How can a cheerleading party not be a big hit? Read on for fun cheerleading theme party ideas!

Invitations can be store bought or customized. This is a great way to get the birthday girl involved. Choose fun ‘team’ colors and use them to adorn your invitations. A fun invitation idea is to make "tickets" to the big party. For example, if it is a girl's eighth birthday, you can out "Two-Four-Six-She's Eight today! It time that we appreciate Lizzy! Lizzy! Yay!" or "Join us for a Big 8 Tailgate!" Then continue to list the party details. You could also use the invitation to invite guests to come dressed in their favorite cheerleader outfit or team wear.

Using a favorite team or color in your decorations is a simple idea. Most party supply stores have supplies that can be used for cheerleading theme decorations. Also going to dollar stores are an inexpensive way to stock up on decorations. You can hang team jerseys, sports equipment, megaphones, pom poms and medals around the room. Don't forget to set up a “concession stand” to serve foods like hot dogs, popcorn, and nachos.

There are many games and activities suited to this theme. Here are some ideas:

The Human Pyramid: Make sure to do this either on grass or a soft mat. Help the girls create a pyramid and capture it with lots of pictures! Let them take turns in different positions. The pictures can be printed off and given as gifts for the guests.

Cheers: Get the girls lined up and teach them some simple cheers. If possible, recruit a real cheerleader to come and teach the girls cheers and chants. This activity will be a great way to sing Happy Birthday to the birthday girl using a fun cheer. Here is an example:

I don't know what I've been told
(I don't know what I've been told)(echo)
Someone here is getting old
(Someone here is getting old)
Thought I heard somebody say
(Thought I heard somebody say)
Today is your birthday
(Today is your birthday)
Sound off
Happy
Sound Off
Birthday
Bring it on down
Happy Birthday to you!

Face Painting: Guests can share their team spirit with face painting! Girls can paint each others faces with numbers, pom poms and other cute shapes.

Music: Create a simple dance routine to some techno style music and let the girls learn the choreography. They will have a blast!

Cheerleading Obstacle Course: For younger children, do simple exercises with them, jumping, waving pom poms and chanting. For older children, design an obstacle course that includes gymnastic style moves, more difficult jumps, memorizing and reciting a cheer.

Send your cheerleaders home with inexpensive totes filled with a set of pom-poms and treats such as sports-themed candies, cheerleading stickers, water bottles, or lip-gloss.

Try your skills at a megaphone shaped cake, cut from a large rectangular cake, or use a round cake pan and drizzle several strands of icing or licorice strands across to simulate pom poms (or use coconut dyed with food color)-make the handles with white fondant or melted white almond bark. If you aren't sure how they should look, use a real pom pom or megaphone for inspiration. If this seems a little complicated, make a simple rectangular cake and decorate it like a cheerleading uniform.

Have fun with this cheertastic party theme!