NOT INTO PARTY PLANNING?

Pay someone else to take care of the details. You can always head to Chuck E. Cheese, the local bowling alley or a skating rink. The movies are always fun and pool parties make a big splash, but here are some birthday party ideas that you may not have considered.

— Jennie Tal and Stephanie Ogilvie

Salem Avalanche

Hit a grand slam for your little slugger by booking a party at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium. The park offers three packages ranging from $99 to $300 for 10 guests (with extra charges for additional guests).

All of them include admission to a home game, birthday cake and a "Happy Birthday" serenade by the entire crowd. The pricier packages both feature box seats and a meal for each guest (hot dogs, chips and soda). The premium "MVP" package turns your little birthday boy or girl into a VIP celebrity who gets to throw the first pitch at the start of the game; participate in an on-field contest; and meet up with a Salem Avalanche player, who will bring autographed baseballs for every guest. The MVP package also includes unlimited inflatable ride passes to use in the Kid Zone.

According to Jeremy Auker, assistant general manager of group sales, the baseball park has offered its current slate of party packages for the past two years, but it introduced the new Birthday Zone just this season. The private, tented area features picnic tables where the cake eating and present opening happens.

No matter what package you choose, all three are designed to simplify your life and save you time — the Avalanche will even take care of mailing out the invitations. "We try to make it as stress-free as possible," Auker said.

To make a party reservation, call the group sales department at 389-3333. Complete birthday package details are available at salemavalanche.com.

Pump It Up

3424-C Orange Ave., Roanoke

With several packages available, up to 25 kids can bounce, run, slide and play for up to two hours. Parties include invitations, setup and cleanup in a birthday party room and available extras include pizza, soda, water, Maggie Moo’s ice cream, balloons, favors and more. Weekend packages start at $245 but the birthday child, children under two and adults over 18 are free. 345-7867, pumpitupparty.com.

Petticoats and Petit Fours Tea Room

311 W. Main St., Salem

With four different tea parties to choose from (Grand Duchess, Victorian Dress-up, Pretty-N-Pink and Sugar-N-Spice), every tea-party-loving little girl can find something to entertain her guests. Different parties are for ages 4 to 10 and range in price from $135 for six children to $300 for 10. All parties include teatime drinks and treats, and some packages include cake, dress-up for the hostess, favors and more. Parent’s trays are available for an additional cost. 389-2822, petticoatsandpetitfourstearoom.com.

Young Chefs Academy

Ridgewood Farm Shopping Center, 1923 A-1 Electric Road, Salem

All birthday parties feature hands-on cooking fun for the aspiring chefs in your life, at any age. Choose a theme (Pasta, Ice Cream, Fiesta, Pizza, Cheesy Mozzarella Breadsticks or Breadsticks and Chocolate Sticky Bread) and a package, buy a cake and have some fun. Party costs range from $15 to $18 per child and include a recipe card for each guest, invitations, food, drinks, paper supplies and a laminated card for the birthday child signed by all the guests. Aprons, T-shirts, chef hats and gift bags are available for an additional price. 389-2433, youngchefsacademy@verizon.net, youngchefsacademy.com.

My Gym

Townside Festival, 3727 Franklin Road, Roanoke

There are different parties for different ages, but all parties include up to two hours of gym time, setup, cleanup, decorations, experienced gymnastics teachers, games, puppets, rides, songs and more. Parties start at $250 for 20 children with additional charges for more children or party favors which include activity-based toys such as frisbees and jump ropes and range in price from $1.50 to $3. Parents must bring cake if desired. 774-0037, my-gym.com.

Mill Mountain Zoo

"Zoobilations" start at $200 and include zoo admission for 15 children and 15 adults, a personalized chat with a real zoo keeper and use of the zoo picnic pavilion for two hours. Party times are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 to 4 p.m., and party-goers should be aware that balloons and straws are not allowed in the zoo, for the safety of the animals. 343-3241, ext.30, info@mmzoo.org, mmzoo.org.

Art museum

Center in the Square, downtown Roanoke

The museum is moving, but Art Venture is still open and birthday parties are going strong through the summer. All parties include two hours in Art Venture, a private birthday party room, admission for 15 children, party helpers and invitations. Options include party crafts and eating utensils and packages range from $100 to $150. Parents should bring food or cake and decorations if desired. 857-4392, bboyle@artmuseumroanoke.org, artmuseumroanoke.org.

Glazed Bisque-It

120 Campbell Ave., downtown Roanoke

For the little artists, this party comes with a built-in take-home craft. For about an hour, 6 to 18 children can paint an item of their choice and then continue in the birthday party room with cake, ice cream and presents. Parties are either $14 or $16 per painter and children can choose to paint cups, plates, animals, frames or more — there are more than 10 options in each price category. The store glazes, fires and packs up the art which is ready for pick-up within one week. Parents must bring in cake and ice cream. 985-4567, glazedbisque-it.com.

Beads Indeed

123 Campbell Ave., downtown Roanoke

Here’s another hands-on party to get the creative juices flowing. Beads Indeed offers beading parties for ages 6 and up. For $6 per guest during store hours, you’ll get a 2-hour party that includes use of its 1700-square-foot mezzanine area (which accommodates up to 50 people) and a store helper to assist with designs. After-hours parties cost $12 per person. Parents must bring any food or decorations, and the beads cost extra. Alyce Szathmary, who owns the shop with her daughter, said that parents and birthday girls usually visit the store before the party in order to pick beads that would stay within their budget. For each child to take home a necklace, plan to spend about $10 to $12 per guest total (this includes the $6 fee) — or more if you want fancier beads. Store hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. 344-9586, beadsindeed.com.

CAUTION! PARTY IN PROGRESS

Raise the roof with a party any construction-loving kid is sure to dig.

By Catherine Newman | McClatchy-Tribune

CREW CALL!

Announce your big job with simple scrap wood invitations (wooden craft rectangles; $2 for 6 at Michael’s). Use a ballpoint pen or carpenters’ pencil to add such details as "Construction Site" (place) and "Site Boss" (host), along with carpenter-style notations.

A REAL FIXER-UPPER

Let your crew get a cardboard box playhouse up to code by adding shingles, shutters, window boxes and more.

Before the party, cut the top flaps off a large box; tape the bottom flaps closed. (Need a box? Ask for one at your local department or appliance store. We used a refrigerator box.) To add a roof, score another piece of cardboard down the middle, fold it over, then hot glue it to the box. Finally, collect supplies for the building activities (jar lids and bottle caps for doorknobs, tempera paint, etc.).

REFUELING STATION

When the foreman says it’s break time, break out this snack box. To create one, line the tray of a clean new toolbox with aluminum foil. Fill it with chips, crackers, cut-up veggies, cheese and tubs of dip.

PACK THAT TOOL BELT!

At the beginning of the party, outfit each worker with a hard hat and a waist apron and have kids personalize their "tool belts" with fabric markers. After games and activities, hand out additional gear for the workers to tuck into them. Hard hats ($6 per dozen) and waist aprons ($15 per dozen) are available at orientaltrading.com. Small measuring tapes ($1), carpenters’ pencils (39 cents) and paintbrushes ($1) are available at Home Depot.

TOPPLE THE TOWER

In this test of precision demolition, kids use a miniature wrecking ball to knock down the tower one box at a time.

Site prep: Attach one end of a long piece of string to a tennis ball painted black (we tied ours to a small screw eye inserted in the ball, but you could also secure it with duct tape). Feed the other end through a key ring taped to a tree branch or door frame. To construct the tower, number and stack seven empty cereal or snack boxes.

Demolition: Players stand about 4 feet from the stack. They adjust the height of the wrecking ball by pulling on the string, then swing the ball at the tower. The group’s challenge: knock the boxes off in sequence and only one box at a time. Each player’s turn lasts until he misses. If he knocks off more than one box, or knocks one off out of order, it’s considered a miss and the box is restacked. The person who demolishes the last box wins.

DIG THIS CAKE

This no-bake excavator cake may look like a labor of love, but it’s easily assembled from a pound cake, Twinkies and other sweets. Even the dirt (crushed cookies) is edible. Recipe is here.

MORE PARTY THEMES

By McClatchy-Tribune

ARTIST’S QUARTER
Let the creative juices flow.

Invites: Print the birthday child’s artwork on postcards; details go on the back.
Cake: Let kids decorate white-frosted cupcakes.
Decor: Search Google Images for "Large Images," like "impressionist art." Print and hang.
Activities: Before the party, draw one ornate chalk picture frame on the driveway per guest. Hand out painter’s smocks (old white shirts, sleeves cut to ¾ length) and colored chalk.
Goodies: Smocks, sidewalk chalk.

WESTERN ROUNDUP
Calling all cowpokes!

Invites: Before the party, use digital photos of guests to make personalized "Wanted" posters. Print in black and white or sepia, on taupe resume paper, then crumple, roll and tie with string.
Cake: Boot-shaped cake. (Search "boot cake" on parents.com.)
Decor: Wanted posters of teachers, parents and others. Add rope swags and cutouts of horses, coyotes and cacti.
Activities: Hand out bandanas and vests. Deputize with gold posterboard sheriff’s stars backed with double-stick tape. Help kids make custom belt buckles: Cut 3-by-5 ovals out of heavy cardboard; decorate with stick-on gems and paint markers. Fasten to 2-inch brown ribbon with stick-on Velcro or hot glue, then use another piece of Velcro to secure the ends of the belt together.
Goodies: Western vests made from paper sacks, a bandana (available in lots of 10 on eBay for about $1 each) and a horse figurine.

PIRATE MUSTER
Yo-ho-ho, me hearties!

Invites: Find corks to fit plastic soda bottles. Draft an invitation in pirate-speak, age the paper (see Western) and burn the edges with a candle. Roll, tie and stuff it into a bottle. Tell guests to bring sand shovels; you’ll be diggin’ fer gold!
Cake: A treasure chest brimming with gold coins.
Decor: Netting, shells, anchors (find at craft stores).
Activities: A treasure hunt! Draw a map of your neighborhood. Lead kids through yards (ask permission first!) and alleys to a spot where it’s OK to dig. Rename landmarks, like "lone elm," or "black gate" to correspond with real things. Remember to add dragons and sea serpents. Fill a chest (inexpensive at Target and elsewhere, or get an unfinished one at a craft store and paint it yourself) baggies of chocolate coins, lollipop rings, candy necklaces, etc.
Goodies: Wrap a bandana (get half-yards of cotton-print fabric and cut squares yourself) around an eye patch, an earring and a tattoo. Some party stores stock pirate kits. Each child also gets a share of the treasure.

CASTLES
Activities and decor will depend on whether your crowd skews more to satin or swords.

Invites: A proclamation, of course. Print details on buff resume paper, roll and tie with a ribbon.
Cake: A castle or dragon cake
Decor: Pennants, crossed spears (broomsticks and aluminum foil), ivy, tulle swags.
Activities: Tell kids that a unicorn was sighted recently. She has lost her horn. Hand over a photograph of a unicorn’s horn (a striped candy stick) close up with an identifiable part of the yard in the back. At that spot, they’ll find another photo. After about a half-dozen clues, they’ll find the horn, a basket full of candy sticks. Or, do the same kind of hunt for a dragon. At the end, have them find a papier mache dragon pinata that they can "vanquish."
Goodies: Give princesses cone-shaped hats to decorate with glitter glue or paint markers and gems. And, many balloon-sculpture kits include instructions to make balloon swords. Boys love these. If it’s a mixed crowd, offer swords and millinery.