With over 21 years experience, I've gotten a LOT of calls from parents wanting to give their child the best birthday ever. Why shouldn't they? After all, children grow up very quickly and there are only a few short years where kids live in that wonderful world where everything is magical and exciting.

Despite the best of intentions, parents may not realize that what they're planning is not necessarily the best thing for their child. What they need to understand is that kids go through certain developmental and social stages where one kind of activity is appropriate and the other is simply beyond or beneath the child's age.

Case in point: Magic! That's my primary expertise, so let's talk about it. Every kid loves magic, right? It's fun, it's mind boggling, and nothing makes people go "Wow!" like a well performed magic routine. Of course, to truly appreciate magic, one has to understand that what they're seeing is actually impossible and defies the laws of science. A 10 year old child can certainly appreciate this, as can an adult. But what about a 3 year old? Can toddlers and young children really appreciate or even understand the performance? Not really. At that age, a child is still learning to process the world around him and accepts much of what he sees on faith. While a toddler may wonder where a coin disappeared to, he won't wonder how it magically disappeared. To him, it will simply be lost. Better to give the younger children something that will stimulate them in other ways, like balloon parties, superhero parties, face painting and such.

On the flip side, some children become too old for certain types of entertainment. My good friend and face painter extraordinaire, Heather, was recently booked for a party for older boys. It was a monster themed party and the birthday boy wanted monster face paint. While we won't deny the birthday boy what he wants, Heather did say it was a challenge getting the other boys at the party to join in the fun. At age 9, most boys don't want their faces painted; it's too much like make-up. This also makes a point about gender specific entertainment. While we don't want to categorize things as being for girls or for boys, there are some gender behaviours that are practically universal. Most 9 year old girls like face paint; most 9 year old boys don't.

The best bet is to simply ask your entertainer what the best options are. Tell them about your group; their age, the numbers, etc... As professional entertainers, we have tons of experience in these matters and can steer you toward the best options for you. That way, your child really will have the best birthday ever!

Yesterday was Earth Day, a day designed to make us stop and think about the environment and what we can do to help. I'm not going to preach about how we should all be green year round, but I am going to give you a few tips on how you can make your parties just a little greener, and maybe even save a few bucks in the process.

Let's start with decorations. Each year, we go out and buy a colourful sign that says Happy Birthday!!!, we buy party hats and streamers and all sorts of things. While not all decorations can be salvaged, most can. Let's face it, there's going to be another birthday party in exactly one year, so try and reuse those decorations instead of buying new ones all the time. Whatever can't be salvaged, recycle. It's better than just throwing it out.

Moving on to lunch time. For some reason, we tend to serve meals on paper or styrofoam plates when serving kids at a party. Why? I'm sure these kids all eat on regular dishes at home. I'm not saying to break out the good china, but you can certainly use everyday dishes. Sure, it may be an extra dish load to wash, but isn't that better than using disposable items that will just wind up in a landfill? If you have to use disposable dishes and cups, at least make sure they're made from recyclable materials. The blue bin is better than the garbage bin. That means no styrofoam, please!

Finally, a tip on gift wrapping. We all want the gift to look pretty before it's opened, but wrapping paper is just such a waste. Instead, use gift bags. They come in all sizes and patterns and can be bought cheaply at any dollar store. They make for pretty wrappings and can be used over and over for all kinds of gift exchanges. My family has been doing gift bags for years and I hardly ever need to buy new ones as we just keep using the ones we received gifts in.

If you've got any other Green party tips, please feel free to comment.

The average child will attend approximately 5 to 10 birthday parties a year. That's a whole lot of partying going on. Sadly, most of those parties will blend into one big montage of party memories in their minds because most of these celebrations don't really stand out. Parties seem to follow a basic formula: Kids arrive, kids play a few party games, kids eat, kids have cake & ice cream, presents are opened, kids go home. The end. This common party practice is fun on the spot, but hardly creates any lasting memories.

So how do you make your party stand out? Two ideas come to mind. The first is to provide some kind of special entertainment (magic shows, balloon animals, face painting, super heroes,...) Yes, I know this seems like a shameless plug for www.birthdaypartymagic.ca, but the fact remains that memorable entertainment makes for memorable parties. However, that's not the focus of this blog. No, today we're focusing on the second idea: the party theme.

Theme parties are an easy way to make the ordinary extra-ordinary! With a simple idea and a few decorations, you can transform your event into an enchanted kingdom with knights and princesses, a jungle paradise, or simply a tribute to a favourite character!

Once you have your party theme, try to incorporate it into all the little things around the party. Having a Pirate party?..have a treasure hunt complete with map and hidden treasure chest. Having a Princess party?...have all the little girls dress up as their favourite princess and include a princess tea party with cupcakes. Having a dinosaur party?...go on an archaeological dig for fossils.

Let's visit a party I did just a few weeks ago. This was the Mickey Mouse* party of a lifetime. The hall was decorated in blacks, reds and yellows. The food, the desserts, even the service-ware was all Mickey themed. This was the ultimate Mickey bash!!!

In all honesty, the Mickey party was probably the biggest themed event I had ever seen. Most households go for something smaller yet still lots of fun. As a magician, I often get parents who go along with the Magic theme, providing kids with top hats and wands. Of course, Harry Potter** themes are still going strong with the older kids.

The point is this, with just a bit of imagination and decorating, you can truly make a party stand out amongst the rest. Whether you spend $20 on decorating, or go all out and hire a professional party planner (I recommend Lil' Expressions Party Planning), you can easily create a lasting impression

* Mickey Mouse is a registered trademark of the Walt Disney Company

** Harry Potter is a registered trademark of Warner Bros.

Last Saturday, April 5th, marked the grand opening of my new favourite spot to hang out or play: the Games For All Store & Lounge. Yes, Ottawa now has a games lounge right in the heart of Westboro.

In case you're not familiar with a games lounge, let me paint a picture. Like most people, you enjoy a good board game. Not only is gaming in itself fun, but it's a great way to socialize and get away from the TV for a change. You've heard of a new fun game and would like to give it a try. You see it at a toy store and you think to yourself "I don't mind paying that kind of money for a quality game, but what if I don't like it?" Enter the games lounge.

At the Games For All Store & Lounge, they have a games library with over 500 titles to choose from. That's right, you can try the game before you buy it. In fact, you can head on over with your buddies, get cozy and play a few rounds of all your favourite games in a true gaming atmosphere. You can even enjoy munchies and drinks from the snack bar, many of which are sourced from local companies. I've become a big fan of the "Harvey & Vern's Ginger Beer" soda made right here in Ottawa.

If you become hooked on a game, you can simply buy a copy for yourself from the store. They carry a huge selection of titles. Can't find what you're looking for? Ask for it. The staff is incredible friendly and will try to find what you need. They'll even be setting up tournaments shortly for some of the more popular games out there. It truly is a gamers paradise. I could go on and on about the place, but I think you just need to experience for yourself. I invite you to pay a visit. You just might see me there playing :)
Games For All Store & Lounge is located at 346 Richmond Rd., 2nd floor, Ottawa, ON (613) 232-8400 ext.5    www.gamesforall.ca

Every kid loves pizza right? Or how about hot dogs? Every kid loves hot dogs. For the most part, this statement is true. The real question is, how do mom and dad feel about this?

Parents are becoming more and more concerned about what their kids eat, and rightfully so. More parents are making a conscious effort to feed their children with healthy foods over junk foods. Also, many children today have food allergies. It is becoming increasingly difficult to plan a menu that can accommodate a dozen kids each with their own potential dietary requirements.

Junk food's appeal is its convenience. It's cheap and easy to order for a large group. There's no mess in the kitchen and kids love it. Like I said, convenient. But is healthier food any less convenient?

Nowadays, healthy choices are just as readily available in most places. You can easily pick up a veggie platter in the produce section of your grocery store. Or how about wrap sandwiches? Many places can offer you an assortment of delicious wraps, ready-made, and affordable.

Since it's really not that difficult anymore to offer healthy alternatives, what it really comes down to is choices. As a host, do you want to go with the classic junk food, or the healthy alternative? There is no right answer here, it's really up to you. I know that while my brain says I should eat healthy, I certainly love a slice of pizza. I also know that I can find a balance between the two.

Here's what I recommend: First, make a choice for your main course. Junk food or healthy foods, whatever you choose is OK. Next, pick the alternate as snack and sides. In other words, if you're going to be serving hot dogs, also have a veggie platter and some fruit snacks. If you're serving healthy food, also have a few bowls of chips or maybe some candy. This way, everybody wins.

You're not quite done your planning yet. Whatever choice you make, you should always inform the guest's parents. The best option is to include the menu on the birthday invitation. Also include a statement that reads something like this: "If your child has any food allergies or special dietary requirements, please let us know ASAP by calling us at (555) 555-5555. We'll be happy to accommodate you." This will allow parents to feel better about what is offered and give them a chance to address any concerns they may have.

Bon appétit!