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All-girl parties are fun to plan as girls generally demand less organized activity and are more prepared to just "play" and be creative if the ideas and materials are provided. Slumber parties are really popular, mainly for girls around 7-11 years old and can be easy for the parents to organize. Tea parties are also great for little girls who enjoy dressing up and playing "grown-up "with tiny cups and saucers, miniature cakes and tiny cookies and sandwiches. But choosing an overall theme also makes the experience fun and relevant to the girls' interests and gives the busy parent a head start on getting the supplies together. Decorations, tableware, piñatas, party favors, invitations and banners can all be themed and color coordinated whether the party is indoors or outside, at home or at another venue.
Parties based on TV or movie stars can be a little challenging. High School Musical parties remain popular as the movie was Disney Channel's most watched movie in 2006 and version 4 is coming out in 2010. The high school cheerleaders theme is easy to replicate, with the WildCat colors of red and white. Depending on the age group the main activity could be karaoke with songs from the Broadway show. Hannah Montana parties can also be based on music with a rock star theme, star-shaped balloons and a stage for performances. Video the event and show it one year later!
Barbie Parties are easy as every little girl has a favorite Barbie doll and there are so many ways to keep little hands busy if they bring their favorite Barbie doll. They can have a Barbie doll dress up or hair styling competitions but better still, let them decorate some cheap sunglasses with glitter and rhinestones and they get to take them home afterwards. Parties with a fairy theme are also great for girls who love to dress up and play make-believe. The guests could be invited to come in costume or you could provide leotards and materials for them to make their own wings and wands. The traditional party games easily transform into Fairy Freeze Dance, Pass the Wand and Pin the Wing on the Fairy.
Disney Princess parties can be based on one favorite character such as Sleeping Beauty or Snow White and the party girl gets to be Princess for the day. Crowns, tiaras, a throne, glass slippers, royal fanfares, a red carpet - the more royal the event the better. Dora the Explorer still has a huge following and this theme lends itself to great games outdoors. An Aloha or Hula Party is perfect for a summer party at the beach or by a pool with flower leis and hula skirts or you could follow an undersea theme with fish, mermaids, shells and seaweed.
A pets' party based on toys like My Little Pony, or a cartoon character like Clifford or Blue's Clues can be inspiration for ideas, games, activities, and recipes. Of course, a litter of real puppies old enough for petting would be a star turn. Another very popular idea is the Spa Party for girls, with supplies of makeup and nail polish and fun exercises and dancing to music. This requires some advance planning but with imagination, the "diet food" could involve fruit smoothies and vegetable dips, the costume could be robes and a towel and the take-home favors easy if you can get free samples from local beauty supply stores.
Another very popular birthday party idea for girls is where they all become little chefs and cook everything themselves from pizza to cookies. The complexity of the recipes - and the cleanup - depends on the age of the girls but turning your home into an Italian trattoria for the afternoon could be sensational. The more preparation you do the better and Italian music, tourist posters on the walls, and tiramisu for dessert would make for a party even the parents could enjoy. And that could be an unexpected bonus after all your hard work and planning!
