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How to throw a creative birthday party without going overboard

Event will be more fun if the child has a role in planning

To keep costs low, Troy mom Becky Tighe makes her own cakes and uses solid-colored plates, napkins and cups. She also saves on invitations by sending e-mail invitations.

Contributed photo To keep costs low, Troy mom Becky Tighe makes her own cakes and uses solid-colored plates, napkins and cups. She also saves on invitations by sending e-mail invitations.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Contributed photo Springboro mom Mandy Pressel made ‘‘moon juice’’ for her son, Jonah’s, Blast Off theme party by adding dry ice to root beer.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By DeAnn Owens, Contributing Writer 3:11 PM Friday, August 6, 2010

Just like your birthday wish can be as big as you want it, so can your celebration.

Birthday parties have been upgraded from cake and ice cream and pin the tail on the donkey in the backyard, to kid-friendly destinations with arcade games, rooms to bounce in, and balls to bowl.

Even parents hosting celebrations at home are stepping up their game, with special themes, impressive goody bags and personalized cakes.

With so many options and the potential to go over the top without realizing it, how can a party-planning parent succeed with a birthday celebration?

Whether you decide to celebrate at home or away, letting the birthday girl or boy make some decisions, no matter how small (the child or the decision), will make it a birthday party to remember, parents say.

“I have found that most kids from age 1 to 8 are happy with any birthday theme as long as it was their idea,” said Leslie Fletcher, Beavercreek parent.

At home parties

She said her daughter picked the flavor and design of a cake that featured a hula girl, which gave them their party theme.

“We had everything from a grass skirt on the birthday girl and tiki torches to leis for every guest,” Fletcher said.

The theme is up to Becky Tighe’s children, too.

“We focus our themes around what our children’s loves are at the time,” said Tighe, noting that her daughter wants a tea party for her next celebration.

“We are going to ask each girl to wear a ‘party dress,’ and we’re going to pull out real teacups and saucers, and have tea cakes and sandwiches, and chocolate-covered strawberries,” Tighe said.

Both moms said that parties at home are a good way to keep costs down.

For Springboro parent, Mandy Pressel, at-home parties are necessary to accommodate her large family and her love of entertaining.

“These big parties, affectionately referred to as ‘extravaganzas,’ are fun for adults and kids. It would be excruciating to throw these parties if we didn’t enjoy it,” Pressel said.

She and her husband, Adam, put together a Blast Off theme party that included a moon walk inflatable, rocket ship cake, moon juice (homemade root beer and dry ice), NASA space shuttle invitations and a handmade rocket ship cutout for pictures and used for thank-you notes. They also created a Beatles-themed party complete with records as invitations, a video slide show of the birthday boy to the lullaby version of a Beatles song, and handmade record bowls for snacks.

Recently, Pressel’s older son chose a surfer party for his birthday.

“He’s never been surfing and only knows what it is from watching a ‘Scooby-Doo’ movie, but that was what he wanted. We created handmade invitations in the shape of a surfboard, lots of Hawaiian decorations, three homemade cakes in a beach and surfer motif and frozen cocktails for the adults,” Pressel said.

Destination parties

If having a party at home stresses you out, take it on the road. With so many options, a destination party can be a convenient and economical choice for parents.

Monroe parent Michele Triplett opted for destinations, like Monster Mini Golf and Laser Tag parties because of time control and convenience.

“When you go somewhere outside of the home, the time of the party is ‘fixed,’ and you have no cleanup. I also found I spend more (or as much as) planning and delivering a party at home than I do going to a children’s place for parties,” Triplett said.

A destination party was the right choice for Clearcreek Twp. parent Dora-Ann Cash, who has had parties at Skateworld.

“As the kids get older, breaking a piñata, jumping in a bounce house, and playing pin the tail on whatever animal was the theme of the year just does not keep them as entertained as an ‘all skate,’ ’’ Cash said.

“The pizza, popcorn, and soda are included in the price. The kids are entertained the entire time by skating. The great thing about having the parties away from our house is you show up and leave. No day spent cleaning, no afternoon preparing and no evening cleanup.”

To honor her son’s favorite sport, baseball, Englewood parent Carol McCoy took him and a few of his friends to a Dragons baseball game for his birthday. A favorite party for her other son was a friends-and-family dinner at Sake Steakhouse.

“We all had our meal ‘Hibachi cooked’ right in front of us. Afterward, the waiters and chefs came out and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and presented him with his very own pair of chopsticks in a cool box,” McCoy said.

Tips for a memorable, cost-effective, at-home birthday party

“Always a piñata ... you can never go wrong with that. Age-appropriate goody bags are great. In lieu of bags one year, I bought bigger keepsake items and let everyone pick something from the basket before they left.” — Michele Triplett, Monroe parent

“To keep costs low, I usually choose to host a party in between meal times. We do fancy cakes on our own, keeping the cost at literally a few dollars instead of buying a premade one at roughly $20. I also have stopped buying “character” plates, napkins and cups, and instead opt for solid-colored things. I’ve saved money on invites, too, by using evites.com to send invitations instead of mailing out fancy ones.” — Becky Tighe, Troy parent

“Instead of a goody bag with 10 bucks worth of junk toys, do a musical prize game. I purchased toys around the $5 mark (super shooter, journal, paint set, etc.). I wrapped the gifts individually then had the kids sit in a circle, played music for about five minutes (every 40 seconds or so would fade it down). Whatever gift they had in their hands when the music stopped, they opened and kept.” — Dora-Ann Cash, Clearcreek Twp. parent

“A fun party theme is important. The more personalized you can make the party, the more fun it will be for your guests and memorable for your little one. It’s perfectly acceptable to choose a theme like Tinkerbell or Scooby Doo, but try to personalize it by adding pictures of your child and their name to the decorations or invitations.” — Mandy Pressel, Springboro parent

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