Planning your child's birthday party need not be a difficult task. It can be both easy and fun if you just follow a few common sense rules. Here are some suggestions based on more than 25 years of entertaining at hundreds of birthday parties for children of all ages. A birthday party is a BIG event in a child's life, especially for 3-9 year olds, and excitement can be expected to run high, so while you want the party to be fun for all concerned, you should avoid overwhelming your child with too many guests, activities or pre-party hype. Here are our TEN EASY STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL PARTY: 1. Keep the party short! Two hours is plenty for children 4 and older and an even shorter party is enough for the 2 and 3 year olds. 2. Keep the guest list short as well. A dozen or so of the child's best friends and playmates are plenty (even fewer for the very little ones). You don't need to invite your child's whole class from school (and don't let the school tell you that you must - - remember it's YOUR party). It's also best if all the children are in roughly the same age group, that way it is easier to plan entertainment and activities that will appeal to ALL of the children. 3. Be sure to allow time for late arrivals (there will ALWAYS be late arrivals), so begin with games or activities that can be started when the first few arrive and the others can join in and take a turn as they get there (the old standby, pin the tail on the donkey or some variation thereof is a perfect example). 4. Put away any toys other than those you intend to be used at the party. Minimizing distractions will help keep the children focused on the planned activities. 5. If you plan to hire professional entertainment, be sure that it is age appropriate (another good reason to invite guests in the same age range as the birthday child). A professional entertainer or agency will suggest programs that have proven effective for various age groups and will decline to provide programs they have found unsuitable for the ages attending your party. It is wise to take their advise as it has been gained the hard way - - through years of experience. You DON'T need professional entertainment for babies and toddlers (the 1-2 year olds and most 3 year olds). Their attention span and ability to participate in a meaningful way are limited. A few very simple games, a Barney or short Disney or Winnie The Pooh video, ice cream and cake and the fun of opening the presents are really all you need. 6. If professional entertainment has been arranged, schedule it to begin about 30 minutes after the party starts. That should allow ample time for late arrivals and ensure that everyone is there in time for the show. (If there are still a few stragglers when it's showtime, have Mom or Dad keep an eye on the door so latecomers can be admitted before they ring the doorbell - - otherwise all the children will race to the door when they hear the bell- and disrupt the flow of any entertainment or activity in progress.) 7. There should be adult supervision at all times and at least one adult should remain in the room while any entertainment is in progress. Professional birthday entertainers design their programs to include plenty of audience participation and interaction; however, they should not be placed in the position of having to step "out of character" and assume the role of disciplinarian to deal with the occasional disruptive child. It is best if a parent is on hand to handle such situations. 8. If you plan on serving food, keep it simple! Kids have basic tastes. "Finger food" works best and hot dogs, chips or pretzels, chicken nuggets and pizza with juice drinks are perennial favorites. Remember, it doesn't take them long to eat - - 15 or 20 minutes is usually sufficient. 9. Refreshments or snacks should be served before or after and NOT DURING the entertainment. To get maximum enjoyment out of a performance, the children need to focus their attention on the entertainment without distractions while it is in progress. (The birthday cake and ice cream are best served AFTER the entertainment. That way the entertainer is not having to contend with an audience on a "sugar high" and also serves as the fitting "grand finale" of the party.) 10. It is best if the opening of the presents is the last thing on the schedule. That keeps them from getting broken before the party is over and, again, minimizes distractions during the entertainment and other planned activities.

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