My daughter’s birthday falls on the day after Christmas, and you can probably imagine how difficult it is celebrating amid all the holiday chaos. We decided early on that we’d certainly make a big deal—with gifts and cake and all that—on her actual December birthday, but we actually hold a birthday party for her with all her friends later or March or April to avoid the holiday craziness. Ideally, it’s great to have a birthday in the summer, but we can’t push the party off that far.

As it turns out, we have a lot of family birthdays in January and February, so her party always gets scheduled later in the year. We’ve had a few of her birthday parties planned at the house, but you’re never sure how the weather will be in the spring. Last year, it rained heavily on the day of the party, so I had to make sure that I had enough indoor-appropriate activities for the girls to do.

Here are some fun and inexpensive ideas for indoor birthday party themes that we’ve either done or experienced. Of course you can do these outside, too—they’re perfect for any time of year!

Tea Party

Encourage everyone to wear their most fancy dress at this party for girls. Serve herb or fruit-based tea, juice, cookies, and little tea sandwiches with kid-friendly filling like strawberry jam and cream cheese, or peanut butter (or other nut and seed butters if you’re concerned about allergies. Try sunflower seed butter—it’s good.) Serve mini cupcakes instead of a big birthday cake.

You can decorate a tea party table with a nice tablecloth, flowers, and elegant paper napkins and plates for easy cleanup. Of course dolls, teddy bears, and other stuffed animals are welcome, too. Traditional party games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Hot Potato can round out the fun.

Paper Airplane Party

Aviation-themed decorations and activities make this a fun party for everyone. Have plenty of paper on hand for guests to make their own paper airplane creations. The classic paper airplane shape is fine, but you can find patterns and instructions for all kinds of different planes on the Web or at the library.

Make markers, crayons, and stickers available for everyone to personalize their aviation creations. When everyone’s done, it’s time to fly the planes. Race them and try different stunts and tricks.

Ice Cream Social

Who doesn’t like ice cream? My daughter attended a party like this last fall for one of her kindergarten friends. Offer up several different kinds of ice cream and toppings like hot fudge, fruit, whipped cream, crushed Oreos, and maraschino cherries. Serve the ice cream to your guests and pass around the toppings in little bowls. The birthday boy or girl gets a sundae with a candle in it. Delicious and fun!

I hope these ideas inspire you to hold your own fun birthday party, whether it’s indoors or out.