Sure you can have cake, candles, friends, family, balloons and gifts. But, what really makes a child's birthday party a fun party for your child? Uniqueness is the key and asking them what they want.

Find out who their closest friends are and what they all like to do together. Keeping the party small, but big enough where everyone can have a buddy is key. If you can find something the entire group enjoys then you can build off of that. For example, if your daughter and her girlfriends love to pretend to put make up on, have a birthday party with a make over theme. Make a cake, or buy one, in the shape of lipstick or eyeshadow containers.

Making the cake or buying one that is specially made to look like a pirate's ship or doll house can really add a fun and special touch to their party. The guests will love it too. Have gift bags full of items that reflect the theme of the party. If it's a pirate theme, get some eye patches and treasure chests.

Don't forget about games. Games can go along with the theme of the party as well. For the makeover idea, you can have several stations where everyone gets a certain amount of time to makeover the person in the chair. Then let the birthday girl judge who is the best and they get a prize. Just make sure everyone else gets something just for playing. That way no one feels left out. For the pirate idea, have a treasure hunt in the vicinity of the room or outdoors if you can swing it.

The best way to make the fun continue, of course, is to help your child fill out thank you cards when the party is over. It teaches your child about being thankful and showing gratitude, while also giving the girls one more piece of memorabilia from the party of the century. Whatever you do, don't forget to have fun and use your own imagination. It's still there!

Learn more about this author, Carisa Silvesan.
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