Toddler Birthday Bash

Unlike the one year old, the toddler knows what's going down when it comes to his or her birthday and can actually communicate excitement about the impending event. "My birthday? For me? On Saturday? For me?" said Katie Clark of San Francisco for the entire week prior to her Big Two Extravaganza. When the day finally arrived, a million toddlers helped Katie celebrate in style. (Then again, perhaps there were only a dozen of them, scurrying around in one big, blurry circle.) With some planning and a lot of flexibility, parents can find huge rewards in the inevitable chaos of a toddler's birthday party.

Themes

The best way to identify a winning theme is to ask your toddler. Most toddlers have defined interests that can be incorporated into a birthday party. From trains to space travel, an opinionated toddler will inform you exactly what he or she wants.

No matter what theme you choose, keep the event simple and short. A toddler party should last no more than three hours, as the excitement can be wearing on a small child. And save complicated themes, such as circus, for a few years down the road. An in-your-face clown may frighten a toddler, who can't always differentiate between reality and imagination.

Still themeless? From invitations to appetizers, the bubble theme is a popular choice for the toddler set. All it takes is an unlimited, creative mastermind -- you! From bubbly punch to bubble art, all the babies will be talking about the Big Bubble Birthday Bash.

Invitations

Here are some ideas to help you create unforgettable invitations, using a bubble theme for your toddler's birthday party.

• Bubble art: Experiment with making different bubble solutions. After printing out the invitation, have your toddler blow various colored bubbles right onto the paper. As they land and pop, your invites will metamorphose into beautiful works of bubble art.
• Bubbly invitation: After you print out the invitations, trace several small round circles onto the paper and cut them out. Flip the invitation over and place a same-size piece of plastic wrap on top. Anchor it to the paper by using glue in all corners. Tape or glue a sheet of pale pink paper on top of the plastic wrap. When you flip back to the front, beautiful, pink bubbles will adorn your invitation.