Time Frame

• Children tend to have early bedtimes, so a good time to celebrate a child's birthday is early afternoon. This also opens up opportunities for outdoor activities both at home and at venues such as amusement parks and arcades. Older children may prefer to have later affairs in the form of slumber parties.
  
  

Types

• Children's birthday parties can have a wide range of themes, from Halloween costume parties, to dress-up parties, to slumber parties, to parties that represent characters from their favorite TV shows and movies, like Hannah Montana and Batman. Pay close attention to what your child likes and communicate with him about what kind of party he wants to have. If your child is not sure, give him some ideas.
  
  

Location

• Location is an important aspect of a child's birthday party. After parents decide what type of birthday party to have, they have to decide where to have it. Birthday parties at a child's home leave lots of opportunity for themes and decorations, and they can be a more cost-effective option for parents on a budget. But parents can also choose to have the party at a family-friendly amusement park, an arcade or kid-friendly entertainment spots like Chuck E. Cheese. Choosing to have a birthday party at an outside location can take some of the stress of party planning off of parents as well.
  
  

Chaperones

• When planning your child's birthday party, it is important to consider having extra chaperones at the event. Children are often precocious and may wander off, or start exploring rooms of a house or areas of a venue that they shouldn't. Having parents of some of the children or adult family friends help out with the party and keep track of the child attendees can help the party run smoothly and prevent anyone from going missing or getting into trouble.
  
  

Games

• Certain party games keep kids endlessly entertained. Bobbing for apples, pin the tail on the donkey, water-balloon toss, musical chairs, egg-and-spoon races and relay races are a great way to keep kids busy and having a good time outdoors. For indoor fun, card games like Uno and board games like Scrabble and Monopoly are also fun.
  
  

Goody Bags

• Goody bags are a must at children's birthday parties. To create a goody bag, simply pick up some bags at a local party-supply store and fill them with miscellaneous knickknacks that kids enjoy, such as candy, plastic necklaces, shiny faux-gem rings, action figures, etc. Most of these items should be available at the party-supply store as well.