The holiday season is a perfect time for parents to throw a fun holiday party. Here are top tips for planning just such a party this year that will be simple and loads of fun, but won’t break the bank:

1. Send your invitations out early. It's a busy time of year, and getting on people's calendars early is key.
2. Make your own invitations with candy canes. Attach a small card with the party details on it to the candy cane for an easy invite.
3. Have the children make paper ornaments, and hold an ornament swap at the party. You can purchase ornament kits, or children can create homemade ornaments using heavy card stock, glitter glue, markers, and other craft materials. Crafty and fun!
4. If your party is strictly for kids, limit the number of guests-perhaps just your kids’ best friends.
5. Let your holiday decorations serve as your party decorations.
6. Look around your home for fun stuff to create easy activities. Ideas include: a holiday taste test (bring out the spices of the season and let the kids taste and guess away), shaving cream or marshmallow snowmen, a cookie bake-off , and letters to Santa. The activities are endless when you look around your own home for inspiration.
7. Hosting an open house for the entire family may cut down on cost and time. If adults and children will both attend the party, make sure to have a few of those easy activities prepared for the kids and run by helpers.
8. Host a tree-trimming party. The main activity will be decorating the tree and your home. If you have small trees that need trimming, this is ideal.
9. Serve cocoa and cookies, not a full meal. Do not schedule your holiday party around a meal time.
10. Say no to the goody bags at your holiday party. Let a craft or a cookie that the children bake and decorate serve as a take-home favor.

-- Lisa Kothari, Peppers and Pollywogs