Walk into any party store and you’ll find dozens of various birthday party theme ideas, from American Idol to Zoology. But the thing is they’ve all been done a thousand times before. Maybe you don’t want same old, same old. You want something different. More importantly, you’d like the theme to reflect your Christian beliefs – which Hannah Montana or Tony Hawk just can’t do.

Why not throw your son or daughter a Christian-themed party? Since you likely won’t find these themes in party stores, it will take a little more planning. But with some thought and a little extra time, you’re sure to end up with a fun and unique party that will be a hit with kids and parents, alike.

Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

NOAH’S ARK. Know someone who has a boat you can borrow or rent for the day? Invite your child’s friends to a party on Noah’s ark. Dress up your child as Noah and have the guests come dressed as their favorite animal. No boat available? No problem! Create your own boat in the basement or party room. Decorate with cut-out animals, rainbows and other Noah’s Ark accessories.

Another option: If it’s a summer birthday and the weather permits, hand out rain slickers and turn on the sprinklers for forty-minutes of fun in the “rain.”

PRINCESS. Who needs to dress up like Cinderella or Snow White? Your little girl is a child of the True King – so treat her like the genuine princess she is! Invite all of her friends to the palace for a royal celebration. Have lots of gowns, high heeled shoes, and white elbow gloves on-hand for dress-up. Tiara’s are definitely required.

BIBLE CHARACTER. Great for any age. Have guests dress up like their favorite Bible character. For the first game, play “ten questions” and allow kids to ask “yes or no” questions to see if they can discover which Bible character their friends are portraying. If you’d rather not play dress up, a game option is to pin a Bible character name to each guest’s back. Then have guests mingle and ask questions about their character to try and guess who they are.

THE AMAZING CHURCH RACE. This is a great party idea for older kids who can drive. If under age, designate a driver for each team car. Have teams race (within the speed limit, of course!) to a few different churches in the area and perform tasks, as they would for a scavenger hunt. Maybe they will have to get a bulletin from the secretary, take a digital photo of a staff member, or get the name of the Youth Pastor. If churches are closed, require a digital photo of the church itself as proof that they performed their task.

POPULAR VIDEO CHARACTERS. With the many Christian videos on the market, some kids are bent on a specific character party. 1-2-3 Penguins, Hermie, Adventures in Odyssey, and Life at the Pond are all video-based themes you can base your party around. And, of course, Veggie Tales is one of those Christian based theme you will find at the average party store.

Use these ideas as springboards for your own creativity. Plan a party for your child that kids won’t only enjoy, they’ll be talking about it for a long time to come.