“One year I had a spy party. My friends and I solved mysteries that my mom had planned. In one of them, we were shopping, and a thief (my brother) came and stole some items. Then a detective (my mom) came and asked us questions. Examples: What was the thief wearing? What did he take? What color was his hair?
“There were several more [mysteries], and it was fun. After that, we were given coded clues we had to figure out, which led us to our party bags. I have a winter birthday, so it’s fun to find ideas that we can do indoors.” —Kelly

“Pray for the new year and start a prayer notebook to pass throughout your friends. Anything the girls can’t say aloud, they can write in the notebook. Dedicate it to God, then the birthday girl.
“Another idea is instead of the hostess making the meals, have the guests make it for her. It's not that hard if you stick to pancakes and sausage/bacon. Even frozen waffles are fun with ice cream and chocolate syrup.” —Nicole

“For a birthday I'd recommend the following things:
• get yarn and a crochet project book and learn how to crochet or do the projects with friends.
• watch black-and-white movies such as Gone With the Wind or It's a Wonderful Life! Don’t forget snacks!
• set up a tea party with friends. Bake petit fours and get little crackers with cheese. Then use chai tea instead of black tea. I love chai tea!
• make flourless crepes with apple chunks for breakfast.
• make minipizzas using wheat pita bread, shredded mozzarella cheese and canned pizza sauce.
• do crazy makeovers! Use wild colors, lipstick your mother no longer wants and even make wacky hairdos! Then take pictures to savor the memory.
• do facials and paint each other’s nails and toes while listening to Adventures in Odyssey.
• take your mom to a pool to swim laps. Then grab a snack at a coffee shop or smoothie shop. Next, the two of you can visit some garage sales or thrift stores.
• take your guy friends and girl friends and learn a ballroom dance such as the waltz or a quickstep—all those nice pretty dances! You can even borrow a tape that teaches you or borrow a book from the library. Then see who dances the best! Have the parents be the judges and give a prize to the winner.
• have a barbeque. Set up lights or lanterns, have streamers. Fill a jar with jellybeans or coins. Whoever guesses the closest amount gets to keep the jar.
• do this in a backyard or pavilion. Get disposable pie pans and fill them with whipped cream! Gather as many people as you know: parents, friends from school and church, neighbors. Then single out one person at a time to throw the pies at. Here's the best part—you have to pay any amount above 50 cents to throw the pie at that person! Donate all the proceeds to missionaries, orphanages or a children's hospital.” —A.P.

“I come from England, and my birthday is in the middle of the miserable winter. My sister has a birthday in the winter, too, so we have a party in the summer with a tropical theme such as Hawaii. It’s great fun, and it still means you can have a fab birthday party outside, even if it’s six months late!” —Emma

“A Tea Party! Everyone brings a food—sandwiches, Jell-O, you name it. Set up a table or a big blanket in a nearby park or in your backyard and eat together. Play games, crack open a piñata or go for a walk with your friends. Then have a robot dance competition to end the day.” —Amanda

“Have a pizza party! Let friends make their own pizzas. Set out different sauces and toppings and get creative. (For sauce ideas try tomato sauce, barbeque sauce or a creamy white sauce. Pizza topping ideas are endless: cheese, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, chicken, pineapple, tomatoes, green pepper, onions, broccoli, olives, mushrooms, green onions, etc.)
“If you need some ideas for fun pizza flavors try looking at the menu for a local take-n-bake pizza place. You can also serve fruit pizza and veggie pizza. For your cake, make a dessert pizza using cookie dough or brownies for the crust and decorate. Have fun, and don't make just cheese pizza. Get creative and try something new!” —Melissa

“For my birthday, I’m taking my friends to a noneuthanizing animal shelter to play with the dogs and cats. I also told them that they could donate items to the shelter. I can't wait to go. I'm sure it’ll be the highlight of my party.” —Bryce