10 Fun Kids' Birthday Party Ideas Slideshow

For the wee bear who fancies nursery tales, host a "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" party like Paula from Frog Prince Paperie did for her son Brannan's second birthday. After crafting paper-bag bear puppets, posing with proper grizzly accessories in a "Be the Bear" photo booth, and coloring bear paws, the kids settled down for a reading of the special story.

Boxed lunches and provisions fit for a bear were served at a four-poster twin bed converted into an adorable kids' table, where the guests munched on baked porridge with cinnamon maple frosting, marzipan acorns, and honey cupcakes. No cub left the party empty-handed, as each received a personalized porcelain bowl for breakfast and their own teddy bear with whom to share their porridge at home.

The timeless doll diva loved by little girls since the late '50s, Barbie, made for a sensational theme for mom and owner of Tom Kat Studio, Kim Stoegbauer's, daughter Kate's fourth birthday. In fact, it was the very same theme for Kim's own fourth birthday in 1981.

Each girl was given a tutu and was provided with hair accessories and necklaces. Afterwards, the little pop stars sat for mini makeovers, complete with hairstyling and make-up, and later indulged in the piece de resistance — a dazzling custom Barbie ball gown cake, complete with rhinestones and edible glitter.

For the 4-year old who dreams of Neverland, a Peter Pan birthday can be divine. Consider what photographer mom Stacy Jacobsen did for her son Ollie's fourth birthday. Each child arrived dressed as their favorite character from the tale, and was supplied with Peter Pan hats and eye patches.

After photo shoots in front of the Hangman's Tree, painted by Stacy, and a hunt for a real treasure chest, children blissfully munched on snacks like "croc crunch" (or veggie sticks and apple slices). And for dessert, in true Peter Pan spirit, they ate cupcakes displaying messages like "Happy Thoughts," while their parents wished they'd never grow up.

For a sea-loving little boy, host a Crab Shack party at home inspired by owner of Tom Kat Studio Kim Stoegbauer's son's fifth birthday. Maritime details and décor, such as pictures in sailboat frames, a "welcome" sign life preserver, and a model lighthouse set the scene.

After an afternoon of splish-splashing around the pool and a friendly water balloon fight, appetites were primed for indulging in adorable cupcakes with mini crabby fondant toppers and custom themed cookies depicting the cute crustacean from Allyson Jane.

Who doesn't love a just-baked cookie that they can decorate themselves? Inspired by her daughter's love for this round treat, Amy Bellgardt from MomSpark.net, hosted a cookie decorating party to celebrate the birthday.

Children connected with their inner artist by spreading varieties of colored icing, made with sugar whisked together with milk and food coloring. With tools like little paintbrushes, spoons, and a choice of colored sprinkles and other toppings, kids can create masterpieces. And after the party, the cookies make a delicious alternative to goody bags (allowing guests to remember the fun day).

A Tangled party is just the ticket to transport kids directly from the front porch to the land of Rapunzel! Supermom Bettijo created a fairy-tale experience inspired by the film for her daughter Attalie's birthday.

As guests arrived, they were greeted with a long yellow braid hanging outside the front door. Activities like coloring Tangled color pages, creating Pascal party blowers inspired by Rapunzel's colorful chameleon, and a game of "Pin the Frying Pan on Flynn Rider" helped the kids work up an appetite for dinner and the Rapunzel castle cake, ingeniously made of stacked cupcakes towering way into the air. The party concluded with flying a lantern into the sky to mimic those released by the kingdom on Rapunzel's birthday. To round out the day, try some of Bettijo's additional activity ideas inspired by Tangled, like a Bean Bag Tower Toss or Rapunzel's Hair Tug of War.

Most little boys become infatuated with the sport of football well before they can wrap their little paws around the ball and send it sailing. This is certainly true for Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons blogger Jill Mills' boys.

Be inspired by tailgating décor when setting the scene. After refueling on a lunch of spaghetti and football-shaped meatballs with melted "cheese" laces while watching the game, send guests outside for a football-tossing contest in the yard, providing prizes to the kids who throw the farthest. Alternatively, set up a game of corn hole (also known as bean bag toss), dividing the kids into two teams representing a major football rivalry. Afterwards, you can go a step further and download the Sports Illustrated football rivalries app on your iPad and let the kids interact with the content, challenging each other with real football trivia questions.

For Divine Party Concepts blogger Shelley, her son is her little man. So to celebrate his first birthday party, she married gentlemanly elements with a petite size. The celebration began with special neck tie-shaped invitations inviting guests to a "tie and mustache bash." Shelley served dishes like "Bow-tie" pasta and "Little Man" sliders, along with a "Little Man Beer Station" where kids of all sizes could make their own root beer floats. A photo station encouraged guests to pose with mustaches crafted with construction paper and dowels, and a neck-tie piñata kept the party in full swing!

For the little boy who believes he's a Jedi Master, there's nothing cooler than a Star Wars fantasy world created just for his birthday — just as Jill Mills did for her 5-year-old Jedi.

Guests dressed up and dueled with specially constructed balloon "lightsabers" with a foil handle, and jumped in a Star Wars-themed jumpy castle. The children feasted on Yoda quesadillas (spinach tortillas filled with cheese, sour cream, and black beans) and sweet and salty "lightsaber" snacks (red and green fruit roll-ups wrapped around pretzel rods like a tennis racket grip). The best part of the day was dessert, designed by Jill and her son: a "Garbage Masher" cake, inspired by his favorite Star Wars scene, with chocolate frosting, graham crackers, and pretzel rods.

For this 3-year-old obsessed with ghosts even when it's not Halloween, mom Aimee, from Paging Supermom, concocted a Country Ghost party that thrilled even the bravest little guy.

Creepy creativity was evidenced in the invitation — a package containing a white bed sheet and the instructions, "You have the beginnings of a real live ghost! Create your ghostly costume before our spooky gathering." Phantom friends posed with bales of hay and "Boo" glasses in the spooky photo booth, before noshing on ghostly white bean chili and "boo" biscuits. Coloring activities like this "spooky spider match" created by Aimee, were fun projects to cap off a freaky afternoon.