Hiring a venue and entertainer for children's parties can cost an absolute fortune. With a bit of baking and other preparation, having a birthday party at home, or in a park in the summer, can be even more fun than getting someone else to organise it.

Party Game Central has hundreds of free game ideas:

http://www.partygamecentral.com/

as does:

http://partygameideas.com/

You can find all the baking recipes you would ever need on this website:

http://thefoody.com/baking/index.html

If you need some help with planning the party, then iVillage has an excellent guide:

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/parenting/occasions/birthdays/articles/0,,637040_638152,00.html