We decided to have a doll party for my daughter's eighth birthday. We invited 9 girls and asked them all to wear their prettiest party dresses and to bring a doll to share.  Every girl was so excited to come and bring their dolls with them. Even the dolls had their party dresses on. First we put name tags on each child so we everyone knew names. Then the girls made a craft for their doll. We decided on bead necklaces.  All the girls had fun making them. Then we made hot chocolate or had old-fashioned ginger ale soda. The we had the girls decorate homemade cookies that I had baked. I used really cute doll dress cookie cutters.  I also had umbrellas and sandals and flower cookie cutters. They were adorable and the girls had a really fun time decorating their cookies with different colored icings (I let them make their own icing)and using different little decorations like white sugar beads, stars, and buttons.  I put each child's cookie in a plastic baggie to take home with them. Then we had a suitcase relay race where the girls had to run to the suitcase, put on a hat, gloves, scarf and cardigan and then get their picture taken and then run back and put the clothes back in the suitcase. They had a blast doing this.  Everyone received a prize.  Then we played one of my favorite games -- pass the parcel. I wrapped up each gift in as many layers of paper as possible.  We played the game twice. We gave out really nice prizes to everyone.  Also, we had a short show and tell for everyone's doll. That was fun! Then we sat around the table for the birthday cake and ice cream. I made a vanilla sheet cake with pastel blue icing and beautiful spring flowers and butterflies on it.  We had strawberry ice cream.  Then it was present opening time.  We had the girls sit around in a circle while my daughter and each friend sat together and opened their gift.  Each girl waited her turn to sit with my daughter and give her a present.  This is a wonderful way to keep gift giving organized. We had a list ready so that I could write down everything to send thank you cards later. We took pictures of the gift giving also so that a special picture could be sent with the thank you card.  Finally, when it was time to go, we gave each child their own star gift bag with some awesome treats in it and a special American Girl doll book. The girls loved every minute of this party -- everyone had so much fun!  Now that's what I call a party!!