If you’re feeling a bit burned out and uninspired, but have a child with an upcoming birthday, here’s an thought to please all concerned. Delegate – the key to your sanity. Let older siblings do the decorating or hire teenagers to glam it up for you. BIRTHDAY PARTY Thoughts – SETTING THE SCENE HOLLYWOOD STYLE Ultimately, you will want to bring a small bit of Hollywood to your home. You can keep it simple and cheap, but still fun and exciting by using lots of streamers, balloons, and curling ribbons. Hang movie posters on the walls. Have simple munchies available for guests to delight in. Make a red carpet (made from red plastic disposable tablecloths) along your walkway for all the guests to walk on in order to gain entrance to the party. To rope off the designated walkway from the paparazzi, use balloons attached to sticks. BIRTHDAY PARTY Thoughts – A STAR IS BORN As guests arrive, escort them into an area where they will memorialize their stardom. Have large silver stars cut from poster board available for decorating. Have teenagers help your guests in tracing their hands onto their star and write their name above their imprints. Then have your guests decorate their stars with glitter. Glue or tape the stars onto the red carpet (red disposable tablecloths) that runs into the movie premier room. Place a gold star at the entrance with the name and handprints of the birthday child. BIRTHDAY PARTY Thoughts – WALKING THE RED CARPET Have drama students posing as the paparazzi and equipped with cameras and make-shift microphones along the red carpet walkway to the movie premier room. Have them try to interview guests and snap candid photos as your guests arrive all dressed up in Hollywood glitz and glam. BIRTHDAY PARTY Thoughts – GLAM IT UP! As an alternative, you could have older siblings or hired teenagers glam up your guests. Make a glam station equipped with fun dresses, hats, boas, make-up, purses, jewelry, etc. To keep the cost down, get all of your dress-up gear from thrift shops. While everyone is getting ready, other teenagers could lay out the red carpet and stars on the walkway in preparation for your A-list guests to walk the red carpet to the movie room. BIRTHDAY PARTY Thoughts – SHOW TIME Have someone dressed up in a suit, individually escort your guests down the red carpet and have someone else assigned the task of taking photos of each guest as they make their way down the carpet. Once everyone has been seated, you can then play the movie of your child’s choice. Have someone serve popcorn to all the guests to delight in while watching the movie. As an alternative, you could rent a popcorn wagon and have someone pose as a vendor handing out the popcorn. BIRTHDAY PARTY Thoughts – CURTAIN CALL After the movie is over, serve cake and ice cream and open the presents. Then send your small stars home with a clean popcorn bag filled with Hollywood-related party favors like theme stickers, a bag of microwave popcorn, movie gift certificate, temporary tattoos, sunglasses, etc.