2. Take home thank-you gifts. Aside from the pictures you took, it will be best if the children will take home a bag of goodies from your child's party. They can be as creative as they can be like a bag of candies, frosted cupcakes, art materials, trinkets and accessories and others. These goodies should be strategically given before a guest child leaves the party. Never give it before or early in the party to avoid further mess or lost of items inside the bag. This will also help the child to leave the party as children are known for extended stay at parties even if the activities or the party itself is finished. Thank you gifts will also teach your child some good manners and the habit of saying thank you for the guest's presence and gift.

3. Decorate a cake. A good idea which not only brings down the costs of the party but also creates fun and excitement among the kids is to let them decorate their own cake. Cupcakes are ideal for this activity. You can bake chocolate or fancy flavored cupcakes and prepare different flavored and colored frosts to decorate the cupcakes or the mini cakes. To add creativity, include some fancy toppings like candy sprinklers, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, lollipops, M & Ms, milk balls, mini cookies, rice crisipies, mini choco bars, fruits, marshmallows, raisins, cookie crumbs, peanuts and others.

4. Craft your own food. Kids can make their own pizza, create cereal necklaces, fruit kabobs and bake their own cookies. This kind of activity requires all the ingredients for the chosen food they will create so be sure all are complete.

Invitations

In the preparations, it is best to include your child and give her a little responsibility. One part in the preparations where she can help is in writing and distributing the invitations. Allow her to be creative in making the invitations. You can help facilitate her ideas. Some original ideas you can try out are:

- inflated balloons where all the party information are written, seal them in an envelope with confetti;