With today's busy lifestyle it is not too difficult to completely forget that your child has a birthday coming up, or maybe you haven't forgotten but have found it impossible to find the time to put it all together, and now you only have a short period of time to work with. Don't panic, there are ways to put together a successful children's party, even at the last minute.

• Decide where you will have your party and what type of party it will be. When you are short on time it is sometimes best to use a venue for the party, such as a local children's park, museum, or activity center. Most places will offer packages that include decorations, entertainment, party favors and a birthday cake; this can be a tremendous help if you are really short on time.
• Pick a date, but be flexible. This may be especially important when making reservations on short notice, as the location may not be available for the exact date that you want. Try several locations to get your date, but you may also want to think of altering your date as well.
• Hand deliver the invitations so that the guests will get them as soon as possible, or you may want to call the parents of each child to invite them. No matter which way you get the invitations out, make sure you ask who will be attending; with short notice some may not be able to come.
• If having the party at your home you can visit a local party store and purchase all your decorations and party favors at the same time.
• Order a cake from a local bakery, if you don't have quite enough time to have one special made, you can purchase one that is already done and just ask them to add a couple decorations to it, and your child's name.
• For older children plan something simple, like a movie party where the guests can watch movies. For younger children you can easily implement some of the classic children's games without having to do much extra.
• If you were planning to serve lunch or dinner at the party and you are having it at home, the fastest and easiest way to do this is to order out for pizza. This can be done the same day as the party, or if you need several pizzas, simply order the day before.
• Ask friends or relatives if they can help out. With several people working together you'd be amazed at how much you can get done.

Although children's parties are notorious for being hectic, and last minute parties are even worse, you can make your kid's party a success, even if you have a week or less to plan. If you put some thought into it, you could put together a quick party that will seem like it took you weeks to put together.