With a birthday, it’s all about the theme! Will it be a slumber party? Mystery party? Pool party? Hair, makeup and dress-up? Cake and ice-cream and games?

The theme of the party will make the rest of the decisions (like how many girls your home can hold for a sleepover) a whole lot easier!

Start with who and how many will be invited…you may even consider setting a limit on the size before letting the birthday boy or girl choose who makes it on the guest list. For a slumber party, the old standby rule is to limit the size to the same as the child is old. For example, a child turning 8 would invite no more than 7 friends.

There is no best time to host a birthday party, it all depends on the type of party (slumber party in the evening, or cake & ice cream mid-morning) and whether or not you are including a meal.

Three to four games for a birthday party is just about right... an ice-breaker, plus games in the middle of the party to get everyone laughing. It still leaves enough time to open presents and eat cake and ice-cream.

Games are the FUN part for the guests, but maybe not for you! Make it easy on yourself by asking another parent (or friend) to be the game coordinator and look for a few Printable Birthday Games for your birthday boy or girl’s age.

What time of day are you hosting, and what are the guests expecting? Beyond cake and ice cream lies a choice of finger food snacks, or an entire meal. Lots of food makes a grand statement, but it also makes for a longer party and more work for you.

Now it’s time to finalize a guest list so you can kindly send invitations about two weeks in advance, allowing time for guests to clear their schedules and find that 'perfect' gift.