Party Dogs!

Most youngsters love dogs, so why not ask your party guests to bring a snapshot of their dog and be prepared to give a two-minute talk on the virtues of that particular breed of dog.

As each guest arrives, hand her an envelope containing paper letters which - when placed in the right order - spell out a dog's name - such as Rover, Brownie, Scotch, Lassie, etc.

This is an excellent starter, as it gives each newcomer something to do while the others are arriving.

As soon as each one had figured out her dog's name, write it on a slip of paper and pinit on her. It then becomes her name for the evening.

Feel free to select other appropriate animals or activities, and then you can build the theme of the party around it.

Kids seem to love it!