My oldest daughter is famous for planning her birthday parties nine months in advance and changing the party theme 100 times before the big day arrives. Her sixth birthday actually is getting closer, though, so it's time to get serious.
The kid has gone through more theme ideas than I can count this year. We'll be driving in the car and she'll see a cardboard box blowing in the wind and say, "How about a box birthday, Mommy, where we decorate with boxes and everyone wears boxes on their head ...?" The following are the more, ahem, serious contenders:
- Karate.
- Talent show.
- Justin Bieber.
- Rock star.
- Bunnies.
- Star Wars.
- Hannah Montana.
- Hannah Montana joins the Star Wars crew (seriously. This is the same child who had a Sleeping Beauty Goes Camping party last year).
- And Super Mario Bros., even though she has never even seen a Super Mario Bros. game being played.
Today she came up with an idea that I hope sticks:
Peter Pan.
We're talking about the Disney 1953 animated Peter Pan here. My girls have brought up this theme before, so my imagination has already gone to Neverland and back.
I'm picturing green felt-covered party hats with feathers for the guests to wear and party favors that include fairy wings, gummy crocodiles and pixie dust (i.e., Fun Dip candy, if the other parents will forgive me). My daughter's idea for invitations is to make them look like treasure maps, where our house is the treasure and her guests' homes are drawn with dashed lines connecting them to the party destination.
What ideas do you have for a classic Peter Pan or Tinker Bell birthday party? This charming Peter Pan party from Merrilee, of the blog Mer Mag, is sure to inspire.

Please no fun dip for my kids! I never understood why parents would ever ever ever give that to kids.
How about pirate ship cookies
http://www.thecookiecuttershop.com/nautical/nautical44.shtml
You could have kids come in PJs just like the Darling kids.
I hear you, Anna. In fact, just the other day another mom and I were talking about classroom parties and wondering why anyone ever thought it was a good idea to hand out Fun Dip at those events (it seems to be a favorite treat at our kids’ school). That’s probably why Fun Dip was in my head when I wrote this post.
I guess the other side would say it’s just one day, let them indulge a little.
Any other thoughts, readers?