from Pottery Barn Kids

Invitations fashioned after classic comic strips are the perfect way to announce a super hero birthday. Cut standard sheets (8.5 x 11") of cardstock in half twice to create four cards. On a separate piece of white paper, create a three-panel comic strip to fit across the length of the card. To make the panels, crop photographs of the birthday boy or girl in action, or have your child draw simple sketches of their favorite heroes in different poses. Make color copies of however many you need, then cut and paste them in sequential order across each card. Add dialogue balloons that pop out of the panel frames and fill with all the party details.

For every super hero, there's a villain, and it's a great platform for this fun party game. Fill a large green plastic bag with treasure - smaller treat bags full of candy and trinkets for each guest - and hide it somewhere on the party grounds. Working backwards from the treasure, leave clues written from a villain's perspective - think the Riddler or the Joker - that will lead the guests in the right direction. Be sure every clue is age-appropriate, but challenging, and enlist teen or adult helpers dressed as villains to help run and supervise the game.

It's best to keep the menu simple for an action-packed party. Serve food that can be prepared before the party, and set it out just before mealtime. A party-sized "hero" sandwich sliced for easy serving, pretzels and a fruit salad will fill up your guests and keep you out of the kitchen during the party. Let the grand finale be a cake decorated with your child's favorite super heroes and plenty of ice cream on the side.