may want to have a craft that goes with the theme. Tattoos are always a hit.

It's good to have some choices, so kids can rotate to different stations and if someone doesn't like one activity they have another option.

Once the activities have worn down, it's time for the show enders. This could be the piñata. Or just cake and ice cream, that always signals the end of the party. And finally presents. I know some parents like to de-emphasize presents and not open them at the party, but kids really like to watch their friends open own their present.

Make sure everyone leaves with their goody bag. It's a nice touch to have some extras on hand to give those younger siblings who come along to pick up and may be jealous.

Another nice touch is to take care of the moms who may stay for the party, either because the drive is far, or the child isn't ready to be left without mom. If you can, have enough lunch for them, even better, a grown up version of lunch. And plenty of cake and ice cream.

Let's talk goody bag. I like the good old fashioned bag o' cheap stuff myself. It's fun to dive in and see what you got! Sometimes though, it's fun to do something different. You might get a single item that goes with the theme, and wrap that. You could make it a useful item, such as a towel at a swimming party. For a party with a piñata, the piñata loot is the goody bag.

Have fun!

When I read the reviews of these items on amazon, a number of folks mentioned getting holes pretty quickly. Well, I certainly didn't want the party ruined by a burst Gigaball.

I went overboard, I admit it. We laid down large tarps, pin down down with landscaping pins, and then put blankets down on top of that.

In addition to protecting the Gigaball and Fun Roller, the blankets also created a "track," defining the area where the kids could go with them.

The hits of our carnival party were these toys, the moon jump, and the surprise hit was The Sweet Machine, a home claw game.

When we threw the Mexican Fiesta party, here's what we did:

- we decorated the tent with "Happy Birthday" papel picado

- the craft as guests arrived was cutting their own papel picado

- the placemats were plastic papel picado

- an easier craft for younger children could be to make thier own maraca
using a small, colorful mailing tube from The Container Store. Each child
decorates the outside of it, and pours some dried beans inside.

- of course there was an authentic piñata from Mexico

- the guest of honor wore traditional Mexican dress

- the cake was Mexican Tres Leches cake

Safety is very, very important when having a real piñata. Always make sure you have plenty of adult supervision. Form a line behind a barrier, such as a saw horse, or table. If you feel you won't have enough adult help to do this safely, a pull string piñata is an excellent alternative.

You can buy authentic papel picado, or Mexican cut paper at Casabonampak, a lovely fair trade company.

My friend Deb recently threw her daughter a pirate party. As with any party, the invitations set the tone. Deb went way out and made these awesome "message in a bottle" invitations.

Sure, they were expensive to mail, but totally worth it to the excited recipients!

Each bottle contains some sand and shells as well as a parchment-look invitation with slightly burnt edges.

Deb bought the bottles at Cape Images.

Pirate Games Deb used at the party:

Swab the deck Relay Race

Two teams use two mops to sweep balloons across a circle or track. Hand the mop off to your relay partner.

Walk the plank

Use a low balance beam, blind fold the child whose turn it is, two other people play drums. When the drums stop, you stop. The goal is not fall off the end of the plank before the drums stop!

Peg leg race

Pirate & Raider

Pin pictures of assorted pirate theme items on a wall, including a sea monster. Kids toss balloons at the pictures, but don't get the sea monster! Other pictures are one point, but if you get the sea monster you lose! Up to three players at once.

Pirate charades

Ideas: walk the plank, ocean,map,ship, treasure,hook, skull & crossbones, eye patch,parrot,sword,cannon, dig

Treasure hunt

There's a hidden treasure and according to wherever you are, you make the map. You don't tell the kids what the map is, they have to read the map and figure out how to get to the treasure.

You can put the treasure in a box, such as an ice chest. Once someone find the treasure, the game's over, and they get to keep the treasure!

Renee's daughter loves horses, so she just knew this was the year of the horse birthday party!

Shown are the party favors -- hats and bandannas for all the guests, from Oriental Trading.

Renee contacted a local horse farm that provided space and rides for the kids.

Riders learned to put their feet in the stir ups and got to ride horses, with a "walker" next to them.

"We brushed the horses, and gave them carrots," reports an attendee.

You would think a party would be really expensive, but it wasn't. It was comparable to a local "indoor playground" with ball pit space.

Renee bought some horseshoes -- real ones! on eBay, and removed the rust. Then she spray painted them gold.

At the party, guests decorated them with rhinestones and sparkles.

Though Renee is a highly skilled baker, she chose cupcakes for ease of transport and serving, since this was a party away from home.

Seriously, if you found this lens to be helpful, please take a second to rate it above by number of stars. Thanks!

(c) 2007-2008 Elaine D. Luther All Rights Reserved.