No matter what the age of your child, birthday is a special occasion for the parents. It is also a day that requires a lot of planning and preparation; a day of emotion and lots of excitement, as all parents want the day to be the most memorable one for their child.

Here are a few tips to help ensure that your child has a great time:

• Play across a theme:
It is indeed a good idea to have a theme for the day. if your child has a favorite cartoon character, you could plan his party around that particular theme. Designing the cake, matching decorations, and of course, at times the party menu, all can be based on the party theme. You can ask your child to make up his own decorations, it can be added fun.

• Plan ahead:
Planning is the main ingredient to success. Children’s parties can quickly become chaotic and disorganized. To decrease the chances of tears, planning activities that are age appropriate and relatively short in duration are important.

• Observe a code of conduct:
At times, the birthday child may misunderstand his special day as a day on which he can get away with anything. In the process he might get rowdy and hurt the feeling of others. Talk to him beforehand. Tell him that he is responsible of taking care of his friends and guests.

• The right venue:
Where to have the party, can often make a big difference in the success of the event. The more kids you invite, the more space they need. Though many local restaurants and fast food joints specialize in organizing birthday parties for a fee, but it can be an expensive bargain. If organizing at home consider hiring a magician or a tattoo artist.

• Keep it short:
The younger the child, the shorter should be the party. One can always extend the time if things are going on fine.

• Plan a few specific activities or games:
While kids will manage to find their own entertainment, having several games and activities at the ready will help harness nervous energy and keep the kids from becoming mischievous and rowdy. When planning games, don't forget the classics; Musical Chairs, Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey, Hide-and-Go-Seek and Twister are as popular today as ever. When appropriate, ask your child to participate in the party game planning. If they think it's a fun game, their friends probably will too. Consider your party space and the age group of the children before deciding upon any game.

• Organize return gifts:
Finally, for those attending the party including the birthday child’s siblings, consider an inexpensive, small gift for each child. This will make the child feel included in the gift giving and receiving.