“Mom - it’s my birthday soon. What we goin’ to doooo?”

Well, just for starters there is the Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban Party - or the Shark Tale Birthday Party - or the Pirate Birthday Party - or the Cowboy/Cowgirl Birthday Party - or the Thomas the Tank engine Party - the list is almost literally endless.

To choose a birthday party theme is so easy you have to think……Do the kids actually want a birthday party theme? Or a special treat? Or a holiday? Or have they other ideas - like a sleep-over party.

But for those kids up to about eleven the answer is often conclusively “Let’s have a birthday party theme!”

Birthday Party Theme - Some Ideas

So what kind of birthday party theme would be appropriate.

You could be intellectual - there’s one firm actually offering an Einstein Birthday Party Theme! Gee!!

Personally I’d rather chat to the kids and then do a variation on whatever it is they want.

Then it’s a question of organisation. And that can be tricky - too much detailed planning of who will do what, be whom and at what time can make every visiting kid’s life a nightmare.

So let’ stake an example and see what’s involved.

Birthday Party Theme - To Do…or Not To Do

Let’s have a Knights Birthday party Theme.

First of all the party table itself. You can decorate it as lavishly as possible - put whatever castle cakes and knightly accoutrements you see fit - even dress the kids (pillow cases, simple helmets or tiaras and gold colored rope will make fine medieval clothes) - but after that - beware.

While pass the knight’s parcel or a royal treasure hunt will please everyone the moment you go more organised - designating people as minstrels. Knights. Princesses and so on - and asking them to behave as a minstrel etc you can have trouble.

“I don’t wanna be a lady - I wanna be a knight!”

That’s a cry too often heard. Be discreet - and remember - if it’s a bit much for you it’ll be over in an hour or two.

The essence is to let the kids do what they want (within reason). Kids are tremendously inventive - and their imaginative birthday party theme may go beyond your expectations. If the knight wants to fight with a space powered astro-slugger - don’t object - what matters is that they all enjoy themselves - and the more they can do for themselves - the better they’ll like it and the less you’ll have to do yourself.

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