How to Decorate for a Child's Birthday

A birthday party is a special event in a child's life, and your child will look forward to it for weeks. Decorating can be as involved or as simple as you want to make it. Involve your child in the planning of their big day, and carry out as many of their wishes as possible to make a magical birthday party.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Have a discussion with the birthday child to find out what type of birthday party they have in mind. Offer suggestions, but let him come up with the theme. Determine the decorations together based on your energy level, available space and budget.

2. Make a pinata from balloons, newspaper and paste. Paint the pinata, and fill it with inexpensive candy and prizes.

3. Decorate with colorful crepe paper and balloons. Hang crepe paper from light fixtures and doorways. Fill balloons with helium, and let them float on the ceiling.

4. Buy several sheets of large construction paper and a large piece of butcher paper. Let the birthday boy/girl design a tablecloth and special birthday place mats for each guest. Complete the table decorations with a few handfuls of colorful confetti and a few pieces of colorful curling ribbon.

5. Plan a shopping trip to your local variety or party store. Let the guest of honor pick plates, cups and napkins to match the theme.

6. Use your child's toys as table centerpieces. Use trucks for a construction theme, Spiderman toys for a Spiderman theme, a cowboy hat for a western theme or stuffed animals for a zoo theme.

7. Let your child create their own theme-related art to decorate the party. Use butcher paper, crayons, paints and other craft supplies. Hang the decorations at child-eye level.

[wetpaint12]

on 10/15/2008 also, a good idea we had was getting a bunch of cutouts from http://www.stockcutouts.com - the kids loved them and got to take their pictures with superheros.