Every kid birthday party is different.

Indoors, outdoors, five guests, fifty-five guests, boys, girls, Army theme, Princess Theme. But one thing's for sure - at some point they'll be playing birthday GAMES. Now, I'll decorate, I'll bake, I'll wrap all gifts and hand-deliver all invitations. Heck, I'll even clean up after everyone leaves.

Just don't put me in front of a throng of kids when it comes time to entertain them!

At least that was my initial reaction when first faced with BIG question - how am I going to survive an entire hour (at least) trying to entertain a mob of children at my daughter's birthday party?

I had two options:

Either PAY an arm and a leg and have a professional entertainer do it for you.

Or, take a deep breath, prepare myself as best I could and do it myself (and risk loss of an arm and a leg in process.).

If you're a devout adventurer and choose latter (like I did), here are a few observations (e.g., survival tips) that may come in handy next time you take on challenge:

Prepare in Advance

During party you'll have so much on your mind that it's best to prepare as much as possible in advance. Make a list of birthday games and write them down in order you plan to play them. If any of birthday games involve music (like musical chairs, hot potato, etc.), prepare music ahead of time with stops so that you don't have to deal with it during party.

At www.coolest-kid-birthday-parties you’ll find BIG list of Kid Birthday Games with over 200 birthday game ideas (way more than you'll ever need) organized into easy-to-find categories and themes, but...

Not Too Many Birthday Games

Don't be tempted to play fifty birthday games in sixty minutes. Kids'll usually become bored quickly if they are asked to play too many games. You'll need only a handful of birthday games, so choose those that fit your party theme, and.

Stick to Classic Birthday Games

Creative and original birthday games are fun, but they may also be a bit risky because kids are required to learn something new. I'm not saying DON'T play new games, just make sure there are a few classics in your arsenal. Musical Chairs, Hot Potato, Pass Present, etc., were around when we were children. And they work. So don't be concerned that you'll "bore" kids with "usual" birthday games. You can always add a special twist to make them look and sound more attractive.

Now that you've got a list of birthday games and music is ready, how do you make sure kids participate and have fun?

It's a Birthday Party, Not a Democracy

Invitations

If you've got time and energy, here's an excellent idea for a Blue's Clues invitation. You'll need four different postcards for each invitee. Each postcard will have a different clue (Blue usually gives three clues) and fourth will be real invitation. (Mail postcards every other day for a week - enough time before party - and don't forget to put a paw print on each postcard).

First clue: A drawing or picture of a birthday cake and something saying "Blue left you a clue, do you see? A birthday cake for you and me! Two more clues you need to find, to figure out what Blue has on her mind!"

Second clue: A drawing or picture of balloons and something that might say: "It's clue number two! There are so many balloons you see, now you need to look for clue number three!"

Third clue: Print out a picture of your kid with his/her face cut out and you can say something like: "Sit down in your thinking chair and think, think, think.... What could Blue want you to do? Come to a Birthday Party! But for who?"

The last invitation can say: "Did you figure out Blue's Clues? Yup!! You're right, kid's name is having a birthday party", then write date, time, address etc.

Another thing you might want to say is "Wear blue from head to shoe so Blue will recognize you!"….

Here's an original Blue's Clues idea for thank you notes using dog language!? Yep, dog language - I'll teach you... Print out a picture of your child on front with a cartoon dialogue balloon saying: "Woof-woof arf Bike grrrrr woof-WOOF! Rrrr, kid's name", and at bottom write "Translation inside". Inside write: "Thank you for great Bike for my birthday! Love, kid's name."

Decorations

A terrific idea is to decorate birthday area with different shades of blue and white balloons and streamers. You can also hang light-blue and dark-blue streamers from doorway for a "curtain" effect. Use blue tablecloth and whatever other decorations you can dream of with shades of blue and turquoise. Also, you can draw large spirals on a sheet of light blue and dark blue paper and cut along spiral to hang from ceiling.

Take out any Blue's Clues theme related toys and accessories and scatter them across house, on shelves, tables, in yard, etc. Table centerpieces can be red pails and yellow shovels (standing for Shovel and Pail) filled with stuffed characters from show. You can also decorate a clock just like Tickety-Tock.

In entrance to your house, put up "Mailbox" by taking an old mailbox (or any cardboard box), spray painting it purple and using colored craft foam and wiggly eyes.

Use blue chalk to draw paw prints leading to your house and cut out paw prints to hang all over walls and floor.

The family room can be transformed into Steve's living room by putting a red sheet over an arm chair and transforming it into "Thinking Chair".

Blue's Clues Costume

You or another grownup can also take part and get dressed up as Steve (with a green-striped shirt and khaki pants).

As guests arrive, a fun idea is to take blue headbands and glue on blue felt ears for Blue's doggy ears and have everyone wearing them during party.

You can then use face paints or face paint crayons to paint little blue noses or dog faces on guests. Make collars out of Velcro felt strips and glue on them plastic jewels.

A bunch of little blue-eared munchkins running around party area will, with no doubt, get everyone into Blue's Clues mood.

Ice-Breaker Activities

A great Blue's Clues icebreaker idea is to give guests, as they arrive (along with floppy ears), is a little Handy Dandy notebook and neat blue pencil.

Make dog name tags for each kid by cutting out pieces from aluminum pie plates. (These can be great icebreaker activities, as well.)

*Color your own Doghouse: You can get a large TV or Refrigerator box from a nearby appliance store and have kids draw and paint on it. It can also be used as part of party decorations afterwards.

*Dog-Bones: Before party, use Dog-Bone cookie cutters to prepare several sugar cookie (bones). Let kids frost their own cookies with blue frosting and also prepare several different kinds of sprinkles and decorations. Place their cookies on a paper plate with their name on it and this can be added later to their favor pack or eaten during meal.

*Dog Ears: Give each kid a headband with blue dog ears (made of craft foam, construction paper or felt). Let them decorate it with blue dots (you can use blue sticker dots used for labeling files available at office supply stores).

*Blue Magic: Give each kid a sealable sandwich bag filled with 1 cup of cornstarch. Then give them each ¼ cup of blue-tinted water to slowly mix into cornstarch. Carefully press excess air out of sealable sandwich bag and seal it shut. Have each kid gently knead sandwich bag until mixture is well blended and smooth (tell them to do this carefully so that they don't puncture bag). The kids love to see how mixture turns from dry to wet and slowly turns blue.

Food and Drink Ideas

For cake ideas check out Blue's clues homemade cake gallery at http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/blues-clue.html

Foods:

Even if you don't need seasoning, no Blue's Clues party would be complete without Mr. Salt, Mrs. Pepper, and baby Paprika, so have a few shakers on hand. Here are some ideas for foods: