This will be my first one hosting a bday party just for friends. I know Kaitlyn would rather celebrate her bday w/ friends instead of family now. I dont want anything big....so.....my question is when having a party at the home, what do you normally do to entertain the kids? Im assuming you have to entertain the parents as well too. Kaitlyn's teacher's daughter invited her to her party last year. None of the parents stayed, since, well...shes a teacher, so it made it easier...I know she did same craft stuff w/ a door hanger and made a hat....Im not very crafty...and dont know about what games to do...any suggestions would be appreciated.

We have done a ton of home parties. Some more formal than others but if you have the money I'd rent a bouncy house at her age that alone will entertain the kids for hours!

If you don't want to do something like that then think of a theme. We did a Beach party one year. My dh got a truck load of sand (very cheap) and made a huge sandbox, then we hid prizes for a treasure hunt, made maps and sent the kids all over the yard looking for treasure. We had go fish game set up for fishing behind a screen for candy prizes, bobbing for apples too and they LOVED that. Pin the tail on the donkey (mermaid for girls).

For our halloween party I get some small pumpkins, let the kids paint them and put stickers etc on them and they get to keep or take home.

You can decorate a cupcake, cookie or something and let them put in a bag to take home.

We're doing a Space Ranger party for Marek this year. I got a bunch of little 2" alien figurines, and I'm going to hide them around the yard and have the kids rescue the aliens. Then I made some stomp rocket launchers with 1/2" PVC pipe and two liter soda bottles, and put together some paper towel roll rockets, which the kids can decorate and take turns launching. And I also got a Buzz Lightyear pinata. So we'll play games, do gifts and then cake and ice cream.

I got some space-themed toys, and I'm making rocket-shaped sugar cookies on sticks to put in the favor bags.

When you decorate a cupcake or cookie, do you normally bake that ahead a time or make it when all the kids are there?

I do like the pumpkin idea as well and appropraite since shes a fall bday.

I hate the cookie decorating but kid love to do that crap. Yes bake the cookies ahead and then just have sprinkles, icing colored etc. for them to put on it.