Celebrating A Birthday With SpongeBob SquarePants af \ | = a _< aid An Orlando-based hotel takes the conventional birthday party and adds its own Nickelodeon style with endlessactivities. (NAPSA)—Forchildren, birth- days generally rank as one of the best—if not the best—days of the year. In fact, according to party experts, themed birthdays have grown increasingly important, with 5 million special days celebrated each week. Parents, fondly thinking back to their own birthdays and the importance of the perfect event, are getting more creative and pulling out all the stops to plan celebrations their youngsters will never forget. Here are some tips to help makethe dayall the more memorable for your youngster: Involve your child in party planning and preparation. Surprises are fun, but kidslike to get involved in planning, andthis is a time when the kids are motivated to be especially helpful. One-third of kids’ parties have a theme—and the most popular are kids’ favorite characters from the entertainment world. There are many ways to incorpo- rate characters into the party, including themed games, decora- tions, balloons, stickers, favors— even the cake. For families who really want to kick the festivities up a notch (or two), a trip to a one-of-a-kind hotel in Orlando, Fla., can be just the thing for a sensational birthday blast. The extravaganza begins at the Nickelodeon Family Suites as the party gang enters a decked out, themed room that can be complete with the lovable Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. characters themselves. SpongeBob SquarePants and his sidekick Patrick, and Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego or Blue from “Blue’s Clues,” engage kids in interactive games, sing- alongs and dances throughout the day. The gifts and slime surprises come from all directions that can include meet and greets with additional characters such as Wanda and Cosmo from “The Fairly OddParents” or Tommy and Chuckie from “Rugrats,” private slimings in Studio Nick, arcade gift cards, face painting, Karaoke Live and more. The icing on the cake, how- ever, seals the deal: Book three nights and the birthday night is free. It’s the hotel’s way of saying “Happy Birthday” with a chance to celebrate in true Nick style. For more information, call (866) GO-2-NICK or log on to www.nickhotel.com. Overall, the object of the day is to make yourchild feel special. Take cues from your child to cater the day to his or her wishes—including knowing whentocallit a day.
