School-aged kids (7 and older) may love to dance, and not just any type of dance, but Hip Hop may be what they are really into. With hip hop being part of the American culture, your child may very well ask for a hip hop birthday party.

If you are interested in holding your party at an outside venue, say a dance studio, and hiring an instructor, this is an excellent no stress-party plan — especially since it won’t require much further planning on your part.  If this is out of your budget, never fear, this can still be an easy do-it-yourself party, using the following tips:

On the invitation, invite the kids to bring their favorite hip-hop songs.  One caveat to this; hip hop with its urban history and popularity with older teens and twenty-somethings often deals with subject matter that some parents may find questionably or objective.  If you want to keep this party “clean” request radio versions of songs, or if you are already aware of a song, or artist, that you feel is too old for your group of kids, state that on the invitation.  Don’t make this a focus, but certainly, if this is a party for eight year olds, the playlist will probably be different than for teenagers. If you want complete control over the songs played, then skip this step.  Get feedback from your children however, on what seems to be popular songs in their group of kids, and don’t forget to throw in a little “old skool” hip-hop; Run DMC anyone?

A hip-hop dance instructor or someone who understands how to do this type of dance would still be ideal at a do-it-yourself party (and would probably bring their own music).  Perhaps an older kid in the neighborhood, cousin, even older sibling can fill in here, if you are trying to keep costs down.  Another great idea, contact the local high school.  They often have dance groups, and kids wanting to make a few bucks.

The majority of the party will be taken up with dancing. Make sure you have plenty of room before hand by moving furniture if necessary.  The party can simply be taken up with the entertainer teaching dance, or you could expand it to also include a dance competition after the kids have learned some moves. You may also want to have a video recorder available to tape the competition. Later on, the kids can watch the fun. This would be a great party memory for your kid, and serve as a “goody bag.”

Make sure to provide plenty to drink as dancing really works up a sweat.  Otherwise, the menu can be simple with food easily eaten on the go a priority.  Chips, veggies and dip, a pizza, perhaps mini burgers or chicken skewers if this is a party at home.

For the goodies wristbands, headbands, and a neon notebook and pencil for the kids to use to capture their dance moves.

Have a hip-hop good time!

Are you a fan of the TV show Glee? It’s a smash hit. Well, Glee is back this season with all new episodes and you and your kids may be ready to tune in.  Take it a step further, and you may want to create a Glee party for your kids.  Glee Club has always been popular through the school ages, but with the hit show Glee as party inspiration, this would be a wonderful party theme for your kids.

For your Glee Party Invitation, purchase purple Kool Aid packets (to mimic the purple slushy mix on Glee) and attach a colorful note card inviting your guests to Birthday Child’s Name New Directions Glee Club Party. Provide all of the party details and request that the guests bring their purple Kool Aid packets with them to the party.  Another fun twist?  Ask your guests to dress up as their favorite Glee character too.

For your Glee Party Decor: make your party area look like the inside of the Glee room at William McKinley High School or just like a school setting.  Large cardboard boxes can be turned into lockers, lay school books and backpacks around the area, hang a chalkboard on the party wall, place school pennants around the party walls.

Use bright colors for balloons, streamers, and table ware to make it festive and glee-ful! Post a large sign on the front door to your party that says WELCOME GLEEKS! For your Glee Party Activities:

Watch a video – or two

-  Karaoke

-  Create your own Glee Club and sign together.  You can organize this as a whole group, or divide the guests into two different groups, and have a Glee-Off.

-  Create Glee Trivia

-  Purple Slushy Drink Off.  Have the guest pull out their packets, make up their own purple slushies, and see who can drink it the quickest.

-  If you are hosting the party outdoors, a purple water balloon fight would also be a lot of fun for the gleeks.

-  Play a Glee video and turn off the sound.  Have the guests improvise the scenes together.  Get creative and create your own antics.

For your Glee Party Menu: Set up a bake sale as in the show and have lots of different baked goods available for the guests.  Cupcakes, muffins, pie, and any other goodies would be fun.

Also, PB&J sandwich bar would also be fun.  The guests can make them up with crackers or bread – a few options work well.

Purple Slushies is the drink of choice.

Bake up over-sized cookies and cut out with musical note cookie cutters for a Glee-inspired treat.  (This would also make a great party favor too!)

For your Glee Goody: along with the musical cookie, include a whistle, harmonica, and any other types of crazy little musical items for fun.

Have a Glee-ful fun time with these Glee Birthday Party Ideas!

A fun, frugal, and fashionable idea for easing into the back-to-school talk is to host a kids clothing exchange party!  While this party idea can work for boys, I think you’ll find it is really the girls that get enthusiastic.   Parents also find this a great experience, as it cleans out unwanted and outgrown clothing from their daughter’s closets, and adds some items at no cost.

This party invitation should include specific instructions on the clothing exchange.  Include the minimum number of clothes needed for price of entry.  A recent kids clothing exchange party I attended had party guests bring 10 items (or more) for exchange and included a short criteria of items.  For example, perhaps as a party host you would prefer no holey jeans or clothing items that need repair.  This cuts down on any hard feelings after the party if a guest is perceived as not bringing the same number of items, or same quality.  Don’t make this a focal point of the party, just put out some simple guidelines for invited guests and their parents to use.

Before guests arrive, organize the party space for ease of “shopping.”  Use plastic storage bins, baskets, laundry bins, rolling racks or whatever to provide space to separate everything into categories: jeans, shirts, skirts, dresses, accessories etc. As guests arrive, have them divvy up their stuff to the appropriate area, and invite them check out what other guests have brought for the kids clothing exchange.  Now is a good time to provide snacks and beverages.

When everyone has arrived, start the exchange!  Have everyone draw a number to see who shops first. Let that person select one item then move on to the next number.  Continue until all the items are claimed.

If you want to add a bit of extra fun, allow the kids to pick from each other.  For example, #1 picks a skirt.  #2 then can pick from the shopping area or “steal” the skirt from #1.  If someone’s item gets taken from him or her they can choose a new item or take someone else’s item (not the item they just lost). This can add a lot of fun to the clothing exchange party as the kids compete for coveted items, however as the party organizer you know your kids, and their friends best.  This approach might be best for slightly older kids.

An important part of this back to school party will be to have an area nearby for clothes to be tried on. Items that don’t fit, or don’t look good on, can be traded back into the clothing exchange at that person’s next turn.

Once all the clothes have been claimed, let the trading begin! Side deals can be made after the fact.  While the kids are admiring their new duds, and talking new outfits, refresh snacks and beverages and enjoy!  Donate any left overs to your community’s local clothing bank or other charity.

A goody bag for this party might be some fun school supplies, like snazzy pens, smelly erasers, cool sticky notes or notebooks.

Just because your school requires that you wear a uniform doesn’t mean you can’t tear up the concrete on your way there. DVS has uniform-friendly kicks so you can “Skate to School.” Check out the Rico CT. Its slimmed down design screams minimalism, but it's still backed up by time-tested DVS features. Park-thrashing runs are inevitable with these trimmed-down kicks. These special Skate to School shoes are black to the floor, making it the perfect solution for skaters who attend schools with dress codes or for anyone else looking for a conservative skate shoe that's acceptable to wear at work; plus, it can up a handrail with the best of 'em. If you prefer the Getz series, the Getz 5 is available in all black to match your dress code. The Company Militia also offers an all black look with breathable mesh and hidden lace loops for a clean look. Skate back to school in style with Zappos.com

There are skateboard shoes; then there are Fallen skateboard shoes. The difference is that pro skater Jamie Thomas sought to create a skateboard shoe for skateboarders, by skateboarders, when he founded Fallen. Thomas knows that your kicks have to be able to stand the true test of tearing up skateparks and the streets so he put together a team that includes pros Chris Cole, Billy Marks and Josh Harmony to develop his vision. The Fallen team put the same development into their kids shoes as their adult line.

The Chris Cole inspired Fallen Kids Trooper SL packs a huge punch for being so lightweight. For added protection, Fallen added a thin rubber layer under the toe-piece and crafted the shoe in genuine suede. You can rock the same shoes as Fallen founder Jamie Thomas in the Fallen Kids Rival SL, a slick pair of skating kicks that utilizes an asymmetric stabilizer for medial upper support. Check out all of the Fallen Kids products on Zappos.com and be sure to check out the Fallen team this summer at the X Games.

Grandparents often are an essential part of kids’ birthday parties.  Whether helping the parents plan their grandkids’ parties or charged with planning the special celebration, there are several essential tips for grandparents to keep in mind around kids’ parties.  Read below to keep the party planning smooth and to have a fabulous party to remember.

1. Make sure to define your party role. Do the parents expect you to plan the party or help out with the party?  Make sure to ask what the expectations are and to define it so you know what to do on the big day and stick to it.

2. If holding your own special celebration, make sure to clear your plans with the parents. Whether you are planning a special outing or a gathering with his friends, make sure the parents are aware and have given their “OK” for the plan to avoid disagreements during your special party.

3. If inviting your grandchild’s friends to a party, make sure to know whom to invite. Definitely ask the parents about who may be most appropriate.  There may be a best friend or others that should be included and you certainly don’t want to unintentionally not invite them due to not knowing.

4. A special outing is an additional birthday bonus. Often, parents are the ones charged with holding a party and an additional treat would be an outing with his grandparents, perhaps to a movie or sports game or simply ice cream at a favorite shop.  Think outside the box for a special outing to celebrate your grandchild.

5. Respect Gift Guidelines. Have you been told by the parents that only donations are being accepted to a favorite charity or no gifts are necessary?  Often, parents allow exceptions to these gift guidelines for close family members, but make sure to bring up the topic to make sure and to plan your present with everyone on the same page with what you intend to give.

Keep these top tips in mind when you are involved with planning your grandchildren’s parties to make it easy and stress-free.

As if getting a brand new pair of shoes for school isn’t the coolest thing ever, try getting a pair that has a secret pocket. KangaROOS footwear originated in 1978 with a patented pocket design, recognizing the need to accommodate shoes and keys while running.

The KangaROOS Kids Magnolia is a blast from the past that features the suede, nylon, and textile upper you all know and love along with the signature KangaROOS pocket with zipper. Available in two colors, round out your child’s style with a pair of classic kicks that can store a spare key, just in case. Check out the timeless KangaROOS Kids Combat, a versatile KangaROOS® sneaker that can easily be tied together with a wide range of outfits. The wide flap pocket with hook-and-loop strip makes it easy to store house keys or lunch money. If your little one can’t tie his/her shoes, the KangaROOS Kids Combat Hook & Loop offers the standard secret pocket with the ease of hook and loop straps. Being prepared has never looked so good.