Suitable for children 4-9

You don't have to be a magician to make your child's birthday party a hit. Whether you've got a budding Houdini or a charming wizard, you can adapt our ideas for a memorable, magical time.

7 Great Ways to Decorate

1. Buy balloons, streamers, hats, paper tablecloths, plastic tableware and other decorations in a purple, silver and black colour scheme.
2. Hang purple fabric in the doorway to the party room; use fabric glue to stick on playing cards or wizardly stars.
3. Purchase cardboard top hats and use as a centrepiece on the snack table or as a container for snacks like chips.
4. Add stars and moon stickers to a tablecloth.
5. Invite young wizards to decorate purple cone-shaped party hats with silver star stickers.
6. Make simple bunny or crystal ball templates out of craft paper; have your little wizards trace the templates onto poster board and cut out their own placemats.
7. Download clipart or photocopy magical-themed pictures (top hats and bunnies, white-gloved magician hands, crystal balls and wands) and post around the party room.

Fun For All

• Hire a magician for a guaranteed good time. Tip: Check references. Don't serve food during the performance.
• Don't want to hire a professional? Teach children a simple trick at the party and give instructions and props as party favours.
• You be the magician! Younger children will enjoy the Cup & Ball trick (shuffle three cups with a different coloured ball underneath each; kids guess which colour is where).
• Play Disappearing Guests (a.k.a. hide and seek) or Magical Freeze (when the music stops, so do the children).
• Ask guests to use their magical powers to guess how many Mystic Marbles or jelly beans are in the jar; award a prize for the closest guess.
• Divide children into teams and have a Magical Clues Treasure Hunt (use simple riddles, invisible pens, and backward writing to pose clues).
• Have the birthday boy or girl award Certificates of Magic to all budding magicians at the end of the party.

Fab Party Favours

• invisible ink pen
• deck of playing cards
• instructions for one easy card trick
• magnets
• magic-trick kit from a dollar, magic or toy store
• magic wand