* Play pin the tail on the donkey with a twist when you substitute a fiery charger worthy of any fair maiden for the more prosaic beast of burden.
* Pile some blankets in a corner draped with a piece of gold netting or other shimmery fabric. Tuck a pea under the top layer and see if the princesses can feel the pea when they rest on the “bed” of linens.
* Give them each a prop, like a scepter or a huge fake diamond ring, and then play statues. The props make the game a bit more challenging especially when the players are trying to strike royal poses.
* Have them make their own tiaras or fancy jewelry. Other crafts that fit the theme are making hand held mirrors or barrettes. Decorating plain sneakers with glitter and rhinestones to make comfortable princess shoes that they can wear for every day is also popular with the princess crowd.

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Build a Bear is one of the newer entertainment choices. You travel with the party guests to a Build a Bear store, where someone helps the kids create their own stuffed animal. The company also provides invitations that you can print off and a favor for each child.

Check to see if any artists in your region are willing to come to children’s parties. They may teach jewelry making, basic drawing and painting techniques, or pottery classes. Some artists offer packages that include a cake and other party items, as well.

Book a puppeteer or a magician to perform for the kids. Storytellers and kids’ musicians also frequently do children’s parties.

No matter what option you choose, you should always make sure to check references before you book a performer. Also, many children’s performers need to be booked well in advance during the summer months, as you will be competing with local library systems as they plan summer reading programs.

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* Pen
* Paper
* Assorted plastic ocean life figures, including:
o Toy boat
o Turtle
o Whale
o Scuba Divers

How you play:

* Make up a list of all ocean life items you have.
* Plant them in various areas around the house.
* Hand out a list of items for each child to find.
* The person who finds the most number of pieces wins.
* As an optional prize, let the winner keep the pieces.

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Throwing a birthday party and thinking about hiring birthday entertainment? Birthday entertainment should add to the festivities of your birthday party and compliment the theme. If you’re having a hard time deciding what professional to hire at your next birthday event, we’ve compiled a list of ideas for birthday celebrants from 5 to 105.

1. You can bring in clowns, but why not make your kids part of the circus instead? Guests can have an action-packed afternoon where they can learn to juggle, put on clown make-up, and try out the trapeze.
2. Birthday guests might enjoy listening to a lively band, but do your birthday entertainment one better by making them part of the band. Hire an interactive music ensemble, such as a drum and percussion group. Kids and adults will have a blast banging away at drums and shaking maracas.
3. If you’ve thought about hiring a face painter for your birthday entertainment, consider going with a henna artist instead. A henna artist can create intricate designs from a paste of crushed henna leaves. It’s also the perfect alternative if you’re having a tropical themed party. Kids and grown-ups can sport their henna tattoos days after the actual event.

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* Set up a bunch of different board games, from Scrabble to Chutes and Ladders at different tables and have a tournament. It is surprising how much fun a group of adults can have with even the most juvenile of these old favorites, but you can step up the fun a notch with rewards. Bring out another table and put a bunch of raffle prizes on it. Give each guest a ticket for the raffle as he or she arrives at the party. The winners of the different games get an extra ticket for the raffle prizes.
* Bring the tournament into the new century with a Wii or other game system.
* Pull out all the silly shower games, dust them off and revamp them for a birthday party. For example, give each guest a necklace. Have the guests avoid saying a birthday related word instead of the traditional baby or bride. If they say the word, they’ll lose the necklace to the person who catches them saying it.

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While most people only use piñatas for kids, they can really be fun to use during adult birthday parties, too. Although guests with fresh manicures may abstain from piñata whacking, plenty of other guests will enjoy taking a swing at the paper mache shape.

There’s nothing wrong with filling a piñata with one of the junk toy and candy mixes that the party stores sell for kids’ parties. Adults may not keep the toys around very long and may pass the candy on to their kids, but it is the fun of remembered childhood games that makes the whole thing appealing anyway.

For something a bit more special, look for vintage toys from your generation’s childhood to fill the piñata with. Plastic Star Wars figurines or cowboys and Indians will immediately transport many of the guests back to childhood. Keychain sized Etch A Sketch and Lite Brite toys are also a great choice. Don’t forget candy that was popular when you were growing up, too.

Of course, if you are throwing a party where the budget isn’t a big concern, you can always choose to fill the piñata with much more expensive gifts. Costume jewelry, gift cards and plastic eggs filled with codes for free song downloads are all sure to get the guests excited.

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1. Create an indoor play area. Collapsible tunnels, a play tent, and large yoga balls make for a fun play area for younger kids.
2. Create an art wall. You can cover a wall with heavy-duty brown paper and let the kids draw with erasable crayons and marker or create your own large chalkboard, using a large board painted with chalkboard paint.
3. Set aside time for simple structured games for older kids. Games like charades, musical chairs, and trivia are easy to structure and require little props.

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While a piñata is traditionally packed with candy, there are times when you need to find an alternative, such as when a diabetic child is attending the birthday celebration. While it is a bit more difficult to do, you can fill a piñata without using candy. Just be prepared to spend a bit more money, since you will not be getting the value assortment of cheap toys and candy that is packaged for use in piñatas.

* Any small party favors that are on the sturdy side, such as plastic skydivers or whistles, are a great choice. While plastic rings with fake gemstones seem like a great idea, most of them tend to come apart by the time the piñata is broken open and they hit the ground.
* Small packets of healthy food, like raisins and sunflower seeds, are also a good idea. Just be sure to consult with the parents of children with special dietary requirements to make sure your choices are okay before you include them.
* The little puzzle boxes in the dollar section of your local big value store will also fit in a piñata, as will the trick or treat sized fun dough tubs.

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