Children's birthday parties are not what they used to be. Gone are the days of the simple backyard barbie with cake and balloons, perhaps a tub of ice cream thrown in. Nowadays, your kids' party could very well rival a wedding in terms of extravaganza, not to mention expense. Such are the times and, peer pressure being what it is, the typical parent has no choice but to roll with the trend.

These days, if you mean to throw your child a birthday party, you usually start off by picking a theme. Normally, knowing what your child likes, the right theme should not be hard to figure out. While it's true that a theme party is not a novel concept, it also hasn't been Skull Fashion carried to such extreme levels as it is now. Many parents, mums especially, like to outdo each other, so kiddie parties just keep on getting more and more extravagant.

Of course, you can still do a theme birthday party and remain reasonable about the expenses and the lengths you'll go to throw a happening bash. You can usually get all the materials you need - balloons, plates, utensils, napkins, party hats, etc. - from one party supplies shop. In fact, you can even do all your shopping online, so there's no need to scour different stores in your area and beyond to find matching items.

A word of advice when it comes to choosing a theme: pick a popular one. Sure, it's really cool to throw a party with a theme that has not yet been done before, but if you do not want the headache of searching for a place that carries the items you need or of getting everything customised, then you'll just have to settle for something that's sure to be available in the shops. Currently, some of the most common party themes are the following:

Angry Birds. The developer of this app is already making a killing, but this game veritably turned into an actual empire. Kids will get a kick out of eating off of Angry Birds plates and getting Angry Birds loot bags and balloons.

Lego. This is clearly a classic. Lego has been a childhood presence for several generations now, and its popularity is only growing stronger. For the party, you can set up an impressive Lego centrepiece and give away Lego loot bags containing stuff like Lego erasers and rubber bracelets.

Pirates. Thanks to pop culture's depiction of pirates, they make a fun and fascinating theme. You can have a treasure hunt with an authentic-looking treasure map, a skull and crossbones or parrot piñata, giveaways of eye patches, fake beards, gold coin candy, etc. Click here to learn more ideas on throwing a party.