Birthday parties lately have gotten out of hand. You may read that celebrities can spend thousands of dollars on birthday parties for their little ones. Honoring birthdays are certainly important but you do not have to shell out hundreds or even thousands to create a special memory. Follow these simple suggestions and you will find that simplicity imparts the best memories.

Involve Your Child in the Planning
The number one mistake parents make is to not ask the child what their birthday wishes are. If you pick a theme, ask what the child’s passions and interests are. Oftentimes this alleviates a lot of guessing and over planning.

Go Paperless with the Invitations
Consider using an electronic version of an invitation. Evite (www.evite.com) and Pingg (www.pingg.com) are two of the most popular tools online. Their services are free and user friendly. You can upload your email address book directly to their site and manage RSVP’s easily. You save money and time mailing out invitations and the environment saves trees.

Simplify Gift Giving
Have your child pick a charity to donate gifts to. Have guests bring gently used toys to donate to the Salvation Army or Goodwill. If your child has an interest in animals, consider collecting food for the local shelter. Another option is to ask for gently used or recycled gifts. For example, my daughter loves Christmas and happens to have a birthday near Christmas, so I could ask guests to bring one simple decoration from their tree.

Use Decorations from around the House
Consider using cloth tablecloths and regular china and silverware. Depending on theme, you can choose toys from around the house to be included in the decorating. A car theme can incorporate matchbox toys from around the house. A girl’s fairy theme can incorporate Christmas lights as twinkling fairy lights. Certainly you can purchase your child’s favorite color balloon and blow up a bunch for each guest to take home. Purchase a big scrap of craft paper that your child can create a sign with. Write in bold letters “Happy Birthday” and let your child’s imagination decorate the rest. Consider finger paint and handprints.

Provide Wholesome Simple Food and Cake
Many parents these days are trying to steer clear of food additives and dyes. Consider these simple yet nutritious snacks: avocado guacamole with tortilla chips, fresh fruits and vegetables with fancy dips children cannot resist. A car cake can be decorated with the child’s own cars. A strawberry shortcake cake can be decorated with fresh strawberries and the doll herself. Cupcakes are fun to make and seem to be just the right size for small ones. Also, freshly made lemonade quenches thirst healthfully.

Consider Simple Games
Around age four to age six or seven, children can really get into games. I would not choose more than two and make sure if you give out prizes that everyone gets a prize. Games that are a big hit are: pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, piñata, egg relay races, and musical chairs. Another fun party game idea is to give each guest a digital camera when arriving and have them snap some pictures. When you get pictures developed be sure to include one in each thank-you note.

You can have fun on your child’s birthday without going overboard. There seems to be a correlation between how much you go overboard and how much you and your child enjoy the party. The more one goes overboard, the less likely they are to enjoy themselves. Memories are made when one can step back and simply enjoy being in the moment.

Happy Birthday!