Birthdays: primary school At primary school, birthdays take on more significance as children actively begin to plan their own celebrations.

In this article

The present

The celebration

Party checklist

Between the ages of four and seven, your child will want to get much more involved in planning his birthday party. But don't panic, this doesn't mean you have to invite the whole school to a fun-packed day complete with bouncy castle and pony rides.

From the ages of seven to 11, your child's friends may be more determined by gender and shared interests, and your child's party guest list will reflect this. The party can be planned around a central activity, such as a visit to the cinema or a sleepover.

Children will often be aware their birthday is coming, for several weeks - if not months - in advance. They may start demanding the latest must-have toy that all their friends have, so have your tactics worked out for tackling 'pester power'.

Children aged four to seven will enjoy gifts that encourage pretend play, outdoor games, drawing and colouring and stories.

Age-appropriate present options include puppets, dressing-up outfits, first skates, crayons, paper and felt-tips, and short videos featuring favourite characters.

From the ages of seven to 11, children will enjoy games, music, art projects and items that make them feel 'grown up', such as watches or alarm clocks.

Age-appropriate present options include videos of favourite feature films, books, tapes and CDs, board games and art supplies.

Here are some ideas for the party:

A central activity - you may like to base the party around one thing, such as a trip to the cinema or a pizza restaurant.

Keep numbers manageable - this can be tricky, as your child may feel under pressure to invite everyone in their class. You could ask your child to narrow the list to just a few close friends. Explain that this way you'll have more to spend on a special activity or food for the party.

Holding the party at home - games and activities are essential. Bear in mind that winning is important for younger children. Ensure each child has a turn as winner.

Think about a theme - younger children may enjoy a dinosaur party, for example. Invitations could be in the shape of dinosaurs, you could serve 'dino food' such as biscuits in dinosaur shapes. Games could include 'pin-the-tail on the dinosaur' and 'prehistoric treasure hunt' (with tiny plastic dinosaurs as prizes). Older children love pop music, so why not try a disco party?

Keep food simple - finger food is best. Your child may have ideas about what sort of food and birthday cake they would like. For inspiration, visit the BBC Food recipe finder.

Party bags - your child may demand 'goody bags' to give to guests as they leave. These don't have to be expensive. Include some cheap surprises, such as photocopied colouring-in sheets, along with a few small sweets.

• invitations
• decorations
• finger food
• birthday cake
• paper plates and napkins
• tapedeck/CD player and selection of favourite songs
• camera and plenty of film
• party game supplies
• party bags and inexpensive treats to go in them
• present

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