Oh no! It’s time to plan another birthday party. You may be envisioning yourself running for last minute balloon pickups and sweating as you hang streamers 5 minutes before guests arrive. You may be worried about whether or not the kids, especially your child, will enjoy what you have prepared.

What if you do something totally different this year? You could help your child select a theme for his or her birthday, that could simplify and streamline your preparations.

For example, a Hawaiian luau is always in good taste, even for older children. Plastic leis are cheap enough to get for everyone invited. Fake straw skirts could be fun for all the girls and the boys could get a kick out of a bamboo limbo game. Such items could easily all be ordered from one party supply company.

Another idea is to plan a space theme party. A few black lights, sheets to darken the windows, and some fluorescent decorations could make a fantastic location for your space party. You could get alien and or astronaut masks for each of the kids.

If you’re not planning a surprise birthday party, you could get your child in on the planning action. What could be more fun than a brainstorming session discussing potential party themes like animals, volcanos, under the ocean, or hot air balloons.

Then, you could plan not only decorations but also costumes to fit your child’s favorite theme. The party will be a very memorable one if it is a more unique theme than the standard choices. The most important thing is that, at the end of the day, your child feels special because you took the time to personalize your child’s birthday party.